The information obtained from the horse bandit’s mouth didn’t differ much from Yun Ye’s speculation. This was a gang of bandits who occupied the mountains as their domain—what people commonly called highwaymen. They specialized in robbing and killing passing merchants in this lawless border region, especially Hu merchants.

Since arriving in this world, encountering corpses had become routine. Life in this era seemed particularly fragile. Many people simply didn’t care whether they killed a person or slaughtered a chicken. Gou Zi was just a teenage boy. After dragging the bandit to a slightly more concealed location, he stabbed a blade into the bandit’s neck with one thrust. The bandit’s shrill pleas for mercy before death—he seemed not to hear them at all. That blade thrust was executed extremely cleanly and efficiently.

The bandits’ lair was only a mere ten li from here. Today, hearing there was a big score, the mountain stronghold had only left behind some old, weak, sick, and disabled—the rest, anyone who could wield a weapon, had all mobilized together. Hearing this news, how could the auxiliary soldiers sit still? Fifty swift horses swept past on the small path like wind.

Under the premise of ensuring their own safety, Yun Ye didn’t oppose these auxiliary soldiers making a little profit. The auxiliary soldiers very consciously left the goods abandoned by the Persian merchants for Yun Ye. They believed this was what the Marquis deserved.

Having received people’s wealth, one should eliminate their disasters. Since the disaster could no longer be eliminated, burying them in the earth for eternal rest was also an option.

Perhaps because they’d been away from home too long, those auxiliary soldiers dug pits while secretly glancing at those Hu dancing girls wrapped in fur robes. The bolder ones pointed at the girls’ bare legs, winking at their companions and saying something. Those Hu girls huddled together, trembling even more violently.

He’d long heard that these Hu girls, in order to live well, deliberately attached themselves to caravans, traveling ten thousand li from distant Central Asia to Chang’an. They wanted to take advantage of their youth and beauty to earn more money, saving up enough in just a few short years for their retirement. When they grew old and lost their looks, they’d at least have something to rely on. They completely didn’t care about their own bodies. As long as they could earn money, there was nothing they wouldn’t sell.

Tang Jian could actually speak the Hu language. His mouth babbled away, saying a great deal to the Hu girls. Those girls seemed to come alive all at once. Just moments ago they’d been scared to death, but now they could be bold enough to seduce auxiliary soldiers everywhere. Completely ignoring the early spring cold wind, they tied their fur robes at their waists, barely covering half their chests and buttocks, waving their bare arms and casting flirtatious glances at the auxiliary soldiers. Two of the most beautiful Hu girls were dragged into the four-wheeled carriage by Tang Jian and Xu Jingzong. These two fellows—had they no regard for face anymore?

By comparison, He Shao could be considered a good person. Leading two accountants, he carefully inventoried the Persian merchants’ goods. No, wait—now they belonged to Yun Ye. Since they were Yun Ye’s, naturally he had a share too. As a lustful ghost, he turned a blind eye to the Hu girls’ temptations. Caressing the soft Persian carpets, his mouth watered. With one wave of his hand, he pushed aside a Hu girl who came over to flirt, watching her vigilantly, as if that girl would come snatch his treasure.

Li Jing was an elder who couldn’t be offended. Now returning victorious, he was even more untouchable. Upon returning to Chang’an, the military subjects at the academy would still need his strong support. No matter how terrible his attitude, Yun Ye still planned to treat this God of War like a grandfather to be filially served.

A small barrel of the most authentic grape wine concentrate was sent into Li Jing’s large carriage. This was a good thing that couldn’t be enjoyed in Chang’an. Grape wine most feared constant shaking and swaying. The continuous jolting during transport would reduce the wine’s quality. Add to that the long distance making transportation inconvenient, so these Persian merchants found ways to pack concentrated wine syrup in wooden barrels, transporting it ten thousand li to Chang’an, then diluting it later. The value was considerable.

On this journey, aside from finding Yun Ye disagreeable to his eyes, Li Jing accepted without refusal the food and utensils offered to him. He also actively cooperated when being treated for illness. Just moments ago he’d been chatting and laughing with Sun Simiao, but turning his face he’d speak viciously to Yun Ye, giving Yun Ye an extreme headache. Several times he’d wanted to say that upon returning to Chang’an, he’d invite Li Jing to the academy to teach a few lessons, to properly explain to those idiots at the academy what battlefield command meant—not two people standing on a pile of sand shouting curses at each other. But before the words could leave his mouth, Li Jing would chase him away. The tactical deduction exercise between that big idiot Yuchi and the fierce Duan had become a famous joke in Chang’an, even causing the academy’s reputation to suffer. After being severely scolded by Li Gang, they were locked in solitary confinement to reflect for two days. This quality of students made Yun Ye extremely worried.

Using an auger, he drilled open the wooden barrel, filled a large cup to the brim with grape wine, then knocked off several chunks of ice and dropped them in. He presented it to Li Jing. The celadon cup held blood-red wine syrup, paired with ice cubes floating and sinking uncertainly in the cup—one look was enough to know this was good stuff. Li Jing took it, sniffed it, took a small sip, sighed, and pulled a small ceramic bottle from his bosom, continuously adding from it to the wine cup. Yun Ye looked carefully and discovered it was sugar frost. Wasn’t grape wine supposed to be drunk in its original flavor? Why was Li Jing adding sugar?

In his previous life, when drinking grape wine mixed with Sprite, he’d been scorned by friends for decades. What was Li Jing doing? He himself came from a prestigious family—he couldn’t not know how to drink grape wine. But he didn’t dare ask. The old man’s temper had been very bad recently.

