“…”

Han Qian suddenly woke from his sleep, sitting up clutching his quilt. Only after a good while did he steady his mind. Hazily recalling this nightmare, his undergarment was already soaked with sweat.

“Another nightmare?” Xi Ren, sleeping in the outer room, heard the commotion. She threw on her clothes, pushed open the door and entered. By the dim candlelight, she saw Han Qian sitting clutching his quilt, his expression somewhat dazed. She asked with concern.

“Mm.” Han Qian nodded, not denying it. Looking outside the window at the faint brightness filtering through, with dawn approaching, he no longer felt sleepy. He put on his clothes and got out of bed, using flint to light the two candle stubs on the table. The bedroom brightened.

It was now the seventh day of the first month of Tianyou year seventeen. Ten days ago, Han Qian and Vice Envoy Guo Rong had been received in audience by Shu Lord Wang Jian. Both sides had finally agreed on matters of military withdrawal, mutual trade, establishment of national embassies, and stationing of officials.

Shu Lord Wang Jian had also issued an edict proclaiming to the Shu military and people the matter of the marriage alliance with the Chu Kingdom.

Although Han Qian’s heart was set on returning home like an arrow, Shu Lord Wang Jian, to demonstrate deep father-daughter affection, only agreed that after the Lantern Festival, he would arrange for Princess Qingyang to formally depart and return to Chu Kingdom with Han Qian to marry Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.

Before this, Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong had also, according to the established plan, submitted a memorial to Shu Lord Wang Jian, proposing to transfer the troops withdrawn from Xiazhou to southern Yuzhou to jointly attack with Chu Kingdom’s Sizhou Regional Commander Yang Xingfeng the Wu Liao people’s mountain strongholds on both banks of Qianyang, to manage the Banan region and cut off the private salt sources of the southern Sichuan Liao people.

Shu Lord Wang Jian initially paid no attention to Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong’s memorial, retaining it in the palace without allowing the Council of State or relevant bureaus to discuss it.

Before the new year, Minister of Rites Vice Minister Wang Yanzhang of Crown Prince Qingjiang Marquis Wang Hongyi’s faction submitted a memorial requesting Shu Lord Wang Jian to proclaim himself emperor. This met with Wang Jian’s furious rebuke, and he didn’t even allow Wang Yanzhang to remain in Shu’s capital for the new year festival, directly demoting him to serve as Administrator in Rongzhou.

On the first day of the first month, Shu Lord Wang Jian held a grand banquet for his ministers in the palace. Han Qian was also invited to attend.

At the banquet, Shu Lord Wang Jian formally brought out the “Memorial Advising Management of Banan” submitted by Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong, having the assembled ministers discuss it.

Deputy Privy Council Commissioner and Right Guard General Qi Lun and others all supported the proposal to manage Banan. Shu Lord Wang Jian immediately announced at the banquet the additional appointment of Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong as concurrent Regional Commander of Yuzhou.

However, Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong didn’t wait until after the Lantern Festival. Yesterday he had already departed from Shu’s capital with his retinue, taking an official vessel toward Yuzhou to assume his post, responsible for managing the Banan region.

At this point, Han Qian’s mission objectives to Shu could be said to be completely achieved. Now he just needed to wait until after the Lantern Festival to escort Princess Qingyang on the return journey.

However, the closer it got to departure time, the stronger Han Qian’s inner unease grew. Unfortunately, the intelligence report transmitted from Jinling two days ago only described the situation in Jinling in early twelfth month.

As of early twelfth month, Jinling City was still completely calm and peaceful.

At that time, after Zhao Wuji had met with the Third Prince, he had just arrived in Jinling with over fifty Han family retainers to meet with Feng Liao. No one in Jinling City seemed to have noticed anything unusual about Shen He’s illness or Chen Xingmo replacing him.

The atmosphere of the year-end festival grew increasingly rich. This year having successfully quelled the Tanzhou rebellion, many prefectures and counties had already submitted congratulatory memorials in advance.

His father ran to the Capital Prefecture yamen before dawn every day to manage official business, handling several cases in succession that his predecessor hadn’t dared touch. That very day, Old Master Han Wenhuan had specially come to Lanting Alley to sit for a while, asking his father to come to the main estate for dinner the next evening—the next day was Second Uncle Han Daochang’s birthday.

