Seeing that Zhao Fuma’s son was also present, Han Linfeng smiled faintly and offered a well-meaning warning: “There are bandits active in this area. If you have no urgent business, it would be best to make haste on your journey.”

With that, he urged his horse forward with both heels, leaving nothing but a cloud of rising dust for his former drinking companions.

Guo Yan spat out a mouthful of dust and said bitterly: “What does he think he is? I don’t know how we’ve offended him, but he’s been so quick to turn his back on us lately! It’s not as though we came out here alone — don’t the personal guards and soldiers accompanying us count for anything? With the courage of a woman, he dares go to the front lines?”

Zhao Guibei, for his part, actually agreed with both of them this time — any bandits lurking in the wilds would have scattered the moment they caught sight of Great Wei soldiers.

It wasn’t as though they were unarmed merchants. If any thieves dared approach, he would let his blade and sword have a word with them first.

As for Han Yao in the carriage — overhearing Zhao Guibei mock her brother, she found it deeply unpleasant, and said indignantly to her sister-in-law: “Brother was simply escorting us back to Liangzhou. How did that become ‘privately taking his family on an outing’ in that Zhao young master’s mouth?”

Su Luoyun smiled gently. Given Han Linfeng’s reputation in the capital, misunderstandings were only natural.

Still, at least they had left the capital now. At the very least, Linfeng would no longer need to keep his face powdered and painted every day to deceive the world.

Only — the fighting in Jiayong prefecture was growing ever more desperate, yet the Sixth Imperial Prince had dispatched so many inexperienced young men to manage the rear supply lines. Just what was he plotting?

That day, before dusk had even fallen, they took shelter at a relay station.

Old Cui from the country estate, who had come along for the return journey, had a cooking pot strapped to his back.

The relay station’s food was poor, so he lit a campfire and hung his pot over it, stewing the cured pork and wide noodles he had brought along, with some radish thrown in. Broth and all, eaten over rice, it was extraordinarily satisfying.

Han Linfeng, fearing the night air would be too cold for Su Luoyun, refused to let her eat beside the open fire. Once the clay pot was bubbling and gurgling, he carried it up to their second-floor room, and the two of them sat together at a small table for dinner.

They had eaten about halfway through when a commotion suddenly erupted in the courtyard downstairs. Zhao Guibei and his group had arrived as well.

Given Zhao Guibei’s earlier mockery, Han Linfeng had no desire to go near him.

There were countless cold shoulders in this world — the only one he cared to warm himself against was his own wife’s.

But as it turned out, Zhao Guibei came bursting in — disheveled and frantic — shouting: “Han Shizi, lend me your guards and soldiers for a moment!”

Qing Yang stared at him as though he had lost his mind, and with the foul stench wafting off him besides, stretched out an arm to block the doorway.

Han Linfeng told Luoyun to keep eating, then rose and stepped out of the room. He looked Zhao Guibei up and down, caught a distinct whiff of something foul, and stepped back another pace, pressing his handkerchief to his nose. “What happened? Did you run into mountain bandits?”

Zhao Guibei wiped the bloodstains and other suspicious smears from his face and said urgently: “Hurry — lend me your men! Lu Kang and Guo Yan have been taken by bandits. If I can’t get them out, the Yong’an Prince’s household will be at court again accusing my father!”

The last incident with Guo Yan’s broken leg had already left the two families on poor terms.

This time, his mother Princess Yuyang had charged him with escorting the two young masters safely — the intent being, in part, to mend the rift and maintain the goodwill. After all, Zhao Dong and Lord Yong’an were colleagues at court and could not avoid dealing with one another.

But now he had managed to lose both the son of Lord Yong’an and the son of General Lu at once. Zhao Guibei’s head was spinning, and he had a sinking feeling he had caused a catastrophe.

He had never imagined the bandits in this area could be so brazen — they had clearly seen the official uniforms of the personal guards, yet charged forward all the same. Before anyone could even react, they had hurled pig bladders stuffed with filth at the whole group.

And the personal guards — having been generously plied with fine wine by Lu Kang and the others at midday — were in a pleasantly dazed state, wholly unprepared for bandits who had planned everything in advance.

The bandits’ methods were utterly shameless. When the pig bladders burst open, everyone recoiled in disgust, unable to form ranks or raise their shields — the initiative was lost in an instant, and the group was scattered.

He and a few of his men had managed to cut down several of the bandits, yet could only watch helplessly as the mountain bandits seized and made off with the two carriages.

