Due to the ongoing war, black-tailed fat sheep had become a scarce commodity. The wealthy lords in the pass had developed quite discerning tastes! They never lacked money, and during this time when fat sheep were difficult to bring through the pass, anyone who managed to procure some could surely sell them for a hefty price.
Mian Tang, having negotiated a good price, felt confident. During her previous exchange of sheepskins with the farm owner, she also discussed the situation briefly. When the barbarian forces invaded, the farmer had his shepherds drive large flocks of sheep into the dense forests by the river branches. He and his family hid there, losing only a few lambs and old, weak cattle to the barbarians.
However, with the border closed for so long, no one knew when it would reopen. If he couldn’t sell his sheep, the farmer wouldn’t be able to cover daily expenses. So when he heard that this dirty-faced youngster was interested in buying his sheep, although skeptical, he offered a price – and a low one at that.
When Mian Tang arrived at the Three Passes for the second time, she had two escort agency workers sell medicines and daily necessities at a street corner. Meanwhile, she followed Uncle Liu to the pasture to negotiate.
The farm owner was surprised that this unremarkable-looking youngster could afford to buy sheep. The Han people of the grasslands lacked the pretentious courtesy of inland businessmen, so he straightforwardly sold two hundred sheep to Liu Mian Tang at the previously agreed price.
Liu Kun, looking at the flock, was troubled. These weren’t inanimate objects – how could they be loaded onto carts? But Mian Tang had already arranged with the farm owner to borrow five shepherds to drive the sheep to Jin Tuo Town.
Hearing this, Liu Kun whispered to Mian Tang, “If you let these people follow us, won’t our secret shortcut across the border be exposed?”
Mian Tang, busy marking each sheep’s forehead with cinnabar-mixed paint, didn’t look up as she replied, “We can’t use that shortcut anymore anyway. The border will reopen in two weeks at most. By then, a flood of merchants will pour in, leaving nothing for us. After this deal, our pockets will be full enough that we won’t have to face our people in Jiangdong empty-handed. But if we don’t leave soon, we might become someone else’s fat sheep.”
Surprised, Liu Kun asked why she would say such a thing.
Mian Tang adjusted her leather hat, revealing bright eyes as she explained, “Today in the street, two barbarians were following us, speaking quietly. Their dialect was heavy, so I couldn’t hear clearly, but I caught the word ‘hudali’. It’s barbarian slang for robbing and killing, similar to saying a sheep is fat enough for slaughter. Those two have been following us for days. They’ve probably decided our business is nearly done and plan to strike once we leave town.”
Liu Kun was shocked and somewhat embarrassed. He was an old hand, yet he’d never noticed anyone following them.
Mian Tang chuckled, “Those barbarians can track wolf packs on the grasslands – they’re crafty! These two are professionals. If they didn’t know I understood their language, they might not have slipped up. I just wonder how many accomplices they have…”
Liu Kun also understood the barbarian language, but learning foreign languages at his age was challenging. He hadn’t mastered it like Liu Mian Tang had, so he could only understand basic daily and business-related phrases.
Mian Tang handed the task of marking the sheep to Liu Kun and wiped her hands on the wool. She then pulled out a map from her inner pocket, muttering, “If I were to ambush us, where would be the perfect spot…”
Liu Kun glanced at their Liu family’s eldest daughter, suddenly realizing that this nice young lady occasionally exuded a bandit-like air. Most girls, upon learning barbarian bandits were targeting them, would panic and seek advice from elders. Yet here she was, intently studying the map, clearly formulating a plan to deal with those scoundrels!
That roguish spirit was exactly like Master Lu Wu in his youth! Who would have thought that the master’s lifetime of shrewdness and capability would skip his two sons and be inherited almost entirely by this granddaughter?
Alas, the old master was now gravely ill, and his energy greatly diminished. Otherwise, the Shenwei Escort Agency’s reputation wouldn’t have fallen so far!
Liu Kun couldn’t help but recall the agency’s past glory. Back then, wherever he went, people respectfully called him “Master Liu.”