“Speak, boy. Offering attentions without reason means either treachery or theft. What favor do you seek? Just say it directly.” Unexpectedly, Li Jing spoke first, which greatly moved Yun Ye. Now, never mind Li Jing adding sugar to grape wine—even if he added soy sauce, Yun Ye would definitely consider it correct.

“You’ve spent a lifetime in military service, invincible in battle, unstoppable in attack. You’ve fought from south to north, sweeping all before you, truly worthy of being called a generation’s God of War for our Great Tang. This boy has just one small request. If you could come to the academy to teach a few lessons, this boy would be endlessly grateful on behalf of all the academy’s students.” Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly stated his request. Otherwise, there’d be no room to speak.

Li Jing looked at Yun Ye with great interest. After drinking a mouthful of sugar water, he said, “Don’t you know that military strategy differs from other learning and cannot be lightly transmitted? Throughout all dynasties, emperors have invariably locked away military secrets in high towers. If generals and commanders below show the slightest unusual movement, great disaster will follow. This old man won’t agree to such a request and doesn’t dare agree. It would harm you and harm me too. Boy, propose a different condition. This old man owes you a favor. As long as it’s not outrageous, I’ll agree.”

Yun Ye said with a smile, “If I could persuade His Majesty to agree to spreading military principles at the academy, would you be willing to come teach?”

Li Jing’s hand trembled. The sugar water in his cup spilled out. He used a cloth to wipe the wine from his hands clean, then said to Yun Ye, “If you have that ability, this old man would be extremely happy to teach at the academy. Even being a teaching master for a lifetime would be no matter.”

Having received the answer he needed, Yun Ye happily took his leave of Li Jing, hopping away from the four-wheeled carriage. Li Jing watched Yun Ye’s retreating figure and called out loudly, “Boy, how confident are you?”

Yun Ye didn’t speak, only making an eighty-percent gesture before going to find He Shao to see exactly how much his wealth had increased.

“Eighty percent? Where does this boy get such confidence? But I hope you can succeed. This old man is also unwilling to have his lifetime of learning rot away with the grass and trees.” Gulping down the remaining sugar water, Li Jing had a sweet-and-sour flavor lingering in his mouth that wouldn’t dissipate.

Ten li away, black smoke rose from the mountain—the signal that Cheng Chumo and the others had succeeded. It seemed they absolutely couldn’t leave today no matter what. Yun Ye ordered them to make camp on the spot. The contingent of nearly a thousand people began establishing camp in an orderly manner.

Before the camp was even finished, Cheng Chumo and the others had already rushed back, followed by a long string of camels loaded with goods. Those auxiliary soldiers were all in high spirits because these things all belonged to them. They only needed to sell these goods to He Shao and they’d receive a substantial sum of money. In all their years as auxiliary soldiers, not once could compare to this time. Not only had their income increased more than tenfold, even the danger was much less. Among the convoy, only they hoped this road would never end.

Not only had He Shao’s copper coins not decreased, they’d actually increased considerably—enough to fill four or five carts. What worried him wasn’t too little money, but too much. Transporting a pile of copper coins that wouldn’t appreciate in value back home—he considered it the shame of his life.

Cheng Chumo assembled all the auxiliary soldiers to distribute the goods. As the leader, he didn’t care about a few hundred strings of cash. He just felt that the brothers had followed him to exterminate a band of horse bandits—this was a life-and-death battlefield friendship—so he couldn’t let his brothers suffer losses. He knew all too well what kind of creature He Shao was. The garrison soldier brothers who’d gone with him to suppress the Turks had stripped intact fur cloaks from Turkic nobles, but when sent to He Shao, they became moth-eaten, rat-gnawed, torn leather rags worth thirty wen each. The garrison soldier brothers had been so angry they nearly hacked him to death with their blades. Now, another opportunity to get rich was placed before He Shao. Just looking at his gleaming eyes, one knew this bastard was preparing to swindle people again.

His own eloquence wasn’t good. After saying just a few sentences, he’d be led into a ditch by He Shao. Fortunately, he still had a good brother.

When Cheng Chumo dragged Yun Ye before He Shao, the two stared at each other with wide and small eyes for quite a while, then simultaneously shook their heads. The two of them were on the same side—how to suppress prices, how to raise prices? Yun Ye turned back to Cheng Chumo and said, “However much money you want for these goods, name your price. We won’t haggle.”

Only then did the dumbfounded Cheng Chumo realize that the two of them were indeed on the same side. His brother couldn’t be relied on—what was to be done? Just as he was in difficulty, a voice came over: “This old man will negotiate. The soldiers’ hard-earned money cannot be embezzled by black-hearted merchants.”

Seeing Li Jing, He Shao’s legs went weak, always involuntarily wanting to prostrate himself. How could he have the courage to negotiate with the old man?

“Since you’ve spoken, sir, just name your price directly. This boy will comply without exception.” Since there was no way to negotiate, complete surrender was better.

“Then we’ll calculate by weight. The camels are a gift to you. One jin of goods exchanges for one jin of copper coins. Neither side suffers a loss.” Li Jing weighed the goods, then looked at those several carts of money, and made his decision. The auxiliary soldiers immediately erupted in celebration. This time, wouldn’t they bleed that profiteering merchant dry?

He Shao’s mouth gaped open nearly to his forehead. Was this doing business? Li Jing had used military strategy in negotiation—striking unexpectedly, finding an alternative route. One sentence decided the outcome.

Yun Ye and He Shao asked Li Jing together, “A gentleman’s word?”

Li Jing knew this was bad, but the words just now had been spoken by his own mouth. The price was also the highest he could think of. He hadn’t expected that he’d still fallen into a pit.