Outside the north gate of Dunhuang City was the livestock market. The volume of sheep and horse trading in Dunhuang was enormous — the two markets inside the city, one east and one west, were too cramped — so merchants had taken to conducting their sheep and horse trades outside the west and east gates. Over time, these areas had grown into proper markets. Though the market officials still collected taxes as usual, no proper residential wards had ever been established there, and the various structures were a jumbled mess: filth everywhere, flocks of sheep and horses in every direction, crowds of people surging back and forth, the air filled with the braying of mules and horses and the clamor of merchants haggling.
Xuanzang picked his way through the raucous market, stepping carefully here and there, craning his neck in every direction. After searching for quite some time, he finally spotted Li Chunfeng among a cluster of camels. Li Chunfeng was prying open a camel’s mouth, examining its teeth under the guidance of a broker.
“Doctor Li is certainly in fine spirits.”
Xuanzang greeted him with a smile.
Li Chunfeng turned around and immediately looked astonished. “Why, is this not the Venerable Xuanzang? Please give me just a moment——”
Li Chunfeng hurried to a nearby water bucket to wash his hands, and only then exchanged greetings with Xuanzang.
“Did the Venerable come here specifically to find me?”
Li Chunfeng asked.
“Indeed!”
Xuanzang said with a smile. “This humble monk went to the Yin family estate to inquire, and only then learned that you come to the livestock market to stroll about every day.”
Li Chunfeng looked a little embarrassed. “I won’t hide it from the Venerable — I’ve always had a small quirk: I have a fondness for animals. Horses, camels, sheep, dogs — that sort of thing. Even back in Chang’an, I used to wander through the markets just to look at them.”
“The animal realm is one of the Six Realms, and within it lies the great Way of heaven and earth.”
Xuanzang said with a smile.
“I follow Taoist arts.”
Li Chunfeng said.
“The great Way is one.”
Xuanzang replied.
Li Chunfeng laughed heartily. He picked up the little lamb he had just bought, and the two men strolled out of the livestock market together, chatting and laughing as they walked wherever their feet took them.
“What brings the Venerable to find me? Is there something you need?”
Li Chunfeng stroked the little lamb as he asked.
“This humble monk wished to consult Doctor Li on something,”
Xuanzang said. “At Qingdun Garrison, you witnessed with your own eyes how Kui Wood Wolf switched between human and wolf form — one moment he was Kui Wood Wolf, the next he was Lv Sheng. Have you any idea of the reason?”
Li Chunfeng fixed his gaze on him for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Since the Venerable has returned safely from Jade Gate Pass, you must have long since learned the truth. If I were to deceive you, I naturally couldn’t conceal it from the Venerable’s discerning eye. Yes — on the day I returned from Qingdun Garrison, I had a long conversation with Linghu Demao, Yin Shixiong, and the others, and they told me the whole truth from beginning to end. Lv Sheng’s body has now been taken over by Kui Wood Wolf.”
“So they already knew.”
Xuanzang nodded in sudden understanding. But thinking about it more, it wasn’t so strange. Since the Linghu family had sent Zhao Fu to infiltrate Jade Gate Pass, even if Zhao Fu had secretly betrayed them, how could they have known nothing at all?
“In that case, does Doctor Li believe Lv Sheng is now alive or dead?”
Xuanzang asked.
Li Chunfeng looked troubled. “This… I have never seen anything so strange before. How would I judge?”
“Then, speaking in terms of Taoist arts — when a person’s body is taken over by a deity or a demon, are they alive or dead?”
Xuanzang had no intention of letting the matter drop, and pressed on.
Li Chunfeng pondered for quite a long while, and still gave no answer. “The Venerable has gone to such trouble to find me here — you must be able to enlighten me!”
Xuanzang let out a sigh. He gave a thorough account of how Lv Sheng and Kui Wood Wolf shared one body with two souls, and in the end concluded: “He is still alive!”
Li Chunfeng was visibly shaken. “This is truly something unheard of!”
“Indeed — this humble monk is also hearing of it for the first time,”
Xuanzang said with a rueful smile. “Perhaps it is simply because a deity descending to the mortal world is a rare thing to begin with!”
Li Chunfeng asked, “Has the Venerable come to find me because there is something you need me to do?”
Xuanzang pressed his palms together, though this time his hands did not quite touch. “This humble monk has come to ask Doctor Li to lend his abilities, to break apart Lv Sheng’s divided soul and restore his two souls to one.”
Li Chunfeng was stunned. “This… this is to say, you want to drive the deity’s spiritual form out?”
“Yes!”
Xuanzang said. “Such a method is more akin to Taoist arts. This humble monk has practiced for many years, but only in reading Buddhist scriptures — I am not proficient in the arts of spells and techniques, so I have no choice but to seek guidance from Doctor Li.”
“This is declaring war on a deity!”
Li Chunfeng murmured. “I only came here under the order of Consort Yin’s command, to rid the old Lady Yin of some evil affliction. I never thought about destroying a deity…”
“Truly never thought about it?”
Xuanzang said with a gentle smile. “On that day, you did accept Yin Shixiong’s invitation to go to Qingdun Garrison to subdue Kui Wood Wolf.”
“That was mere curiosity!”
Li Chunfeng protested with grievance. “I had no idea how formidable Kui Wood Wolf was. I only heard of such a strange affair and wanted to witness it for myself. And the result… the Venerable saw it too. I came back thoroughly humiliated, nearly dying there.”
“Doctor Li is still not being entirely truthful!”
