Wen Yu hadn’t anticipated Tao Kui would suddenly ask about this. She paused slightly before responding: “I left it at home.”
Hearing this, Tao Kui seemed somewhat disappointed.
After he left, Wen Yu walked to the bedside and retrieved from under the soft pillow the pouch containing the carp wood carving. She lowered her eyes and stroked it absently, somewhat dazed.
Counting the days, the people Wei Qishan had sent to demand her from Xiao Li should arrive at the camp soon.
She and Xiao Li hadn’t seen each other again since his presumptuous actions that day.
She had always kept this carp wood carving with her. Only on that first night in this military camp, upon seeing Xiao Li, did she hide it under the pillow, fearing he would discover she still kept it.
The sound of the two servant women talking came from outside the tent curtain. Before they entered, Wen Yu put the pouch back under the pillow.
The two servant women came in carrying a basin of washed clothes, propping them on wooden poles beside the charcoal brazier to dry. They discussed: “We don’t know if there’s going to be another battle. We were washing clothes by the river just now and saw another large contingent of troops arrive at the camp.”
Wen Yu had just picked up a travel journal to pass the time. Hearing this, she couldn’t help asking: “What flag were they flying?”
The thin servant woman made a sound of dismissal: “We’re illiterate and can’t read what’s written on the flag, but the flag’s colors looked different from those in our camp.”
The plump servant woman chimed in: “Right, right—black background with red trim.”
Black background with red trim—that was precisely the Northern Wei flag.
Wen Yu had observed some days ago when leaving her tent that among Xiao Li’s righteousness army, only the main flag bore the Wei character. The various camps below still flew their own righteousness army flags.
But now that a contingent of Northern Wei troops had arrived, nine times out of ten, they must have been sent by Wei Qishan.
By some strange impulse, Wen Yu suddenly understood why Xiao Li had allowed Tao Kui to see her today.
With Northern Wei troops arriving, scouts would naturally have informed him in advance.
Did he also know he couldn’t keep her anymore and specially sent Tao Kui to bid her farewell?
—
Outside the camp gates, Yuan Fang dismounted and clasped his fists warmly toward Xiao Li: “Benefactor, I trust you’ve been well!”
Xiao Li stood at the camp gates with his assembled officers. The chevaux-de-frise on both sides had been moved outward in a V-shape, and behind him, banners snapped and fluttered in the cold wind.
He was on good terms with Yuan Fang. Though he had fallen out with the Northern Wei over Wei Pingzin’s previous arrogant actions, he still returned the courtesy formally: “General Yuan, you’ve had a hard journey coming all this way.”
Yuan Fang seemed to harbor endless emotions as he said: “I’ve come bearing the Marquis’s personal letter to apologize to you, Benefactor. May we enter the tent to discuss this in detail?”
When Xiao Li’s gaze swept over Wei Pingzin following behind Yuan Fang, Wei Pingzin’s face showed some embarrassment, but his arrogance had completely vanished from before. He lowered his head to avoid meeting Xiao Li’s eyes.
Today’s wind and snow were heavy—the camp entrance was indeed not a place for conversation.
After Xiao Li withdrew his gaze, he raised his hand in a gesture of “please.” The assembled officers behind him also spontaneously made way.
Only then did Yuan Fang lead Wei Pingzin, Wei Ang, and the others into the camp.
Upon reaching the central command tent, Yuan Fang took out Wei Qishan’s personal letter and presented it to Xiao Li, saying with some shame: “The County Princess rode her horse and trespassed into the military camp’s重地, injuring soldiers. After the Marquis learned of this, he interrogated the County Princess and confined her to her quarters. The Young Lord was lax in disciplining his subordinates, allowing them to trample Zhou Jun’s important general to death. The Marquis was also extremely furious—he has already revoked the Young Lord’s position as military supervisor and ordered the Young Lord to come personally to apologize to Zhou Jun.”
After speaking, he looked toward Wei Pingzin.
Wei Pingzin, under the stares of all the generals in the tent, tried not to look at Xiao Li seated above. Like a stiff puppet on strings, he bent at the waist and bowed, saying almost word by word: “Pingzin apologizes to Zhou Jun Xiao for the matter of my subordinate riding his horse.”