After Zhao Wuji met with Feng Liao, he handed over his letter to Feng Liao. Feng Liao had noticed that Wang Wenqian and his daughter Wang Jun had returned to Jinling from Chuzhou in recent days, but hadn’t seen any other abnormalities from the Chuzhou side for the time being…

Just this one intelligence report—everything in Jinling City seemed calm and peaceful, yet it couldn’t set Han Qian’s mind at ease.

The Chuzhou side couldn’t possibly fail to notice the abnormality of Shen He’s illness. If he were in Jinling, he would certainly mobilize more personnel to watch every move of Chuzhou Embassy Administrator Yin Peng and Chuzhou Chief Clerk Wang Wenqian and others, and send more reconnaissance forces to Chaozhou and Chuzhou.

However, Feng Liao currently had no official position. Unless in emergencies when he could act with discretionary authority, under normal circumstances, no matter how much Han Qian wanted to in his heart, he had no way to formally authorize Feng Liao with the power to command Jinyun Tower.

Before Zhao Wuji led the household troops to Jinling, the personnel available to Feng Liao were limited, and what he could accomplish was very limited. Han Qian now just hoped that Zhao Wuji leading people back wouldn’t be too late.

“What are you worried about?” Xi Ren saw Han Qian’s brow furrow together. In her heart, she couldn’t help feeling an impulse to smooth out his frown. She was also surprised by this thought arising within herself. She asked with concern.

“No matter how slow Chuzhou’s reaction, once Zhao Wuji leads people back, they should mostly have some movement. I don’t know if Feng Liao and the others can handle such a situation,” Han Qian said. “Now a whole month has passed. Whatever happened in Jinling during this month, I don’t know any news at all. I can’t quite sit still!”

“Zhao Wuji led personnel back a month ago to rendezvous with Feng Liao, and half a month ago, five thousand Dragon Sparrow Army elites should have already returned to Jinling under the pretext of rotation garrison duty. At that time, they could assemble twelve or thirteen thousand elites at Qiuhu Mountain. I think even if Chuzhou wanted to stir up wind and waves at that point, they would mostly worry about making wedding clothes for us and choose to hold their forces back!” Xi Ren comforted Han Qian. “In another six or seven days, after the Lantern Festival, we’ll set out. Then going downstream along the river, we’ll only need half a month to reach Yueyang. Even if there are changes in the Jinling situation by then, we should have nothing to fear, right?”

In his heart, Han Qian also hoped that before the five thousand Dragon Sparrow Army elites arrived in Jinling, the situation could still hold. After washing up, he summoned Feng Yi, Xi Fa’er, and Kong Xirong to lead people out of the city toward the temporary encampment outside the city where the accompanying troops were stationed.

No matter how worried he was, Han Qian couldn’t reach Jinling from Shu. He still had to appear as if everything was under control, so that Shu Lord Wang Jian wouldn’t become anxious about the Jinling situation.

For this diplomatic mission to Shu Kingdom, departing from Xuzhou, including household troop retainers as well as naval forces and sailors, over four hundred people accompanied them. Adding the war vessels and personnel borrowed from Yueyang, nearly seven hundred people in total formed this massive bride-escort delegation.

No matter how much Shu Kingdom respected Han Qian’s position as bride-escort envoy, they couldn’t possibly let Han Qian bring all seven hundred people into Shu’s capital.

In the end, only Xi Fa’er, Kong Xirong, Feng Yi and several dozen others accompanied Han Qian and Guo Rong to lodge at Jinhua Tower South Court, while the others were led by Yang Qin and Zhou Chu to be stationed in temporary military camps arranged by the Shu army.

The temporary encampment was an official estate under Shu military jurisdiction, located more than ten li outside Shu capital’s south gate.

Surrounded by the guards led by Feng Yi, Kong Xirong, and Xi Fa’er, Han Qian rode out of the city on horseback at dawn. Just after leaving the south gate, he saw from afar Guo Que leading several people, escorting a horse carriage approaching.

“Who’s in the carriage?” Han Qian reined in his horse. When Guo Que and the others escorted the carriage close, he asked hesitantly.

“It’s Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng who rushed back from Jinling. They arrived at the official estate outside the city completely exhausted. Commander Yang instructed us to escort them by carriage into the city to see you, sir, but unexpectedly you came out of the city at this time!” Guo Que said.

Everyone’s faces showed shock.

He Liufeng came from the stockade troops of Jinyun Stockade in the Qinling Mountains. His parents had died early, and he had grown up wandering the wilderness, developing excellent footwork. During the Jingxiang war he was selected by Han Qian as a scout for the Left Bureau. He was one of the fifty retainers who accompanied Zhao Wuji rushing to Jinling for reinforcement.