Xuanzang shook his head repeatedly. “Did you truly only come to rid someone of evil? Yin Shixiong and Linghu Demao have never been to Chang’an and don’t know the rules of the Exorcism Division. This humble monk once debated directly with Grand Astrologer Fu Yi back in his day, and my master Dao Yue had deep connections with your master Yuan Tiangang. A doctor of the Exorcism Division is charged with more than just banishing evil afflictions — when has one ever left the imperial city to come to a remote border prefecture?”
Li Chunfeng stared at him fixedly, then suddenly sighed. “No wonder the Grand Astrologer both feared and admired the Venerable. Trying to deceive you truly is no easy matter.”
“Doctor Li received not the command of an imperial consort, but a direct imperial decree — am I right?”
Xuanzang asked.
“Yes.”
Li Chunfeng answered straightforwardly. “His Majesty personally ordered me to come to Dunhuang.”
“As for the specific matter — would it be possible to let this humble monk know?”
Xuanzang asked.
Li Chunfeng looked at Xuanzang with a rather aggrieved expression. “At this point, even if I don’t tell you, you’d figure it out anyway, wouldn’t you? I won’t hide it from the Venerable. Back in the ninth year of Wude, my master and the Grand Astrologer were reading the celestial signs and discovered that the White Tiger of the West had grown dim, the heavens were in disorder, and Jupiter was retrograding into the Purple Enclosure. But at the time, the coup at Xuanwu Gate had just occurred, and the new Emperor had just ascended the throne. They feared it might be attributed to those events, so they dared not make it public.”
Xuanzang was startled. Grand Astrologer Fu Yi was a longtime adversary of Buddhism, and Xuanzang was naturally very familiar with him. Fu Yi was the foremost authority on astrology in both the former Sui dynasty and the Great Tang — he had held the position of Grand Astrologer since the Wude era, overseeing the Bureau of Astronomy, “observing celestial phenomena, calibrating the calendar and calculations, and having his staff divine and watch for all changes in the sun, moon, and stars, and all anomalies in wind, cloud, and atmospheric color.” Jupiter was an exceptionally important star in celestial observation and calendar-keeping; from antiquity through the Warring States period, years were reckoned by its movements. The ancients believed Jupiter completed one revolution of the sun in twelve years. Based on Jupiter’s path through the sky, the full circuit of the heavens was divided into twelve stations, the twelve earthly branches, and the twelve periods of the day all derived from this same system.
In the sky, Jupiter moved from west to east along a path called the ecliptic. Once the heavens were divided into twelve stations, the stars within each station formed the twelve constellations, and Jupiter traveled along its grand, immutable course — unchanged since ancient times — passing through each constellation at regular intervals.
Astrology held that each time Jupiter passed through a constellation, its influence on human affairs through the resonance of heaven and man would trigger earthly upheaval — sometimes minor, sometimes great. It might presage the death of an emperor, the fall of a great kingdom, the revolt of feudal lords, or floods and droughts across the land.
As for retrograding into the Purple Enclosure — that was an even more ominous sign, for the Purple Enclosure was the very dwelling place of the Heavenly Emperor.
“What exactly happened?”
Xuanzang asked quietly.
“Does the Venerable understand celestial signs?”
Li Chunfeng asked.
“A little.”
Xuanzang replied.
Li Chunfeng shook his head repeatedly. He had long heard of this monk and had never found anything he didn’t understand — “a little” most likely meant only slightly less than his knowledge of Buddhism.
“The seven lunar mansions of the White Tiger of the West — Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen — stand guard to the west of the Purple Enclosure. Each mansion has its own charge, revolving around the Purple Enclosure. But beginning in the ninth year of Wude, the Kui Mansion has grown dim, its celestial domain shrouded in a murky yellow haze.”
Li Chunfeng pointed up at the sky.
Xuanzang involuntarily tilted his head back to look. It was daytime — the sky was vast and clear, the great sun blazing overhead — and naturally nothing could be discerned.
Xuanzang frowned. “Your meaning… could this be connected to Kui Wood Wolf descending to the mortal world?”
“The matter of Kui Wood Wolf had not yet reached Chang’an — this was something my master and Fu Yi discovered while reading the stars.”
Li Chunfeng said. “Let me ask you: what does ‘Kui’ mean?”
“Kui…”
Xuanzang thought for a moment. “Xu Shen’s Shuowen Jiezi says: ‘Kui — the space between the two thighs,’ meaning the narrow space between the legs, used as a metaphor for something small and narrow. The Zhuangzi says: ‘The sixteen stars of the west resemble two thighs, hence they are called Kui.'”
“The Venerable is truly remarkable!”
Li Chunfeng said with sincere admiration. “My master obtained a secretly transmitted collection of celestial star-reading poems dating from the former Sui dynasty, called the Song of Pacing the Heavens. It records the stars of the full celestial circuit in verse, and the section on the Kui Mansion contains twelve lines.”
With that, Li Chunfeng recited:
Slender at the waist, pointed at the crown, like a torn shoe, Sixteen stars encircle the shoe’s form. The Outer Screen’s seven crows stretch below Kui, Below the Screen, seven stars mark the Celestial Privy clearly.
The Minister of Works, flanked to the right, is the essence of earth; Above Kui lies one mansion — the Army’s South Gate. Six stars move in the Corridor of Heaven through the river’s midst, One star on the Attached Path shines bright along the road.
Five stars blossom as the Wang Liang constellation, One star of strategy sits near the top of Wang Liang. Celestial Strategy, Celestial Privy, and the Outer Screen — These fifteen stars all shine but dimly.