Thinking of their current opportunistic dealings, he felt a moment of melancholy.
However, the most pressing matter now was being targeted.
Following Mian Tang’s hint, Liu Kun paid attention and indeed noticed two suspicious barbarians following them.
The Three Passes was a lawless area where all sorts of people mingled. Previously, large groups of bandits and mercenaries had gathered here. But now that the King of Huaiyang had reclaimed the area, he had appointed local officials like county magistrates to maintain order on the streets with a group of militiamen.
As a result, there were fewer barbarians than before, but many barbarian businessmen who had abandoned their nomadic lifestyle remained.
This was why Liu Kun hadn’t noticed the two barbarians following them earlier.
Mian Tang had bought a large number of black-tailed sheep, achieving the goal of this trip. Most of the goods she brought on her second trip had also been sold. After all, iron pots and salt were necessities for every household.
Although Mian Tang was reselling well salt, it wasn’t as fine and white as the well salt from Sichuan, and its appearance wasn’t very appealing. However, this type of salt, made by individuals drawing brine from wells, easily evaded official taxes and was difficult to trace. Therefore, Mian Tang sold it at extremely low prices.
While the people of the Three Passes could get salt, it was very expensive, almost as costly as meat. Many poor families couldn’t afford it and hadn’t tasted salt for a long time. When they bought a small jar, they would immediately and eagerly dip a finger in it and put it in their mouths to savor the taste. Just a tiny bit would revitalize them.
Before long, a small part of well salt and six or seven iron pots were sold out. The medicinal herbs were all bought by the owner of a local pharmacy to process into pills.
With Mian Tang’s carts emptied, they could now be used to transport sheep. However, not all the sheep could fit in the carts. Mian Tang had only the old and weak sheep loaded to prevent them from lagging during the journey.
After loading the carts, Mian Tang and her group spent the night at an inn before setting out. The flock and carts needed watching, but Mian Tang didn’t use anyone else, volunteering to keep watch through the night herself.
Knowing they were being watched, Mian Tang’s group didn’t rush on the return journey. Besides, driving a large flock of sheep made it impossible to move quickly.
However, after leaving town, their watchers seemed to disappear.
Mian Tang knew that the thieves, having figured out their departure time and route, had gone ahead to set traps and ambushes in suitable locations.
Although Liu Kun often traveled as an escort, in those days, the entire escort agency would turn out in force. With safety in numbers and local officials properly compensated along the route, they generally avoided major incidents as long as they stuck to the main roads and didn’t try shortcuts.
But now there were only four of them, not counting the borrowed shepherds and cart drivers. Moreover, Mian Tang was physically incapacitated and couldn’t fight.
Liu Kun had never traveled such a dangerous route knowing tigers lurked in the mountains.
So, as they approached the desolate area, Liu Kun couldn’t help but advise his young mistress to turn back and return via the main road once the border reopened.
But Mian Tang firmly replied, “We can’t. If we wait for the official road to open, we might not get the promised price for these sheep. Don’t worry, Uncle Liu, I have a plan…”
She then leaned close to Uncle Liu and whispered something.
As Liu Kun listened, his eyes widened. He looked suspiciously towards the ten carts ahead, which were also full of sheep – stragglers from the flock who couldn’t keep up and were temporarily given special treatment by being moved to the carts. As night approached, the carts seemed to be a mass of moving white.
The caravan of carts and sheep slowly entered the wilderness.
When they reached a canyon, Mian Tang suddenly ordered the caravan to stop and prepare to rest, setting up camp to cook hot soup for dinner.
Some shepherds were puzzled and said to the male-dressed Mian Tang, “Young sir, there’s a stream just past the canyon. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to camp there?”
Mian Tang, however, was adamant: “We’ll rest here.”
Since the owner had spoken, the others naturally obeyed and began to set up camp.
But their stop made the hidden bandits anxious.
If the caravan had gone just a bit further into the canyon, they would have fallen into the bandits’ trap of hidden stakes. The bandits could have easily surrounded these few merchants.