He Liufeng and Zhao Wuji should currently be in Jinling under Feng Liao’s command, protecting Master Han Daoxun. Yet now they had actually rushed back to Shu’s capital!

Had great changes already occurred in Jinling?

What else could everyone think?

At this moment, Han Qian felt even more as if struck by a thunderbolt from a clear sky. He sat on horseback in a daze, his face pale, momentarily struck speechless.

Kong Xirong and Xi Fa’er stepped forward to lift the carriage curtain. They saw both Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng in ragged clothes, faces yellow and bodies emaciated. Perhaps the thousands of li they had traveled over nearly a month had exhausted their last bit of energy—at this moment in the carriage, they had actually fallen into unconscious sleep, snoring sounds emerging. They hadn’t even noticed they’d been brought before Han Qian.

“Let’s go to the official estate first and rendezvous with Commander Yang and Zhou Chu!” Seeing Xi Fa’er jump onto the cart wanting to wake Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng to question them, Xi Ren stopped him, wanting everyone to first escort Han Qian to the temporary encampment to meet with Yang Qin and Zhou Chu.

They were currently on the official road outside Shu’s capital, with many eyes watching.

No matter what, news of the shocking changes in Jinling absolutely could not be let known to the Shu people at this time, otherwise who knew if Shu Kingdom’s attitude might suddenly change!

……

……

“…Our master died so miserably! Wuji is incompetent—I couldn’t protect our master!”

On the very night Han Daoxun was executed, Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng and others secretly left Jinling.

However, from Jinling through Caishi, Chizhou to Jiangzhou, this entire route was under officials of the Crown Prince’s faction serving as chief officials. Especially with Chaozhou forces under the command of General Xu Zhu crossing the river at Caishi and rapidly marching toward Jinling City, Zhao Wuji and his group dared not expose their movements and could only hide during the day and travel at night. Only after reaching Ezhou territory could they change to fast horses and rush to Yueyang. Besides sending people separately to report to Tanzhou and Xuzhou, he and He Liufeng traveled without stopping. After crossing the river, they passed through Jingzhou and infiltrated Xiazhou territory.

Xiazhou belonged to Shu Kingdom territory. Fearing the news might leak prematurely and cause Shu Lord Wang Jian to change his attitude to Han Qian and the others’ detriment, Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng disguised themselves and traveled in concealment.

After passing Xiazhou, there were no merchant vessels going upstream through Wushan’s long gorges at that time. They had to cross mountains and ridges through ice and snow, walking the entire way on foot to Kuizhou before contacting Jinyun Tower’s covert operatives lurking in Shu territory. Only then could they change to horses and rush to Shu’s capital.

At this time, exactly twenty-eight days had passed since Han Daoxun’s execution in Jinling.

“Torn apart by five horses! Dismemberment by chariots!”

When Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng rushed over, they only said that drastic changes had occurred in Jinling. Only now did Yang Qin learn that Han Daoxun had actually died in Jinling by the punishment of being torn apart by five horses. He slammed the table and rose, his eyes splitting with rage.

Yang Qin had spent the longest time in Xuzhou and understood Han Daoxun’s solitary and upright nature most deeply.

Initially when so many refugees poured into Qianyang and other places in such a short time, yet not one person died from hunger and cold—this was all due to Han Daoxun’s tireless efforts day and night. Yang Qin had seen all of this with his own eyes.

When Han Daoxun resolutely accepted the transfer to assume office in Jinling, was it truly out of greed for the authority of Capital Prefect?

Wasn’t it rather that he realized Jinling was in imminent danger and, upon receiving the imperial edict, departed for the capital without even a day’s delay?

Or could it be that Han Daoxun truly didn’t know beforehand that he was weak and alone, that going to the capital by himself would extremely likely trap him there with little he could accomplish?

Yang Qin had also worried that Han Daoxun’s fate in going to the capital might be difficult, that he might even not escape death. But deep in his heart, he absolutely could not accept that Han Daoxun had died so miserably!

In his agitation, Yang Qin was about to step forward to question Zhao Wuji and He Liufeng about the details of the great chaos in Jinling when he heard Xi Fa’er and Guo Que crying out from behind:

“My lord! My lord!”

Yang Qin turned his head back and saw Han Qian sitting in the main hall. At this moment, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. His body stiffly tilted to one side, and he actually fainted dead away—his face covered with tear tracks…