“As long as you straighten out the underlying principles of matters in this world, all things in heaven and earth can be used by you. If you don’t straighten out the principles and end up bruised and battered, who can you blame? Your Eminence has spent your entire life thinking about longevity. Why haven’t you researched the essential nature of all things in heaven and earth? The Daodejing has probably been read to tatters by you Daoist masters, right? Do you still remember that saying of Laozi?”

Before Yun Ye could finish speaking, Yuan Shoucheng said in a low voice: “The Dao is deep and profound like the sea, high and great like mountains, pervading the universe and omnipresent, circulating ceaselessly and reaching all things. Sought but cannot be obtained, discussed but cannot be reached! The Dao is that which gives birth to heaven and earth without decay, supports all things without exhaustion. Heaven obtained it and became high, earth obtained it and became thick, the sun and moon obtained it and move, the four seasons obtained it and are ordered, all things obtained it and take form.”

The four Daoist priests, upon hearing these words, immediately sat on the ground and together recited the Daodejing. Yun Ye sighed. Yuan Shoucheng still hadn’t given up. He still held tremendous confidence in Heavenly Lake. He himself had originally wanted to speak of Laozi’s doctrine of tranquility and non-action, but Yuan Shoucheng immediately used Laozi’s words to block his mouth. So be it. Since he was so obsessed, why should he pointlessly play the villain? Taking them on a trip to Heavenly Lake in April or May next year wouldn’t be any great matter.

The heavy snow seemed to have imprisoned Tingzhou, and along with it, time itself. Yun Ye couldn’t move, and those Western Region people likewise couldn’t move. The Gobi Desert in winter was not a time when people could easily be active.

Only the water in the karez was warm, bubbling and surging underground with white steam. The activities of the barbarians of Tingzhou actually relied on the karez tunnel system for movement. Not a single person could be seen on the surface, but in the underground karez tunnels, people came and went—it was very lively. The fire oil Yun Ye needed continued to be transported in an endless stream into the underground warehouses.

Fan Hongyi cheerfully finished counting this month’s fire oil. Looking at those merchants’ ingratiating expressions, he felt a bit embarrassed. He had taken three thousand jars of oil from others without paying a single coin, yet still had to accept their gratitude. This scene had a great impact on his state of mind.

Dispatching troops to escort merchants was originally within his authority. Now this authority had also been taken by Tian Yuanyi to sell for money, and moreover to the highest bidder. When the Commander heard about it, he laughed dumbfounded. He himself was made to flush red with shame. Fan Hongyi felt that if he continued associating with Tian Yuanyi, sooner or later he would become the same kind of shameless scoundrel.

In order to preserve his moral integrity, Fan Hongyi had been living in the military camp these past days, drilling with the soldiers, training together, patrolling the camp together, even building camp fortifications together. He treated these practices as a form of tempering his willpower. A great man should be upright and honorable, shining before the world. How could he live a life of petty scheming?

The heavy snow cut off the Celestial Mountain routes. Yun Ye worried in his command tent. Even if Qu Zhuo and the others obtained intelligence, in such weather there was no way to send it from Loulan to Tingzhou. All matters could only continue after the snow melted come spring next year. Only at that time would the river of time continue to flow.

Tingzhou was covered by heavy snow, but Suiye City was having brilliantly sunny good weather. Hei Feng wore expensive black fox fur, leading more than ten warriors hired locally through streets full of people. He didn’t even glance at those slaves tied with ropes at the edge of the marketplace. This was a buying ground for low-grade slaves, all agricultural or pastoral slaves that bandits had seized from other places. According to Qu Zhuo’s instructions, today he needed to purchase fifty fierce war slaves. He had heard that some were war slaves specially trained for combat. They feared neither life nor death and only knew battle. Most wonderful of all, they didn’t care whom they fought for.

War slaves and beautiful female slaves were in high demand. Only those nobles on the verge of bankruptcy would sell their own war slaves. Generally speaking, such nobles would no longer be nobles, because they had sold even their last trump card for preserving their lives.

Xiao Miao’s flaxen hair and black eyes revealed an unusual beauty. The role she was playing today was Hei Feng’s young daughter. A section of veil hung over her face. Her lively eyes, once seen, could not be forgotten.

Behind her always followed a large group of children. There was no other reason except that Xiao Miao always gave them food—real food, not leftover scraps. Those dirty children had never seen whole flatbreads, nor had they eaten large chunks of mutton. Only in Sister Anji’s charity basket were there such foods.

Therefore, the name Sister Anji rapidly spread throughout Suiye City. Whenever mealtime arrived, their residence would be overflowing with people. Qu Zhuo had warned Xiao Miao more than once that being so conspicuous was not the least bit beneficial to the mission they were undertaking. But his words were as good as unsaid, because Xiao Miao would take his food too and give it to those street children.

Suiye City had never been as lively as it was now, nor had it ever had so many people. The hired warriors pushed aside the crowd, clearing a path for Hei Feng and Xiao Miao.