But now, they had abandoned such a good campsite and stayed on this bare roadside.
When the time came to surround them, the open wilderness would make it much more difficult…
As the leader of these fierce bandits furrowed his brow, one of his men approached and asked in the barbarian language, “Should we wait until dawn to make our move?”
The bandit leader shook his head. His original plan was to leave no survivors. But now, the most important thing was to rob them of their money and fat sheep.
The Three Passes were a mixed area of barbarians and Han people. It would be easy for them to return to barbarian territory. At worst, they could lay low for a while before returning to the Three Passes to make a living.
Thinking this, the bandit leader decided to launch a surprise attack while they were relaxed and preparing dinner.
The barbarian bandits were equally fierce. There was no “This mountain is mine” opening line – when they could use their knives, there was no other nonsense.
So when they emerged from their hiding places, their eyes flashed with murderous intent as they quickly approached the campsite, ready to strike swiftly and leave no survivors. They planned to kill everyone and leave the bodies in the wilderness to feed the wolves.
One of the bandits drew his bow and was the first to shoot an arrow at the dirty-faced youth who had been standing on the cart.
He expected the youth to fall immediately, but surprisingly, she quickly blocked her face with a small iron pot, deflecting the arrow with a clang.
The youth reacted incredibly fast. After blocking the arrow, she immediately blew a shrill whistle and jumped down from the cart, disappearing into the sea of white sheep.
The cart drivers and shepherds had been instructed by Mian Tang to dive into the flock of sheep at the sound of the whistle.
Although they didn’t fully understand the situation, they followed her orders.
Seeing this, the bandits couldn’t help but laugh out loud. These soft Han people were so amusing! Did they think hiding among the sheep would keep them safe?
They were lambs waiting for slaughter!
But just as the bandits relaxed and charged forward with all their might, more than twenty “sheep monsters” suddenly emerged from the semicircle of carts and sheep piles.
By the time the bandits realized these standing sheep were large men wearing sheepskins with horns, it was too late. These men were all holding bows and arrows, and every one of them was an expert marksman. Arrows rained down on the bandits like a downpour.
Accompanied by a chorus of wails, the bandits fell one after another. Even those who managed to dodge the arrow rain were cut down by the broad, long sabers of the men who jumped down from the carts.
Liu Kun hadn’t hidden with the drivers. He and two escort agency guards joined the sheepskin-clad men from the carts in fighting the bandits.
The battle ended much faster than Mian Tang had expected. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, most of the bandits had been killed. Only one or two rolled down the cliff and escaped, wounded.
When Mian Tang emerged from the flock of sheep, Liu Kun and the assisting men were clearing the battlefield, delivering a coup de graces to the bandits who weren’t dead yet.
As for the cart drivers and shepherds, they were all trembling, still in shock.
Mian Tang walked over to the leader called A Liandian and cupped her hands in greeting, saying, “Thank you, brave warriors, for your help. I’m sorry for making you hide in the carts and sheep all this way. It must have been uncomfortable.”
A Liandian returned the greeting in a barbarian manner and replied in fluent Han language, “You are our young prince’s godmother and our tribe’s benefactor. Killing these bandits is not worth mentioning.”
It turned out these men were all Lin Siyue’s subordinates.
When Mian Tang discovered she was being targeted by barbarian bandits, she realized her small group wasn’t enough to ensure a safe journey.
So she thought of asking Lin Siyue for help.
Upon hearing Mian Tang’s request, Lin Siyue didn’t hesitate. She immediately dispatched warriors from her tribe overnight to assist Mian Tang.
Mian Tang then devised a plan. On the night before they left the inn, she had these barbarian warriors hide in sheepskins on the ten carts loaded with sheep. This was to confuse the tracking bandits, making it hard for them to assess the situation. Then they stopped in this open area suitable for archery, waiting for the bandits to take the bait.
Sure enough, the bandits grew impatient. When they saw the caravan stop, they began to reveal themselves.
The cart drivers, who hadn’t noticed so many people on their carts, were stunned and complained that their employer hadn’t been truthful.