The bandit leader, seemingly having recognized that these captives were no ordinary folk, had even left a message demanding five hundred taels in banknotes as ransom — otherwise, the hostages would not survive the night in the mountain stronghold, and at first light, they would be killed as a blood offering.

Zhao Guibei had grown up training in military camps alongside his father, had always been addressed as “young general,” and had never in his life suffered such a humiliating defeat. His only thought was to fight his way back.

So he had led his remaining men to the nearest relay station, intending to find local soldiers for reinforcements.

But this was the middle of nowhere, far from any village or town — where was he to find anyone? The relay station chief explained apologetically that the station held time-sensitive military dispatches, and the garrison soldiers could not be reassigned — to do so would be dereliction of duty, punishable by death.

So Zhao Guibei had decided to borrow Han Linfeng’s guards instead.

Su Luoyun had already set down her chopsticks. Holding her nose, she had been standing behind Han Linfeng and had heard everything clearly. She quickly spoke up: “If it can be resolved with money, why resort to violence? It’s only five hundred taels. If you cannot produce the sum, our Beizhen Wang Manor will lend it to Young Master Zhao.”

She instructed Xiangcao to fetch the strongbox, and from the thick stack of banknotes inside, she pulled out several at random and handed them to Han Linfeng.

By now, her shops — both inside and outside the capital — numbered no fewer than several establishments, and she was truly raking in a fortune each day.

Now that Zhao Guibei had come to Han Linfeng in this state of desperation, turning him away would be a matter of poor face.

But to send Zhao Guibei out into the dark of night with Qing Yang and the others to risk their lives — that was simply out of the question.

For Su Luoyun, the Goddess of Wealth, any problem that could be solved with money was no problem at all.

So she intended to settle the matter with silver: pay the ransom, and be done with it.

Zhao Guibei, however, was not merely reeking of pig bladder filth — he was radiating a burning, annihilating shame.

He was the son of a general. He had been pelted with filth by mountain bandits. And now he was expected to let a blind woman pay for the release of his companions? He would sooner die on that bandit mountain than bear such humiliation.

So he glared at Han Linfeng and snapped: “If you won’t lend me men, then forget it — I’ll rescue them myself!”

With that, trailing a thundercloud of wounded pride, he stormed back out, had the relay station change his horse, and charged back toward the mountain.

Han Linfeng watched the impetuous young man’s retreating figure, and found himself unexpectedly thinking of the earnest counsel General Zhao Dong had once pressed upon him.

That General Zhao was someone Han Linfeng genuinely admired. If his only son were to lose his life in this desolate wilderness — for a man in middle age to lose his child — that was something even Han Linfeng could not bear to contemplate.

With that thought, he turned and took down the saber hanging on the wall, then said to Su Luoyun: “You finish eating and get some rest. I’ll be back shortly.”

Su Luoyun grabbed his sleeve, wanting to hold him back — but she stopped herself, and instead pressed the banknotes into his hand. “Don’t go showing off just to outdo some young hothead. Use the money to buy them back… When you get there, see if you can haggle a little — those two useless lumps are worth a hundred taels at most…”

Han Linfeng nearly laughed at his wife’s business instincts.

That was precisely why she could not come along — she would probably end up bargaining with the bandits to their faces and walking away with change.

He declined the banknotes, but thought to test his wealthy wife: “Do you have any gold? Late at night, gold and silver are easier to verify on the spot.”

Luoyun thought that made sense, and fished two pouches of gold ingots from her small strongbox.

Han Linfeng had only mentioned it on a whim after seeing her produce so many banknotes earlier. Watching her come so thoroughly prepared with gold, silver, and paper money alike, he could not help but study her for a moment.

A woman this financially self-sufficient would never have to endure anyone’s ill temper wherever she went. With gold and silver and banknotes all ready to hand — she could truly pick herself up and leave at a moment’s notice…

That thought made him suddenly reach out and give the wealthy wife’s cheek a light pinch. Luoyun, not understanding, assumed he meant there was not enough, and said: “What’s wrong? Is it not enough? I have more…”

And with practiced ease, she reached into the luggage, fished out a pillow, and from inside the pillow lining pulled out four large gold bars.

Han Linfeng’s expression darkened subtly. He pressed his fingers to his temple and rubbed: “All right, this is enough to ransom twenty wastrels… Why did you bring so much? Were you planning to run off in the middle of the journey?”