Yuan Fang gestured for the several Wei generals following behind carrying trays to lift the red cloth. He clasped his fists toward Xiao Li again: “The Marquis loves his soldiers like his own sons. Captain Lin’s death has also greatly pained the Marquis. He specially ordered these one hundred taels of silver to be given to his family to arrange his funeral. Those soldiers injured by the County Princess’s horse will each receive ten taels of silver for their recovery.”
Zheng Hu and the other generals, seeing them produce silver, immediately exhaled their displeasure through their nostrils.
Yuan Fang hastily said: “Money is a small matter, but the deceased is gone. The Marquis’s gesture is intended to properly settle Captain Lin’s family.”
Xiao Li looked at the letter written in Wei Qishan’s own hand but didn’t speak.
On the slightly yellowed paper was written:
“My son Huaijin, as if meeting upon reading this. When your father first heard of that unfilial son and daughter’s vile actions, he was greatly angered and understood my son’s fury. I have now strictly punished those unfilial children, hoping to comfort my son somewhat. In your letter, my son stated that with the Pei bandits’ southern retreat and the northern border secured, you are of no more use to your father and wish to pursue the Pei bandits southward—reading these words, your father wished to weep. Though my son is not of my blood, your father has long regarded you as no different from a biological son. If that rebellious son does not learn to repent in the future, my son shall inherit your father’s mantle.”
Yuan Fang and Wei Ang knew what was written in that letter, so they were both observing Xiao Li’s expression at this moment.
But Xiao Li’s face still showed no emotional fluctuation. After putting away the letter, he looked at Wei Pingzin: “The one to whom the Young Lord should apologize is not this Xiao. Captain Lin’s memorial altar is set up in the camp. The Young Lord may go offer incense for Captain Lin.”
Wei Pingzin maintained his bowing posture, his face full of humiliation, almost grinding his teeth to dust. Finally, with extreme forbearance, he forced out the word “Good.”
Yuan Fang and Wei Ang both breathed a reluctant sigh of relief—fortunately, Wei Pingzin had at least considered the bigger picture this time.
—
The sky was miserably overcast with clouds, heavy snow falling like goose feathers. White banners hung before the Western Camp’s tent where the coffin rested. Funeral paper and heavy snow were both blown about by the wind, with quite a bit trampled into the muddy snow on the ground.
The righteousness army soldiers all stood in neat formation on the open ground outside the tent, watching Wei Pingzin hold incense and bow several times before Lin An’s memorial, saying sullenly: “Poor control of subordinates was my fault. I only wish Captain Lin may rest in peace below.”
Though many righteousness army soldiers present still had suppressed anger in their eyes, they all straightened their backs.
—Xiao Li had made this imperious Northern Wei young lord bow his head to them.
From now on, their righteousness army would have dignity in the Northern Wei as well. They were no longer ragtag troops that could be ordered about at will.
—
After offering incense, Wei Pingzin, probably feeling he had lost face, used the excuse of feeling unwell and sullenly retreated to the carriage waiting outside the camp.
As Yuan Fang walked back with Xiao Li, he said: “The Young Lord and the Princess’s wedding is imminent. Right now we’re preparing various matters for the wedding ceremony, so I cannot stay long on this trip. Otherwise, I would certainly drink long into the night with you, Benefactor.”
Xiao Li said: “Official business naturally takes priority. When the Young Lord marries, we can converse again at the banquet, can we not?”
Yuan Fang laughed heartily: “Last time you were injured, so Old Liao and I didn’t feel right making you drink. Next time we must truly have a proper drinking session.”
Xiao Li’s face also contained a smile: “It would be my pleasure.”
Yuan Fang then patted Xiao Li’s shoulder and spoke as if from the heart: “The Marquis truly likes you greatly, Benefactor. Don’t take the Young Lord’s actions to heart.”
Xiao Li said: “Since it’s been put to rest, there’s no need to mention it again.”
Only then did Yuan Fang smile and agree. He added: “The envoys from the Liang camp and Southern Chen have also arrived in Weizhou and are negotiating with the Marquis about the conditions for retrieving Jiang Yu’s corpse and his pregnant concubine. On this trip, I also need to bring back both his corpse and his concubine.”
In their earlier apology, they hadn’t mentioned a single word about Wei Jiamin having seen Wen Yu—the goal was to avoid creating any more friction.
After all, if Xiao Li truly had something with her, by taking the person away they would eliminate all future troubles. As for Wei Jiamin’s true reason for trespassing into the camp, Xiao Li would know in his own heart—this could also be considered an unspoken concession from the Wei camp.
