70
Inside Fuzhou City.
When news of the crushing defeat at Wutou Ridge reached the city, Zhao Qianhou was lounging on the Kunze gifted to him by a wealthy landlord. At the sudden report, he nearly fell off the bed.
“My Lord…” The young Kunze, naked, leaned in toward him, but Zhao Qianhou jerked back to his senses and shoved him away, abruptly getting out of bed and grabbing the robe nearby to throw over himself. The Kunze also sensed something was wrong and hurried forward to help him get dressed.
Zhao Qianhuo’s face was ashen. In recent years, the realm had been anything but peaceful, there were often small-scale rebellions among the common folk, but they were quickly suppressed. He had assumed that even if the uprising in Fengzhou made some noise, it would never stand against the border troops and would collapse with little effort. That was why he had volunteered to come to this godforsaken place.
It was still bearable while stationed in Ruizhou, but once the actual campaign began, the hardships of the march far exceeded his expectations. The journey was dull and monotonous, with nothing but dry and hard rations day after day, which left his throat sore. Having spent years in the comfort of the palace, Zhao Qianhou had never endured such suffering. To make matters worse, Mu Peizhi was completely oblivious to his needs. This trip had earned him next to no benefits, and if it weren’t for being on imperial duty, Zhao Qianhou would have walked away long ago.
Now that such a crushing defeat had occurred, with heavy casualties and lost troops, how could Zhao Qianhou possibly remain seated?
He barged into the military tent with a stormy face, just as Mu Peizhi was in the middle of a strategy meeting with Zhou Ting and several other generals. Behind him trailed two soldiers who had tried, but didn’t dare, to stop him. They called out awkwardly, “Lord Marquis.”
Mu Peizhi looked up at Zhao Qianhou and said to the soldiers, “You may go.”
Then he added calmly, “Military Supervisor Zhao is here.”
Zhao Qianhou was burning with anger. Without waiting for pleasantries, he snapped, “Who was leading the troops this time? What were they even doing? How could they lose to a bunch of lowborn rebels?!”
At those words, Mu Peizhi’s expression darkened as well, and Zhou Ting’s face turned especially grim. He said coldly, “What do you mean by that, Military Supervisor Zhao?”
Zhao Qianhou gave a sneering laugh. “What do I mean? You border troops pride yourselves on being elite, yet you can’t even handle a group of rebels. How can you still call yourselves border troops with any dignity?”
The tent was filled with commanders from the border army, and it was their men who had fallen at Wutou Ridge. His words were no less than a direct insult to their faces. One hot-tempered general couldn’t hold back and snapped, “Military Supervisor Zhao, why don’t you go outside and see for yourself how many fallen soldiers have already been brought back, even though those still sweeping the field at Wutou Ridge haven’t all returned?”
Zhao Qianhou scoffed, “Dying at the hands of a bunch of lowborn rabble — does that even count as a sacrifice? If I were to say it, it was because of your usual negligence and lack of discipline that you were so easily routed! If you continue to delay the campaign like this, I will report every one of you to the capital!”
Mu Peizhi finally spoke. “And what exactly does Military Supervisor Zhao intend to report us for?”
Although he was typically gentle in demeanor, his face had grown grim, and an unexpected intensity now surrounded him. He fixed Zhao Qianhou with a steady gaze and said, “If Military Supervisor Zhao believes this marquis is unfit to lead the troops,” He paused, then casually removed the half of the tiger tally from his waist and tossed it onto the table. “Military Supervisor Zhao is welcome to take command yourself and lead the soldiers to suppress, as you call them, those so-called lowborn rebels.”
It was rare for Mu Peizhi to speak so bluntly, leaving Zhao Qianhou momentarily speechless. Then came another sharp sound Zhou Ting had also thrown his half of the tiger tally onto the table, glaring at Zhao Qianhou with a dark, heavy gaze.
The tent was filled with officials, all wearing grim expressions. Zhao Qian felt a jolt in his chest as unease crept in; his face shifted from pale to livid. He forced a smile and said, “…Lord Marquis Mu, this military supervisor, speaks out of concern for the war effort. The capital is deeply anxious about the rebellion in Fengzhou and hopes that Lord Marquis can bring it to a swift end.”
Mu Peizhi replied coolly, “This marquis, too, wishes to end the conflict as soon as possible. However, there is still one matter that this marquis doesn’t quite understand.”
Zhao Qianhou looked toward Mu Peizhi, who said, “Four years ago, when Yanzhen was taken captive, the entire Chiluo royal family was brought to the capital. So how is it that the Chiluo clan is now causing unrest here in Fengzhou?”
Zhao Qianhou was stunned. “What?”
“Aren’t the Chiluo clan all imprisoned in the Baima Temple?”