As he spoke, he walked over to the luggage and casually pulled out a garment — and as he felt along it, he noticed something suspiciously heavy concealed within the lining of the coat…

Su Luoyun muttered under her breath: “As the saying goes, travel in comfort even when leaving a poor home. I brought extra for contingencies…”

The charitable works back in Yan County had cost the Shizi’s household a good deal of silver. Luoyun had specifically brought more out of worry that he might not have enough on the road — how was it that he still seemed dissatisfied?

Run off? Did he think she was some purchased servant girl? If she ever wanted to leave, she would sit down with him, work out a proper arrangement, settle accounts, and sign a mutually acceptable separation agreement — and only then would she go.

Han Linfeng thought she was making excuses. With private assets even hidden in her clothing, she truly could throw on a coat and walk out the door at any moment… He drew a deep breath, pulled her into his arms, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and murmured: “Get to sleep early. I’ll try to be back as quickly as I can.”

After Han Linfeng had gone, Han Yao came over with worried eyes, listened to the account of what had happened, and could not help saying: “Sister-in-law, why did you not stop Brother? This is far too dangerous!”

Su Luoyun replied calmly: “Your brother is a man who knows what he’s doing. I trust him.”

Han Yao fell silent. She had not expected her sister-in-law to say something like that. Her brother was certainly not as dissolute and unprincipled as the outside world believed — but he was equally far from being the kind of steady, reliable person that ordinary eyes would recognize.

And yet her sister-in-law had said it with such certainty. Just as that time her brother had been in danger — when everyone else believed he was not coming back — only she had kept her vigil by the front gate, stubbornly waiting for him to return…

Unfortunately, those who held such unwavering belief in Han Linfeng did not include Zhao Guibei.

When he heard hoofbeats behind him, his heart leapt — he assumed Han Linfeng had finally sent men after all.

But it turned out Han Linfeng himself had come in person, leading over a dozen guards, with what actually looked quite the part of a cavalry saber at his waist.

Zhao Guibei frowned despite himself: “Why did you come too? Leave these men with me and go back — I’m worried I won’t be able to look after you when things get lively.”

Han Linfeng said evenly: “These mountain bandits are not destitute commoners driven to desperation. A number of them are deserters from the northern regions who have drifted down here. This pig bladder trick is a tactic commonly used up there. Moreover, they know the local terrain — even if you brought twice the men, you would not be able to flatten their mountain stronghold by force. Since they’ve named a price, ransom the men first. Otherwise, if you push them too far and they kill the hostages, even if you die in the attempt, you’ll leave your father a mess he can never clean up.”

Zhao Guibei wanted to argue, but Han Linfeng’s reasoning was sound and well-founded. Unable to counter him, he could only find fault with something minor: “How… how do you know this is a tactic from northern deserters?”

Han Linfeng replied steadily: “Some of my guards served in the military up north. I heard it from them — it’s not wrong.”

With night pressing down around him and the cool night wind clearing his head, the young man was gradually calming down. For now it seemed there was no choice but to follow Han Linfeng’s plan and ransom the men out first.

Han Linfeng, however, did not appear to be in any rush to move on. When they came to a reed marsh, he ordered everyone to dismount. Drawing out his blade, he cut great armfuls of reed grass and carried them over.

Then he led his group of men and began to… build scarecrows.

Zhao Guibei stared, dumbfounded. He crouched down and asked Han Linfeng: “What… what are you all doing?”

Han Linfeng went on expertly tying a scarecrow together and said lightly: “You’ll see shortly… If you can’t help with cutting grass, please go wash yourself at the riverbank. My Shizi’s wife has a sensitive nose, and if you’re standing near me too long when I get back, I’m afraid you’ll offend her.”

For reasons he could not quite explain, Zhao Guibei found that his own force of presence was being utterly suppressed by this idle ne’er-do-well from the capital.

By now he understood well enough that he could not command this gentleman to do anything. He gave a cold snort and went off to wash himself at the riverbank.

By the time he returned and had changed into the spare clothes from his saddlebag, the others had worked with swift efficiency and assembled seven or eight scarecrows — and, remarkably, they had even brought military uniforms along, which they proceeded to dress the scarecrows in.

In the pitch dark of night, at first glance, each one really did cut the figure of a tall, imposing soldier.

When they arrived at the exchange point the bandits had named, Qing Yang first went ahead with two men to scout the ground in the dark.

When he returned, he said quietly: “No traps. The ground is clean.”