Xuanzang was suddenly struck with a jolt of recognition. Recalling the stories Kui Wood Wolf had told him of the heavens during their time at Jade Gate Pass, he couldn’t help but ask: “The Outer Screen, the Celestial Privy, the Minister of Works, the Essence of Earth, the Army’s South Gate, the Corridor of Heaven, the Attached Path, Wang Liang, the Celestial Strategy — are all of these names of star constellations?”
“Precisely,”
Li Chunfeng said, eyeing him with surprise. “The Venerable is truly well-versed in astrology.”
“I only heard Kui Wood Wolf speak of them.”
Xuanzang said with a rueful smile.
He then gave an account of what Kui Wood Wolf had told him about the celestial court that night inside Jade Gate Pass.
“So it is indeed as I suspected!”
Li Chunfeng’s expression grew grave. “Venerable, do you know what my master and the Grand Astrologer discovered when reading the stars? Over the past three years, after Jupiter entered the Kui Mansion — because the Kui Star had grown dim — it has triggered a cascade of the most dire omens. Jupiter has successively encroached upon the Minister of Earth, the Celestial Granary, the Celestial Storehouse, the Celestial Screen, Wang Liang, the Corridor of Heaven, and the Attached Path.”
Li Chunfeng added:
The Shi’s Star Canon says: When Jupiter enters the Celestial Storehouse, troops will rise throughout the land, and all provisions stored in granaries will be requisitioned and spent.
The Gan’s Star Canon says: When Jupiter enters and guards the Celestial Screen Stars, the feudal lords will plot; or a great minister will be executed.
The Jingzhou Augury says: When Jupiter guards and enters the Minister of Earth, there will be corvée labor in matters of the earth.
The Sea Chart Augury says: When Jupiter guards the Minister of Earth, that nation will raise troops in earthworks; or there will be great public works, and drought will afflict the land.
The Yellow Emperor’s Augury says: When Jupiter enters the Celestial Granary, wealth and treasure will be disbursed; there will be anxiety; treacherous ministers will lurk within; the land will see armed conflict; the stores of granaries will all be opened — the host will prevail over the guest, and guest affairs will come to nothing, expected within twenty days.
The Shi’s Star Canon says: When Jupiter guards the Attached Path, the Grand Steward will be punished or executed; or alternatively, many horses will die and none will ride the roads.
The Shi’s Star Canon says: When Jupiter trespasses upon the Corridor of Heaven and severs the Heavenly River, the nine regions will each have their own governance and their own rulers; the land will see armed conflict — expected within two years.
The Qi Bo Five Planets Augury says: When Jupiter trespasses upon and guards Wang Liang, the land will see armed conflict; feudal lords will indulge powerful ministers who plot against their lords — expected before the year is out.
“Even more seriously, Jupiter has even encroached upon the Purple Enclosure along the Attached Path. The Sea Chart Augury says: ‘When Jupiter enters the Long Wall, the Son of Heaven will defend himself with troops; powerful ministers will overpower their lord — or alternatively, a traitorous minister will be executed or put to death; expected within no more than one hundred and eighty days.’ The Xuanming Augury says: ‘When Jupiter enters the Purple Enclosure Palace, treacherous ministers will conspire; troops will rise within the palace; the realm will be in chaos; the lord will be in peril — expected within two years.’ The diviner Wuxian said: ‘When Jupiter guards the Purple Enclosure Palace, the people will find no peace in their homes and will be displaced from their homelands.'”
Li Chunfeng’s expression grew ever more grave.
Xuanzang listened with his mouth agape. He had never imagined that Kui Star descending from the heavens could trigger such widespread turmoil and instability. But thinking about it, it made sense — the Kui Star stood guard over the western celestial realm, keeping evil at bay. Once it vacated its post, causing Jupiter to encroach within the ecliptic, a cascade of reactions would naturally follow. And according to the theory of the resonance between heaven and man, this would naturally shake the human world into an uproar.
Consider the most famous celestial event of all: the fire planet’s occupation of the Heart Mansion.
The fire planet was what later generations called Mars. Because Mars flickered like fire and wandered in unpredictable paths, it was called the “Beguiling Wanderer.” The Heart Mansion was the twenty-eighth lunar mansion. The fire planet occupying the Heart Mansion was a sign of dire omen — history records twenty-three such occurrences, and nearly every single one was followed by upheaval throughout the court and the realm.
The most famous instance was in the thirty-sixth year of the First Emperor of Qin: “A meteor fell upon the Eastern Commandery; upon striking the earth it became a stone, and some among the common people carved upon it: ‘The First Emperor shall die and the land will be divided.'” The ancestor of the Dunhuang Zhai clan — Zhai Fangjin, Chancellor under Emperor Cheng of Han — died precisely because of such a celestial event.
In the second year of the Suihe era of the Western Han, an astrologer named Li Xun bore a grudge against Zhai Fangjin and used the occasion of the fire planet’s occupation of the Heart Mansion to memorialize Emperor Cheng of Han, arguing that the fire planet had entered the Heart Mansion and the dynasty faced a calamity — the emperor could be absolved, but how could the chief minister spare himself? Emperor Cheng, seeking to escape blame, sent a written rebuke to Zhai Fangjin and bestowed upon him ten stone-measures of wine and one ox.
In the Han dynasty, an imperial gift of an ox and wine carried a particular political meaning that ministers were expected to read. The message was unmistakable: Zhai Fangjin promptly took his own life.