Mian Tang smiled sheepishly and said, “I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d be scared and give us away. If the bandits had sensed something was wrong, they might have prepared more thoroughly, and there would have been more than just these dozen or so men. If a large pack of hungry wolves had come, even with our preparations, it would have been more difficult, wouldn’t it?”
The drivers and shepherds thought to themselves that if she had told them earlier, they wouldn’t have taken the job and would have left long ago!
But now, having traveled most of the way, and seeing how clever their young employer was, they knew she wouldn’t pay them until they reached their destination. So they had no choice but to continue the journey, hoping the rest would go smoothly without any more bandit attacks.
With this threat eliminated, Mian Tang could now travel the rest of the way without worry.
Being in the wilderness, they could only manage cold meals during the day while traveling, with more carefully prepared meals only possible at night.
To thank the brave warriors of the Guli tribe for their help, on the second night, Mian Tang had the drivers and shepherds gather some wild fruits, and dig up some wild vegetables and ginger. Liu Kun selected three fat sheep, slaughtered them, and cut the meat into large pieces. These were thrown into the pot along with handfuls of wild vegetables and sliced wild ginger. Once cooked tender, everyone ate directly, dipping the meat in condiments.
Even without alcohol, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal, drinking sheep soup.
The black-tailed sheep’s meat was naturally tender and delicious, not requiring heavy seasoning. When fully cooked, it had a unique flavor when dipped in salt. Moreover, Mian Tang brought out her chili oil, which, when mixed in, counteracted the gamey taste of the sheep, creating a spicy sensation that danced on the taste buds.
Not just the Guli tribe warriors, but even Liu Kun found the chili oil exceptionally fragrant.
When he asked Mian Tang about it, he learned that the chili oil was made with small peanuts from Jiangnan, along with spices like cardamom, licorice, and dried tangerine peel, all ground together. These were then fried with ginger chunks and scallion pieces until fragrant, and strained, and the hot oil was poured over finely ground red chili peppers from Lingnan. Even the fine sesame seeds in it were transported from distant places.
Liu Kun had asked casually, not expecting that the jar of chili oil Mian Tang carried was so meticulously prepared.
Mian Tang smiled wryly. Previously, when she had been deceived into becoming a military wife, she had spent her days either in the pharmacy or devoted to learning cooking from Mother Li to serve her husband.
While she hadn’t learned everything, she had picked up quite a bit about catering to the refined palates of the royal household from Mother Li. Even the method for making this jar of chili oil was learned from her.
When leaving Wuning Pass, besides bringing several large pots of steamed buns, Mother Li had nearly emptied the small kitchen, packing all sorts of seasonings for her. She had even brought three large bags of Mian Tang’s favorite honey-glazed meat jerky.
Unfortunately, Fan Hu and the others had such big appetites that they had eaten all her snacks along with the steamed buns.
Luckily, this jar of chili oil remained. Mian Tang had kept it with her, knowing that even dry, hard flatbread would become appetizing when dipped in chili oil.
Now, as Mian Tang recalled her relatively comfortable life in the mansion over the past two years, it felt like a previous lifetime.
Once this jar of chili oil was finished, she decided she would no longer reminisce about her past life of working in the kitchen and moving about the courtyard… And now, the jar she had been carefully rationing was quickly emptied by everyone sharing it.
In the future… she probably wouldn’t think about it anymore! Mian Tang closed her eyes and drank a large bowl of sheep soup.
While eating, Mian Tang chatted casually with A Liandian, inquiring about the situation among the barbarian tribes.
From what A Liandian said, A Gushan was a notoriously brutal person, originally not supported by the various barbarian tribes. When he won battles, it was fine as everyone shared in the spoils, motivated by profit.
But now that A Gushan was being repeatedly defeated by the King of Huaiyang, the tribes following him were becoming dissatisfied. They were fighting with less confidence and growing weary, hoping for a quick peace negotiation between the two sides.
However, the King of Huaiyang showed no intention of negotiating, seemingly determined to annihilate A Gushan.