Han Linfeng gave a brief nod. Qing Yang and two others then donned soft chainmail vests and iron helmets, and — carrying the scarecrows and unlit torches — led seven or eight horses forward to the clearing.

Han Linfeng, meanwhile, climbed into the large trees near the flat ground, taking Zhao Guibei and the remaining men with him.

Just then, Qing Yang’s voice rang out across the clearing: “Good fellows, are you present? We have come with the ransom! Please bring out our two young masters so we may see them with our own eyes. If they are not present, there is nothing more to discuss!”

As he spoke, two torches were lit. Qing Yang and the other guard holding them were clearly illuminated by the flames, but the remaining “men” — some mounted on horseback, others standing on the ground — were visible only as dim, indistinct silhouettes.

From across the clearing came a shout: “Show us you have the gold and silver — let’s see it!”

Qing Yang called back loudly: “No hostages, no valuables!”

The other side could see that the ransom party was no amateur, and on a small hillock some distance away, torches suddenly flared to life. Guo Yan and Lu Kang — bound hand and foot — were trembling like frightened quail in the torchlight.

Satisfied that the men were still alive, Qing Yang raised the pouch of gold Su Luoyun had prepared. In the glow of the torches, the gleaming objects caught the light with irresistible allure.

At that moment, from somewhere nearby came the whispered sound of arrows cutting through the air.

Those who had fought on battlefields recognized that sound with visceral immediacy — the hiss of arrow fletchings in flight.

It appeared these mountain bandits had no intention of honor whatsoever. Even when the ransom had been brought, they had no plans to leave any survivors.

Simultaneously, Qing Yang and his companions let out loud cries and collapsed, their torches clattering away into the distance. In the blurring darkness, there was only the frantic neighing of horses and a chorus of rising and falling shouts.

The arrows flew for some time. When flaming arrows were finally shot over, they illuminated bodies sprawled across the ground — and it could be seen that each fallen figure bristled with numerous shafts.

Even the most indestructible of immortals could hardly have survived that.

The mountain bandits burst into raucous laughter and came charging down, intending to collect the gold.

But as part of their number rushed down the slope, those still standing on the hilltop suddenly heard the whisper of cold arrows behind them.

Before they could react, seven or eight of their number had fallen. Then some dozen large, powerful men seemed to materialize from nowhere — dropping down upon them — and with swift strokes of their blades, cut down another dozen more.

Down below, those who had rushed forward to collect the gold were also beginning to sense something was wrong. These fallen figures scattered across the ground — why were they all scarecrows stuffed into uniforms?

As the sounds of close-quarter combat and shouting erupted from the hilltop, the man leading the gold-collection party said under his breath: “We’ve walked into a trap!”

Just as they turned to retreat, three living men suddenly sprang up from among the scattered scarecrows, striking without warning, and cut down the leaders of the group.

In a close fight like this, it is always the bold who strike first and win.

By daylight, those bandits had seized the initiative with a few pig bladders. But in the dark of night, they had been lulled complacent by scarecrows, grown careless for a fatal moment, and walked straight into an ambush.

Their forces were split — a large group on the hilltop, a smaller group below — divided and destroyed separately. The fighting ended swiftly, bloodily, and thoroughly.

The remaining bandits, watching their comrades fall one by one, lost all will to fight. They threw down their blades and weapons and surrendered.

Throughout the engagement, Han Linfeng had taken no part in the actual fighting — he had remained in the tree, observing the entire scene. Zhao Guibei had been held in place by him as well, and had not descended.

As Han Linfeng put it: “This kind of blood and violence is beneath civilized sensibility. That is what subordinates are for — why would anyone want to step into it personally?”

Despite this, Zhao Guibei had stood there from beginning to end with his mouth half-open, watching a group of battle-hardened veterans use every trick in the book to methodically and efficiently wipe out an entire bandit force.

This… how had they done it? How had they devised such a brilliant stratagem in so short a time?

Consider: the terrain of this place, the number of the enemy — they had known almost none of it in advance.

This required meticulous observation, bold and rapid planning, and ironclad execution. Any single link in the chain, if it had failed, and the whole thing would have collapsed.

Zhao Guibei could see it plainly: from beginning to end, the one who had directed the entire operation was Han Linfeng. His subordinates — for reasons difficult to explain — trusted a supposed idle wastrel completely.

When Han Linfeng had instructed Qing Yang to hide among the scarecrows to evade arrows and play dead — a task of frightening danger — Qing Yang had carried it out without a moment’s hesitation.