“After the Bureau of Astronomy presented its findings to the Emperor, His Majesty grew deeply worried and ordered my master and the Grand Astrologer to investigate the cause. Regrettably, no cause could be found. For three years, Jupiter’s orbital path moved abnormally, yet the reason remained unknown. It was only later, when merchant caravans from the Hexi Corridor arrived in the capital bearing tales that Dunhuang had produced a deity by the name of Kui Wood Wolf — though what connection existed between Kui Star and the words ‘wood’ and ‘wolf’ remained unclear — that a lead had at last emerged. His Majesty therefore ordered me to come and conduct a covert investigation.”
Li Chunfeng said. “Having heard what you just told me, Venerable, I can now confirm: this Kui Wood Wolf is the very Kui Star that has gone absent from the heavens!”
“Then, returning to the question we were discussing,”
Xuanzang said with a smile, “even if I had not asked for your help, you would have found a way to send Kui Wood Wolf back to the celestial court regardless, would you not?”
Li Chunfeng was taken aback. “Er… Venerable, you’ve talked me around in a great circle and finally cornered me!”
Xuanzang burst into laughter. Li Chunfeng had grown a little tired of carrying the little lamb, so he set it down on the ground — whereupon the lamb immediately went bleating and running toward the river.
Li Chunfeng moved to chase after it. Xuanzang grabbed him by the arm. “Doctor Li, may we consider this a pact?”
“Ouch!”
Li Chunfeng cried out in pain. Xuanzang then realized he had grabbed him with his left hand, and quickly let go.
“This left hand of yours… is that the Heavenly Garment?”
Li Chunfeng rubbed his arm, his face going pale.
“Trust me — the Heavenly Garment and Kui Wood Wolf are entangled in an immense secret, one that will surely give you a satisfying answer to present to the Emperor.”
Xuanzang said with a smile.
“Venerable,”
Li Chunfeng said, somewhat puzzled, “why are you certain that I can expel Kui Wood Wolf’s spiritual form and restore Lv Sheng’s souls to one?”
Xuanzang reflected for a moment. “Since Doctor Li is a doctor of the Exorcism Division and has studied the twenty-two volumes of Sun Simiao’s Forbidden Canons, you must know the Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints, surely?”
“Even that you know?”
Li Chunfeng was at a complete loss for words regarding this monk.
As it happened, the Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints — also known as the Thirteen Ghost Point Needling Method — was an ancient, closely guarded secret of the medical arts, used specifically to treat cases of spirit possession and demonic madness. It involved needling thirteen ghost acupoints on the human body to expel malevolent forces — a healing technique passed down within the medical tradition. Sun Simiao later believed there were certain errors in it and made corrections, composing the Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints to transmit it to posterity.
Li Chunfeng, as a doctor of the Exorcism Division, carried on precisely the mantle of Sun Simiao, so he understood immediately once Xuanzang mentioned it.
After a moment’s thought, Li Chunfeng raised his hand. “Let us strike palms in oath… but use the right hand!”
Xuanzang smiled and struck palms with him using his right hand. Li Chunfeng then ran down to the riverbank to retrieve the little lamb.
When he looked around, he was rather taken aback. Without realizing it, Xuanzang had been guiding them north as they talked and walked, and they had wandered into the most fertile farmland district of Dunhuang.
Dunhuang had abundant water sources. The Ganquan River wound around from the southern side of the Singing Sand Mountain, carrying clear glacial water down from the Qilian Mountains in great volume. The people of Dunhuang had cut four major irrigation channels from the Ganquan River, and from those channels had dug countless smaller waterways that threaded densely through the fields. White poplars towered overhead and trees grew in lush abundance.
Among these fields and waterways lay village after village. Each village was a fortified compound — rammed-earth walls standing tall and thick, no different from a city fortification.
“This… where are we?”
Li Chunfeng asked in surprise.
“Pingkang Township, Jiehe Village. The channel before us is called Jiehe Canal.”
Xuanzang answered briefly, his eyes fixed on a fortified compound on the far side of the waterway.
By now it was dusk. Farmers were already returning from the fields, chickens and dogs could be heard calling back and forth, and cooking smoke rose in gentle wisps.
Li Chunfeng’s expression grew wary. “Venerable, what do you mean by bringing me here?”
“Doctor Li need not be concerned. Since we intend to break Kui Wood Wolf and Lv Sheng’s two-souls-in-one-body arrangement, we naturally need to keep track of his movements. I have brought you here to wait for someone — someone who will serve as our inside man. He has been following at Kui Wood Wolf’s side all along, and since Kui Wood Wolf is bound to come to Dunhuang to kill me, this person will come along as well. I have already made inquiries — Jiehe Village is his home, and his parents, wife, and children still live here. He has been away from home for three years without returning, so as long as he comes back to Dunhuang, he will certainly come home to visit.”
Xuanzang said. “Who is he?”
Li Chunfeng asked.
“He’s coming.”
Xuanzang pointed into the distance.
Li Chunfeng looked in surprise. At the edge of a vineyard enclosure, a figure was riding a horse, lurking in the shadows, moving along slowly. He was rotund and prosperous-looking, with a large head and big ears, and the horse’s back was loaded with all manner of gifts and packages. The man’s expression was furtive and sly, yet his eyebrows were raised in a grin of delight as he cast greedy glances all around.
Xuanzang said. “This man is Zhao Fu — Kui Wood Wolf’s Chief Registrar at Jade Gate Pass.”
Xuanzang led Li Chunfeng out from under the shade of the trees and stood by the canal, smiling as he waited.
Zhao Fu was riding along when he suddenly caught sight of Xuanzang and a young man standing on the opposite bank of the canal. He started violently. “You… the Venerable Xuanzang? You… what are you doing here?”