There were many onlookers here, most of them idle people who came to look at those female slaves trembling in the cold wind with their flesh exposed. They had no money to buy, but looking was good too. Hei Feng’s luxury made those idlers automatically yield their positions. This was a noble lord who could not be offended.

“My wealthy brother, would Abdullah have the honor of serving you?”

Hei Feng glanced at the slave trader who walked over, haughtily raised his head, and used his nostrils to address the short slave trader: “I worship the Sun God, and I don’t have any brothers who are slave traders. I’ve only come to buy slaves. If you have good merchandise that catches my eye, I’ll buy it. If not, go find someone who has goods. I don’t have much time to wait.”

The slave trader showed not the slightest displeasure and continued bowing at the waist, saying: “I have beautiful female slaves here, and one is even a virgin. Her skin is as white as milk, touching it feels as smooth as the finest silk from Tang, and her voice is as melodious as a lark’s. My lord, I wonder if you have any interest.”

“My family is expanding. I need powerful war slaves to protect my property, and I also need to find a young female slave to serve my daughter Anji.” Hei Feng protruded his belly and held Xiao Miao’s hand. Without needing to act, his eyes were full of indulgence. Xiao Miao obediently nestled beside him. Through these days of spending time together, Xiao Miao very much enjoyed the stories Hei Feng told her.

“Noble lord, you’ve truly found the right person. The Aghutai family of the Sassanian Kingdom has fallen into decline. Their young prince is selling his last sixty-three war slaves. They have deep feelings for each other and are unwilling to be sold separately. They asked me to sell them all at once to a single patron. If you, my lord, can buy them all together, that would be perfect.”

“Arab, if these people are truly warriors, I’ll give you a price that matches their valor. If you haven’t given me sixty-three lions but instead gave me a pack of wild dogs, I won’t pay a single coin. Ha ha ha.” Hei Feng hadn’t expected his luck to be so excellent today—to encounter sixty-three war slaves all at once. Such opportunities were not many.

When it came to merchandise, that Arab called Abdullah immediately straightened his back. The Aghutai family was an ancient family, only in this generation the house was entirely filled with wastrels. Their family’s war slaves were famous for their bravery and loyalty.

“My noble lord, the war slaves of the Aghutai family are very famous. They’ve been in my hands for half a year already. It’s not that noble lords haven’t inquired about the price before—unfortunately, they couldn’t afford them. What you said is absolutely right. Good merchandise should have a good price.”

Xiao Miao paid no attention to Hei Feng and the slave trader’s haggling. Her eyes kept looking back and forth at those female slaves. Whenever her gaze fell upon a female slave, that female slave would immediately kneel down, praying for Xiao Miao to take her away.

How could Hei Feng not know what scheme Xiao Miao was hatching? He hastily said to Xiao Miao: “These women are indeed pitiful. We have no way to save them all. If you like, in a moment in the tent you can pick two female slaves. This is all we can do.”

“If the Marquis were here, he would definitely save them all!” Xiao Miao said bitterly, pouting her lips.

Hei Feng shook his head helplessly and said: “There are many pitiful people in this world. Even the Marquis has no way to save them all, unless the Great Tang could occupy this place. I remember the Great Tang has no slaves, right?”

“Of course not. The maids and servants in my home are there to help with work. Everyone eats their fill and dresses warmly. Like Xiao Hua who serves me—she came to the manor to learn proper etiquette. Once she learns proper etiquette, she can go out and marry into a good family.”

Upon hearing Xiao Miao’s words, Hei Feng froze for a moment. What he’d just said was merely casual talk. He hadn’t expected that the Marquis’s manor actually truly was like that. He knew very clearly that Xiao Miao never lied.

“Could it be that place truly is heaven?” Hei Feng muttered to himself, then followed Abdullah into a very large tent. At a glance, he saw a group of people standing against the wall. They were obviously different in spirit and vitality from the other slaves in the tent, and their bodies were obviously much stronger. A gray-haired warrior bowed to Hei Feng and said: “Noble lord, we sixty-three warriors are only willing to be sold together. We’re unwilling to be dispersed.”

Having finished speaking, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall again. Hei Feng was very pleased. He said to Abdullah: “Not bad. They look like valiant warriors. Most rare of all, they can even speak Turkic. Very good. How much? I’ll take them all.”

Abdullah’s eyes creased shut with laughter. “Three thousand silver cakes, my lord. Do you think this price is worth it?”

Xiao Miao glanced at that old war slave and discovered he had painfully closed his eyes, both fists clenched tightly, unable to control his anguish. In her heart, she felt sorrow for these warriors. She could tell that these people were all battle-hardened veterans.

Seeing that Hei Feng still wanted to haggle, anger suddenly flared up within her. She pulled out a sea-blue pearl from her pouch and threw it onto the porcelain plate, stammering to Abdullah: “I’m buying them!”

Everyone stared at the sea-blue pearl rolling chaotically in the plate. Abdullah swallowed his saliva with difficulty and squeezed out three words with difficulty: “Zoopanzhu pearl!”

“They’re worth this price!” Xiao Miao said this sentence to that old war slave.