Zhao Guibei was young, and though he had spent time in military camps, he had never actually seen battle.

Yet he had watched how his father interacted with his old comrades-in-arms, and he understood: that kind of wordless understanding could only be forged by having faced death together.

This Han Linfeng — when laying out the operation just now — had been every inch the seasoned general. That quality of command and composure seemed, if anything, to surpass even his father’s most trusted officers…

But when confronted with Zhao Guibei’s unasked question, Han Linfeng waved a dismissive hand and said with weary modesty: “I have no particular skill — it is simply that my subordinates are exceptionally capable. If I had any real ability, I would have climbed down and fought alongside them… When you come right down to it, Young Master Zhao deserves the greater credit. If you had not kept insisting on coming, I would truly have been too frightened by these bandits to approach at all. Look at them — nothing but a ragtag rabble…”

This time, Zhao Guibei said nothing.

To hell with “ragtag rabble.” That very afternoon, this “ragtag rabble” had sent him scrambling away in utter rout.

As for Guo Yan and Lu Kang, freshly rescued, they were completely willing to accept Han Linfeng’s version of events. Weeping and sniffling, they expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Zhao Guibei.

Zhao Guibei, being thin-skinned, found himself unable to bear the weight of their thanks. He made an excuse and went off with Qing Yang and the others to interrogate the surviving captured bandits.

With the three old friends left alone, Guo Yan said mournfully: “I said from the start I didn’t want to come. But Heng Wang insisted on sending me. Oh heavens, please just let me go home!”

Han Linfeng sighed softly and said to them: “You and I are old friends. I will not deceive you. The road ahead has even more ferocious bandits — some are actually Tiefu people who have crossed the border to raid. Men like you two, delicate and fair-skinned as you are — if you fall into a bandit nest again, even if they don’t rob you of valuables, I’m afraid those savages who aren’t particular about such things might rob you of something else entirely… And at the front lines — with the fighting this desperate, who can say whether any of us will come back wrapped in our horses’ hides? To be safe, we should each write a final letter now, carry them on each other’s persons, and if any of us should meet with misfortune, the others can see that they are delivered to the families.”

Guo Yan and Lu Kang had never wanted to come in the first place. Having just spent time in a bandit lair being beaten and cursed at, they were in no state of mind for fortitude.

Now, hearing Han Linfeng’s words, their eyes went glassy at once, and they choked up and began to weep.

“Brother Linfeng, you’ve always been the sharpest among us — in your view, what should we do?”

Han Linfeng looked pained: “I do have one idea, but it involves some suffering… And this sort of thing that skirts the rules, I cannot really make the decision for you. You’ll have to decide for yourselves.”

He leaned in and murmured a few words close to the two men’s ears. Lu Kang took it reasonably well, but Guo Yan’s reaction was rather stronger: “What? My leg only just healed! How can it hurt that much?!”

Han Linfeng rose unhurriedly to his feet: “The method is right here, and the opportunity is perfect. If you go through with it, you can pin everything on these dead bandits — it will be far more convincing than suddenly falling ill back at the estate. No one would doubt it. And if you make up your minds early, the sooner you can get back to the capital, can’t you?”

That phrase — “get back to the capital sooner” — struck a chord in the two young wastrels immediately.

This night of terror had been nothing like going to serve in the army — it had been like being flung into a demon-haunted nightmare realm. And there were numberless monsters and devils still waiting ahead, sharpening their blades for them.

Guo Yan and Lu Kang had been frightened out of their wits. They pleaded desperately with Han Linfeng to help them take advantage of this bandit raid — feign serious injuries and turn back to the capital.

And so, after much beseeching, Han Shizi at last reluctantly agreed.

To ensure that no word of the scheme would leak out and bring military law down on them, he did not even call on his subordinates for help. Instead, he personally picked up a stout wooden branch, thick as a man’s arm, found in the nearby woods, and said to the two men: “Bite down on something and hold on — I’ll try to make it clean in one go.”

With that, Han Linfeng smiled pleasantly, raised the branch, and brought it down hard on both men’s thighs…

What is true friendship between men? Han Shizi demonstrated it with his own hands, a living and breathing embodiment of the ideal.

Only — the Shizi seemed to find it somewhat difficult to commit to the full force, and it took several repeated strikes before he finally succeeded in fracturing both men’s leg bones.

The two men bit clean through the wooden rods in their mouths from the pain, choking back their suffering with streaming noses and floods of tears.