Xuanzang pressed his palms together. “This humble monk has come to thank Chief Registrar Zhao for his assistance that day at Jade Gate Pass.”
“I… I never helped you!”
Zhao Fu said frantically, casting nervous glances in every direction. Seeing no one around, he let out a breath of relief and lowered his voice. “Venerable, we parted ways and both went about our lives — can we not simply leave each other in peace?”
“Help this humble monk one more time!”
Xuanzang held up a single finger. “After this, we shall part ways and leave each other in peace.”
Zhao Fu ground his teeth. “You… don’t push your luck!”
Xuanzang studied Zhao Fu and the bundles behind him, then suddenly said: “Chief Registrar Zhao, it appears you have just returned from Dunhuang City?”
“None of your business!”
Zhao Fu said, his bluster betraying his fear.
Li Chunfeng looked on in puzzlement, watching quietly.
“The silk brocade in those bundles — it looks like top-quality goods from the Fang Family Silk Shop in the East Market.”
Xuanzang observed from across the canal. “Oh, and there is also Lao Zhang’s dairy cheese, and Doctor Sun’s maltose candy… it seems Chief Registrar Zhao spent quite a good while browsing the East Market! But this humble monk is puzzled — you stay close by Kui Wood Wolf’s side, so how were you able to go out?”
Zhao Fu’s face went pale. “He… Kui God doesn’t know…”
Li Chunfeng now understood Xuanzang’s meaning as well, and smiled. “Ah — so you slipped out without permission!”
“Then why was he able to slip out without permission?”
Xuanzang asked.
“Most likely Kui Wood Wolf gave him a mission to carry out in the prefecture city. After completing it, he slipped away to wander the East Market, bought some goods, and came home to visit his parents and wife and children. Well — three years without coming home. Understandable enough.”
Li Chunfeng said.
“I see.”
Xuanzang nodded. “In that case, if he was able to find the time to come home, it means Kui Wood Wolf is not in the prefecture city — and is at some distance from it — which is precisely how he was able to take advantage of the gap in time.”
Zhao Fu stared at the two of them working through their deductions, sweat pouring down his forehead in streams.
Li Chunfeng said with a smile: “Kui Wood Wolf instructed him to go to the prefecture city on some business. Now, the mutiny at West Gate Town in the city has just been suppressed, and all five gates are sealed with strict checks on those entering and leaving. As a henchman of Kui Wood Wolf, what gave him the right to come and go freely — and even to swagger about shopping in the East Market?”
This question cut a good deal deeper, and Xuanzang thought it through carefully for a moment. Then suddenly he recalled the brief exchange between Kui Wood Wolf and Wang Junke outside Hekang Fortress that day, and the answer came out of him before he had even thought it through. “He came to meet Wang Junke!”
A dull thud rang out as Zhao Fu toppled off his horse. He lay on the ground trembling all over, staring at Xuanzang with a blank look, as though he had seen a ghost.
“So it is true — you came to meet Wang Junke?”
Even Xuanzang himself was startled by his own conclusion. “Why would Kui Wood Wolf send you to meet Wang Junke? That day outside Hekang Fortress, what exactly did the two of them discuss?”
“I said nothing! You figured that out yourself!”
Zhao Fu cried out in a strained, desperate voice.
Li Chunfeng said coolly: “Go tell that to Kui Wood Wolf. Do you think he’ll believe you?”
Zhao Fu stood there dumbfounded. Indeed — someone had observed him from across a canal for a single glance and deduced his mission through scattered clues. No one would believe that story.
Li Chunfeng said flatly: “Chief Registrar Zhao, you have betrayed Kui Wood Wolf once — it’s not hard to do a second time, because in Kui Wood Wolf’s eyes, they amount to the same thing. Speak. Kui Wood Wolf ordered you to meet Wang Junke — what was the purpose?”
Zhao Fu picked himself up from the ground, sweat drenching him. Xuanzang watched him in silence, waiting.
“Kui God… Kui God ordered me to come find Wang Junke…”
Zhao Fu said through gritted teeth, his voice barely above a murmur. “To find out the whereabouts of a certain person. Kui God and Wang Junke had entered into a contract — Kui God wants to kill someone, and he asked Wang Junke to find out where that person is hiding.”
“Who?”
Xuanzang pressed.
“Linghu Demeng!”
Zhao Fu said.
Xuanzang looked utterly puzzled, having no idea who this person was. “Who is this person? Could they be related to Linghu Demao, the head of the Linghu family?”
Zhao Fu gave a rueful shake of his head. “I am from Dunhuang myself, and I have never heard of this person!”
Li Chunfeng, however, drew a sharp intake of breath. “I have met this person once. The Linghu family of this generation has four brothers. Although the current head of the family is Linghu Demao, the third son, the true center of the Linghu clan is this man, Linghu Demeng. He has always lived in seclusion and kept a low profile, unknown to the outside world — only the upper tiers of the aristocratic families know of him. This man is the true power behind the Linghu clan. All the great plans the Linghu family has ever devised came from his hand. Half of the respect and wariness that the heads of the other seven great aristocratic families feel toward the Linghu family stems from Linghu Demeng.”
“Why would Kui Wood Wolf want to kill Linghu Demeng?”
Xuanzang asked.
Both Li Chunfeng and Zhao Fu shook their heads, not knowing.
“In that case,”
Xuanzang said, deeply troubled — the fact that Wang Junke had been secretly conspiring with Kui Wood Wolf was deeply unsettling to him — “since this was a contract, Kui Wood Wolf asked Wang Junke to find out Linghu Demeng’s hiding place. In return, what did Wang Junke ask Kui Wood Wolf to do?”