Mian Tang listened impassively, then suddenly asked, “Did your Guli tribe ever follow A Gushan into battle?”
A Liandian spat on the ground in disgust and said, “Who would ally with a carrion-eating wolf? Even if everyone in our Guli tribe died, we would never submit to A Gushan…”
After saying this, A Liandian seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn and fell silent, continuing to eat his mutton without another word.
Mian Tang held her bowl, slowly sipping the sheep soup. For some reason, strange connections began forming in her mind.
She remembered the bedtime stories Cui Xingzhou had told her about the succession of barbarian kings.
Suddenly, she thought of the old Shanyu of the barbarians who had died tragically at A Gushan’s hands. It was said that the old Shanyu’s only daughter had disappeared after her father’s death.
This coincided with the time when Lady Lin married the second son of the Hu family. Moreover, Lady Lin spoke Chinese and was well-spoken, suggesting she must have had Han tutors from a very young age. The daughter of an ordinary tribal chief wouldn’t have had such treatment…
And now, these warriors around her looked quite different from the flat-nosed barbarians and were certainly not ordinary barbarian herdsmen.
Hearing them speak in the pure royal banner dialect that she could understand, Mian Tang couldn’t help but wonder if Lin Siyue might be the missing daughter of the old Shanyu.
However, since the other party was unwilling to reveal their background, Mian Tang tactfully refrained from asking but urged them to return quickly.
If her guess was correct, then Lin Siyue and her godson Little Hetao were in a very dangerous situation.
If A Gushan learned that the old Shanyu’s bloodline still existed, he would certainly want to eliminate it. Therefore, Lin Siyue couldn’t afford to be short-handed.
So early the next morning, Mian Tang called A Liandian over to thank him again, saying they were almost at Jin Tuo Town. She said they no longer needed an escort and asked them to return.
But A Liandian refused, saying his mistress had instructed them to see Liu Guniang safely to her destination before they could return with peace of mind.
However, Mian Tang said seriously, “I’ve heard that the King of Huaiyang has planted many spies in Jin Tuo Town. Your appearances are so distinctive that if you get close and are captured by the soldiers for questioning, you might not be able to escape quickly. What would happen to Lady Lin without anyone to protect her?”
These words made A Liandian hesitate. The princess and young prince were their tribe’s last hope. If anything went wrong, it would be irreparable.
Mian Tang was skilled at persuasion, and her words finally convinced A Liandian to agree to return.
Watching A Liandian and his subordinates leave, Mian Tang let out a slow sigh of relief. A Liandian’s surprise force had already severely wounded the bandits; the rest were no longer a concern. Even if these bandits wanted revenge, they were currently incapable of it and couldn’t hinder her anymore.
This shipment mainly consisted of a flock of sheep, all living, breathing animals with fur. For the remaining journey, they needed to travel faster and leave the Northwest as soon as possible. She also hoped that Lady Lin and her son could overcome their misfortunes and live comfortably.
Indeed, the rest of the journey was very peaceful, and they smoothly arrived at Jin Tuo Town.
The arrival of such a large flock of sheep in Jin Tuo Town caused quite a stir. After all, bringing a flock of sheep at this time was no easy feat. Sheep merchants from the town came one after another to discuss purchases with Mian Tang, each offering a higher price than the last.
Finally, Mian Tang divided the flock into three parts and sold them to the three merchants who offered the highest prices.
Liu Kun couldn’t stop smiling. Although this journey had been quite risky, the profit was substantial, equivalent to four or five normal trips. Mian Tang, along with Liu Kun and several escort agency guards, exchanged all the silver for bank notes, wrapped them in thick oilcloth, and sewed them into the lining of their sheepskin coats, not even taking them off while sleeping.
However, when they set out early the next morning, Mian Tang found a small grove where she changed into women’s clothes. She also had Liu Kun and the other escort agency guards shave off their beards.
For men who lived by their wits, their beards were a record of their life experiences. How could they shave them off? Liu Kun and the others refused.