After hearing this, Xiao Li only said: “I’ve ordered people to keep Jiang Yu’s corpse preserved with ice, so it hasn’t decomposed. His concubine is also in the camp. The General may take them both away together.”
Hearing him agree so readily, Yuan Fang was very pleased, increasingly convinced that the cloud brocade cloak matter must have been Wei Jiamin wrongly accusing him.
He said: “In the future, if there are any difficulties in the camp, Benefactor need only speak up.”
He was referring to the allocation of provisions and weaponry.
The weapons and armor the righteousness army currently used naturally couldn’t compare with the Northern Wei’s direct forces.
Xiao Li said: “Since the General has said this, this Xiao truly does have an impertinent request.”
Hearing this, Yuan Fang immediately felt it might not be something as simple as ordinary weapons. He said: “Benefactor, please speak.”
A bit of snow landed on Xiao Li’s eyelashes. He lowered his eyes slightly and said: “Everyone says the Northern Wei’s foundation is the Wolf Cavalry in the Marquis’s hands. In the previous Battle of Youzhou, this Xiao also witnessed the warhorses used by the Wolf Cavalry—they truly cannot be compared to ordinary horse breeds. Could the righteousness army also obtain a batch of warhorses used by the Wolf Cavalry?”
Yuan Fang shook his head with a laugh: “Benefactor, you’ve truly set your eye on the Northern border’s golden treasure at first glance. However, I really can’t make this decision—I’d need to consult the Marquis first. Each warhorse in the Wolf Cavalry can be called one in a hundred. Every time one dies, we must select another from the Northern border’s famous horse farms. Moreover, what makes the Wolf Cavalry truly formidable isn’t just the horses—it’s also the soldiers of the Wolf Cavalry camp. Each one is an expert at taming horses. In daily care of the horses, they’re far more meticulous than caring for themselves. After a battle, they can go hungry, but the horses cannot. It can be said that the Wolf Cavalry’s warhorses, if not in the hands of Wolf Cavalry soldiers, would see their combat effectiveness greatly reduced.”
Hearing this, Xiao Li understood the depth of the matter and said: “Then there’s no need. Apart from the Marquis, presumably no one else in all of Great Liang’s territory could afford to maintain such a cavalry force.”
Yuan Fang shook his head: “It burns money—the Northern border’s annual military needs, the lion’s share is spent on maintaining the Wolf Cavalry. This year, with constant warfare and no court funding, relying only on the little money the Northern border’s prefectures can scrape together by tightening their belts makes it even harder. A few days ago, Old Liao was still discussing with the Marquis whether to reduce the Wolf Cavalry’s numbers. But if reduced, they’d still manage against Pei Song’s type of forces within the passes, but facing the barbarians outside the passes who grew up on horseback, they’d only have the option of being chased and beaten. Right now, we can only hope to bite off a chunk of meat from the Liang camp and Southern Chen using Jiang Yu’s corpse and his concubine.”
Xiao Li didn’t respond further. Amid the goose-feather snow, he gazed into the distance toward the military tent where Wen Yu was confined.
—
The news that Wen Yu would leave with the Northern Wei troops for Weizhou came far faster than she had anticipated.
Fortunately, during her days staying in Xiao Li’s camp, she hadn’t accumulated much.
The two servant women helped her pack her belongings, and soldiers from the camp carried her things one by one to the carriage.
The two servant women weren’t going with her. After Wen Yu bid them a proper farewell, she drew on her face veil, draped on her cloak, and followed several soldiers’ guidance toward the exit.
The carriage was stopped on the road outside the central command tent area where vehicles could travel. Even wearing her cloak’s hood, Wen Yu still felt today’s wind and snow were blinding.
From a great distance, she saw Xiao Li standing by the carriage with several Wei generals. The generals seemed to be saying something to him, faces bearing smiles, warmth mixed with some respect.
Noticing her approach, they temporarily stopped their conversation.
Xiao Li raised his eyes and saw her too.
It was too far—Wen Yu couldn’t make out what expression was in his dark eyes.
She calmly met his gaze, showing no emotion, but it rather seemed as if she were using that one glance to properly bid him farewell.
Then she lowered her gaze, only looking at the snow-covered ground three paces ahead, following the guiding soldier toward the carriage.