Zhao Fu shook his head openly. “That I truly do not know. It was only that on the day Kui God returned to Jade Gate Pass from Hekang Fortress, he summoned the Eastern Turk and Tuyuhun envoys, after which they promptly set out on the road back to their respective courts.”
“Can you confirm it was related to Wang Junke?”
Xuanzang asked.
“I don’t know,”
Zhao Fu shook his head. “They held their private discussion in the underground chamber within the frontier fort, and I had no part in it. Only in the past two years, there had also been god-summoning ceremonies, and representatives from the various western regions had come to observe the rites. Kui God did not receive any of them in private — I suppose it was so as not to show favoritism among the various tribes.”
“Is this important, Venerable?”
Li Chunfeng asked.
Xuanzang walked slowly along the riverbank. “Wang Junke is a man who has always given me a sense of unease, though I cannot say exactly where this feeling comes from. I can only say that ever since the day I first encountered him at the prefecture city post-station, his every move seems to have carried a deeper purpose. First, he arranged for Niang to marry Li Chan — that was a match Li Yan had proposed first, so nothing unusual there. But his efforts to wed the legitimate daughter of Zhang Bi by vigorously suppressing the Dunhuang aristocratic families — that is something I have been unable to make sense of no matter how I think about it.”
Li Chunfeng smiled. “Wang Junke’s admiration for the aristocratic families is well-known even at court. His efforts to attach himself to the Zhang family are not so surprising.”
“What is there worth attaching himself to in the Zhang family?”
Xuanzang said mildly. “Wang Junke is a circuit official — he will eventually be transferred away. From the perspective of the entire Great Tang, compared to the five great Shandong aristocratic families of Cui, Lu, Zheng, Wang, and Li, the Dunhuang aristocratic families are only second-tier. Look at his series of moves: first, through the Mogao Caves massacre case, he stripped the Linghu family of their military authority at West Gate Town. Then, because Zhang Bi refused the marriage proposal, he stirred up the smuggling case.”
“That was simply retaliation against the Zhang family,”
Li Chunfeng said with a smile. “I heard that Zhang Bi declared Wang Junke’s son was only fit to marry a concubine’s daughter from his house — that was what infuriated Wang Junke.”
“No, no, no, Doctor Li — you must not look at it that way.”
Xuanzang shook his head. “The smuggling case, though it targeted the Zhang family directly, carried the charge of conducting unauthorized trade with people beyond the civilized borders. This is actually a rule that is tacitly bent by everyone in Dunhuang’s commercial trade — every major aristocratic family is involved, some openly and some in secret. If Wang Junke can use this charge to take down Zhang Bi today, tomorrow he can use the same charge to take down any one of the aristocratic families. The sword is aimed at all eight great aristocratic families!”
Li Chunfeng had only recently arrived and still didn’t fully grasp all the intricacies, but Zhao Fu, being a merchant by background, nodded repeatedly. “Among the Dunhuang aristocratic families, aside from the Linghu and Yin families, who are largely uninvolved in trade, the other families all secretly engage in commerce — with the Zhang and Li families being the most active, and the Zhai family following after.”
“Therefore,”
Xuanzang organized his thoughts, “I suspect the mutiny at West Gate Town today was something Wang Junke deliberately provoked!”
Dunhuang City, the Prefect’s Residence.
By now it was dusk, and the curfew drum was about to sound. Yet on the street behind the inner quarters of the Prefect’s Residence, a group of riders came slowly along on horseback. The setting sun slanted over the ward walls to the side, casting the alley in a wash of pale yellow; the faces of the riders on horseback were likewise pale yellow and grave.
At the front rode Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang. Linghu Zhan followed behind, escorted by two retainers.
“What a disgrace to our ancestors today!”
Zhai Chang said bitterly. “Such a fine arrangement, and Wang Junke managed to turn it all around. Not only did you Linghu family lose the entirety of West Gate Town, but more than ten aristocratic-family officials across the prefecture and county offices were all taken down as well. Have you seen the list of promotions he made? Every one of them is one of his own trusted men!”
Indeed — after suppressing the West Gate Town mutiny that day, Wang Junke had not executed anyone, but he had subjected the entire West Gate Town to a sweeping purge. Apart from Linghu Zhan, the nominal garrison commander whom he left untouched, the two battalion commanders, four company commanders, and ten squad leaders were all placed under arrest. The common soldiers were dispersed to various garrison and patrol outposts, replaced by dependable troops who were then reorganized into West Gate Town. Wang Junke had built his career in the military and naturally had no shortage of loyal officers — he immediately transferred battalion commanders, company commanders, and squad leaders from various posts to fill West Gate Town.
In short, apart from Linghu Zhan’s empty title as garrison commander, West Gate Town was now firmly under Wang Junke’s control.
And that was not all. Once the public office funds case came to light, the dozen or so officials who had simultaneously “fallen ill” were also all taken into custody. Wang Junke did not have enough civil officials to fill their posts, so in most cases their deputies were appointed to take over in an acting capacity — only the critical positions were filled by people arranged by Cao Cheng.
In this battle, the eight great aristocratic families had suffered a thorough defeat, losing the military authority of an entire garrison and also surrendering several critical positions in the prefecture and county offices. And now, this very evening, they had to come in person to make peace with Wang Junke — no wonder Zhai Chang was in a grim mood.
“Does Gongye think we have lost?”
Linghu Demao said mildly. “What happened today was planned by my elder brother — the intention was precisely to hand West Gate Town over to Wang Junke.”
Zhai Chang looked at him in surprise. “Lord Demeng did not… oh. I wonder what deep purpose Lord Demeng had in mind?”
“What my elder brother was worried about was not being able to read Wang Junke clearly. When Wang Junke used the Mogao Caves case to strip Zhan of his garrison commander post, my elder brother already concluded that this man harbored great ambitions. But he could not determine whether this man was a friend or an enemy to our Dunhuang aristocratic families — a blessing or a disaster. That day when you and I came to call on him, bringing the letter from my younger brother Defan, it was in fact a test.”
“A test?”
Zhai Chang was thoroughly bewildered.
Linghu Demao explained: “That letter was something my elder brother had Defan prepare half a year ago. Over these years we have already tried many times. This man is not moved by money or goods, does not crave beautiful women, has no greed for land. He is now a fourth-rank official — a higher rank or title is beyond what we can offer him. So the question was: would he want the honor of a great family name?”
“But even that test didn’t reveal anything!”
Zhai Chang pondered. “He claimed to want to establish the Wang family as a distinguished house, yet he still went on to oppose us.”
“That is precisely how we learned he wants something far greater,”
Linghu Demao allowed himself a rare smile. “Just why does he feel so compelled to control the Western and Sha prefectures? Official position? Power? But Western and Sha prefectures are border prefectures — the highest one could rise here would be as a single prefect, rank 4B. Why would he go to the trouble of offending our aristocratic families and making powerful enemies?”
Zhai Chang was struck with sudden clarity and sighed. “Indeed, you are right. This man’s mind is as deep as a mountain, as vast as the sea. Then why does Lord Demeng still want to hand West Gate Town over to him?”
“My elder brother wants to see his hand of cards. Dunhuang is a border prefecture, and Wang Junke cannot draw on his connections at court here. What truly matters is how much power he has secretly cultivated in Dunhuang over these past three years. So without a bait as large as West Gate Town, how would he be willing to show the fish hiding beneath the water?”
Linghu Demao said. “Now we have seen it: Zhao Ping, the commander of the Salt Lake Garrison, and Ma Hongda, the commander of Longle Town — they are his men. Did we know that before?”
Zhai Chang felt a chill run through him. Before this, no one had known that Wang Junke had two such strong cards hidden among the three garrisons and four patrol outposts. As things now stood, in the Dunhuang military alone, Longle Town, West Gate Town, and the Salt Lake Garrison were all firmly in his grip. The aristocratic families were left with only Song Kai of Purple Gold Town and Zhai Shu of Ziting Garrison; the remaining garrison commanders at Xuanquan and Changle did not come from aristocratic families and would likely follow Wang Junke’s orders in a crisis.
The eight great aristocratic families had been completely overshadowed in the military.
“But by observing the series of personnel transfers, dispersals, rotations, and reorganizations carried out during the purge of West Gate Town, we have now mapped out Wang Junke’s full hand of cards. With that, we can rest easy — giving him West Gate Town is no great loss.”
Linghu Demao said. “So please set your mind at ease, Lord of Hongye, and please reassure the other heads of the families as well — my elder brother has naturally made preparations for a countermove.”
Only then did Zhai Chang let out a breath of relief. By now the two men had reached the gate of the Prefect’s Residence, and they fell silent.
Wang Junsheng was waiting at the entrance, four soldiers standing silently on either side. Seeing the group arrive, Wang Junsheng said nothing — he gave a slight bow, ordered the side gate opened, and the group dismounted. Soldiers from the Prefect’s Residence led the horses to the stables on the side.
Wang Junke was standing in the central courtyard waiting for them. “Lord Demao, Lord of Hongye!”
Zhai Chang couldn’t resist a jab. “Last time we visited, we did not see Lord Wang descend the steps to greet us.”
“Last time you came on behalf of the Zhang family to refuse the marriage proposal. This time you come to negotiate terms — naturally it is different.”
Wang Junke raised a hand. “Please, come in.”
Zhai Chang’s expression darkened. Linghu Demao remained perfectly composed. The two men followed Wang Junke into the main hall. Linghu Zhan rested a hand on the saber at his waist and stood watch with the two retainers on the covered walkway outside.
“Will the garrison commander Linghu not be joining us?”
Wang Junke asked.
Linghu Zhan said coldly: “I have already been relieved of my post. I am no garrison commander — merely a minor member of the Linghu household.”
Wang Junke gave a silent, rueful smile and said nothing. He accompanied Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang as they took their seats — host and guests — in the hall. The low table had already been laid out with fruits and wine. Wang Junsheng stood to one side in attendance, pouring wine for Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang.
“Lord Prefect truly has impressive methods — at a stroke, he seized West Gate Town, which our Linghu family spent more than ten years cultivating.”
Linghu Demao said. “Admirable!”
“This official built his career in the military — suppressing a mutiny is a trifling matter.”
Wang Junke said with a smile. “Have the two heads of families come today to call me to account?”
“Of course not.”
Zhai Chang gave a cold laugh. “Faced with a border official of your stature, all we can do is petition the court to air our grievances — how would we dare cause trouble within your jurisdiction? Are we not afraid of having our families destroyed?”
Linghu Demao waved a hand to stop Zhai Chang from venting, and spoke directly. “Lord Prefect, what is it you want? What can our aristocratic families give you?”
“What gives you that impression?”
Wang Junke feigned surprise.
“Over the past half year, Lord Prefect has repeatedly moved against our aristocratic families — there must be something he is after.”
Linghu Demao said. “When my younger brother wrote that letter last time, offering to help you Wang family return to the ancestral registry of Taiyuan — it seems that gift was rather too light; Lord Prefect did not find it appealing.”
“It is not that I found it unappealing.”
Wang Junke reflected. “Though I was tempted by the offer, I am well aware it is nothing but a mirage. While Dunhuang is under my governance, Lord Linghu the Counselor would naturally be glad to help. But I am a circuit official — once I am transferred elsewhere, I fear it would all come to nothing.”
“So that is what you were worried about.”
Linghu Demao nodded, though for the moment he had no good solution that would convince Wang Junke. The truth of the matter was exactly as stated — what Linghu had offered Wang Junke was merely a promise, and once Wang Junke was transferred away, even if he were recalled to serve at court, how could he collect on a debt from a Counselor at the Ministry of Rites?
“Then what is it you want?”
Zhai Chang pressed. “Can it be that you have gone to war with our aristocratic families simply for the sake of the Zhang family’s legitimate daughter?”
Wang Junke’s eyes flickered, and he said slowly: “And if it is?”
Zhai Chang ground his teeth. “If that is the case — we have already persuaded Zhang Bi, and he has agreed to this marriage.”
Wang Junke laughed heartily. “Lord of Hongye, have you truly persuaded Zhang Bi? I do not believe it. In circumstances like these, for him to capitulate — that is not something Zhang Bi would do willingly.”
Zhai Chang was momentarily speechless. Wang Junke had guessed correctly on every point. That very afternoon, he and Linghu Demao had already spoken with Zhang Bi — only to be refused again. Even with a blade at his throat, Zhang Bi would not consent. What is the foundation on which an aristocratic family stands? Propriety, family reputation, and aristocratic dignity! To be forced into marrying off a daughter under duress — how would the Zhang family hold their heads up in Dunhuang after that?
“We have our ways of persuading Zhang Bi.”
Linghu Demao said slowly.
“Too late!”
Wang Junke said in a loud voice. “To speak plainly, this official did indeed stir up these troubles under provocation from the Zhang family. But now — Zhang Bi has become meat on the chopping block, to be kneaded and molded as I please. What grounds does he have to think that marrying off his daughter will quench my anger?”
The two men exchanged a glance, both of their expressions growing grave.
Linghu Demao said slowly: “Please speak directly, Lord Prefect.”
“First — the Zhang family marrying off their daughter is non-negotiable. Second — I want the Zhai family and the Song family to relinquish their posts as garrison commanders of Ziting Garrison and Purple Gold Town!”
Wang Junke said coldly.
Zhai Chang shot to his feet in fury. “Outrageous! What does this have to do with my Zhai family? And the Song family has nothing to do with this matter at all!”
Linghu Demao was far calmer. He tugged at Zhai Chang to make him sit back down. “So Lord Prefect wishes to seize all military authority from our aristocratic families entirely. Could you tell us why?”
“Very simply.”
Wang Junke said straightforwardly. “I built my career in the military. As long as military authority is not in my hands for even one day, I cannot sleep soundly for even one day. I have no desire to see a second West Gate Town mutiny.”
Linghu Demao nodded slowly. “I see. That is understandable. Are there any other demands, Lord Prefect? Please state them all at once.”
“The third,”
Wang Junke held up a finger, “is this: once the imperial court’s conscription decree arrives, I will march on Jade Gate Pass as agreed. My requirement is that your aristocratic families supply twenty thousand bushels of military grain and twenty thousand bolts of silk!”
Both Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang were stunned, and could not help staring at each other.
“Why would it take that much grain and wealth to take a single Jade Gate Pass?”
Zhai Chang said angrily. “The Western and Sha prefectures receive twenty thousand bushels of military grain as state-procured reserves every year, twenty thousand bushels of per-capita grain tax from the populace, twenty-four thousand bushels of grain purchased for the prefectural granary, along with revenue from garrison and government farmlands — while the total annual grain consumption of all the prefecture’s troops is only fifty-eight thousand bushels. There is grain and wealth to spare. Do you intend to fight Jade Gate Pass for a whole year?”
“What if the Turks invade?”
Wang Junke said coldly. “What if the Tuyuhun invade?”
“How could that be possible?”
Zhai Chang murmured.
Wang Junke laughed coldly. “Do not forget — Kui Wood Wolf claims to be the Wolf God, and what does the Wolf God mean to the various Turkic tribes and the Tuyuhun people! From what this official has learned, most of the people now inside Jade Gate Pass are from the various western tribes who have come to serve under him. Why do you think I petitioned the court to conscript militia soldiers? It is precisely to guard against a north-south pincer attack by the Turks and the Tuyuhun! You both know full well that once a war begins, grain and wealth flow out like an ocean. Is this much grain and wealth too much to ask?”
Zhai Chang fell silent for a long while. Linghu Demao fixed his gaze on Wang Junke, deep and unreadable, and said nothing for a long time.
Just at that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out beyond the central courtyard. They could hear Linghu Zhan speaking in a low voice: “You… you must not be reckless!”
A soft, gentle female voice replied warmly: “I am not being reckless. This concerns me — there is no need for Lord Linghu to trouble himself.”
“This is madness!”
Linghu Zhan seemed exasperated. “Go back at once! If your father hears of this, you will surely be severely punished!”
The three men listened for a moment, all of them somewhat baffled. Wang Junsheng hurried to open the door and stepped out. In the brief moment the hall door was open, the three men caught a glimpse of a young woman standing in the central courtyard, her figure slender and upright. Wang Junke and Linghu Demao did not recognize her, but Zhai Chang’s jaw dropped, and he murmured: “How is it her? Tiao Niang?”