Mu Peizhi replied, “That’s a question best directed at the capital. Back then, how many of our brothers and soldiers fell just to capture the Chiluo clan alive? And now, some of them have escaped from Liangdu, colluding with rebels, seeking to rise again and overthrow the Daliang’s rule.”
Zhao Qianhuo’s eyes flickered for a moment. “Is what Lord Marquis says true?”
Zhou Ting sneered. “Why would we lie about something like this?! Li Qianhu, who served under me, died; his body was still warm. The spear wounds on him are undeniable proof!”
Zhao Qianhou had nothing more to say. Mu Peizhi fixed his gaze on him and said solemnly, “Military Supervisor Zhao, the soldiers of the Southern Army are all men of iron and blood. They fight for the nation and its people, shedding blood on the battlefield, their honor is not something anyone can slander.”
After a while, Zhao Qianhou exited the military tent. Outside, soldiers rushed back and forth; some were carrying in the corpses of the fallen. The blood had long dried, and many faces were unrecognizable. As soon as Zhao Qian lifted his eyes, he was met with the sight of the dead and the thick stench of blood. He nearly retched, covered his nose, and cursed under his breath as he walked away.
He needed to return and write a letter to report the devastating defeat at Fuzhou back to Liangdu.
As soon as Zhao Qianhou left, Zhou Ting and the others fumed. “This is simply outrageous!”
“What kind of damn military supervisor is he? He knows nothing about military affairs, and only indulges in food and pleasure, yet dares to criticize us?!”
Mu Peizhi didn’t interrupt them, allowing them to vent for a moment before finally saying, “Alright. Let’s continue.”
Zhou Ting and the others immediately responded, “Yes, Lord Marquis.”
He went on, “Judging from the battle at Wutou Ridge, it’s likely that the Chiluo royal clan had long since colluded with Liu Ziyi’s rebel forces. They may have even secretly trained an elite cavalry unit, and only revealing themselves now in order to catch us off guard.”
Everyone in the tent grew somber at the mention of the defeat at Wutou Ridge.
Mu Peizhi said, “Training cavalry is no easy task. Even if the Chiluo clan managed to raise a unit over the years, their numbers wouldn’t be large either.”
Zhou Ting chimed in, “Lord Marquis is right. When I arrived to support our forces, this general caught a brief look, their numbers were no more than a thousand. In a head-on clash, they’re hardly a real threat.”
Mu Peizhi said thoughtfully, “This time, the fault lies in my poor judgment. I never expected Sun Qing to anticipate our ambush at Wutou Ridge in advance and send forces to pin you down, which ultimately led to the failure of the ambush.”
The others immediately spoke up, “Lord Marquis, the blame isn’t yours, the enemy was simply too cunning—”
Mu Peizhi raised a hand to stop them and sighed. “This marquis is the commander.”
After a bit more discussion, the officials gradually took their leave from the tent. Mu Peizhi handed Zhou Ting his half of the tiger tally and said, “Commander Zhou, how is Xu Ying?”
Zhou Ting accepted the tally with both hands. At the mention of Li Yue, a pang of sorrow struck his heart. He lowered his voice and said, “Xu Ying was injured, but the military physician has already checked him, it’s nothing serious. But Li Yue’s matter— hit him too hard. He’s grown quite dispirited.”
Mu Peizhi lowered his eyes and sighed. “Li Yue’s death weighs heavily on me. I don’t know how I’ll face Ah Xuan when we return to Ruizhou.”
Zhou Ting pressed his lips together and said, “From the moment we joined the border army, every one of us was prepared to die wrapped in horsehide.”
Suppressing the grief in his heart, he added solemnly, “There’s no greater honor for a man than to die on the battlefield.”
Mu Peizhi looked at Zhou Ting’s weathered and resolute face. After a quiet pause, he said, “The weather is still cold. I’ll have someone prepare a fine coffin. When we return to Ruizhou one day, we’ll take Li Yue back with us.”
Zhou Ting said, “On behalf of the Li family, this general thanks, Lord Marquis.”
At Ruizhou City.
This year brought unusually frequent rain to Ruizhou. After one spring shower, the rain continued for several more days, leaving the sky overcast and the air thick with damp humidity. Though the temperature had begun to warm slightly, Duan Linzhou, who was prone to chills, still relied on the brazier to keep the room heated. Mu Peixuan, who was full of youthful energy, broke into a sweat after sitting beside Duan Linzhou for just a short while. He eventually shed his outer robe, leaving only a thin inner layer.
Duan Linzhou had been quite busy these days as well, he was occupied with the preparations for the Wenfeng Yuan.
He planned to use Ruizhou as the center and establish a tight-knit information network across key locations such as Liangdu and Cangzhou, using stewards and traveling merchants as his eyes and ears. Though it sounded simple, carrying it out was far from easy, everyone he selected had to be trustworthy and sharp-witted.
Fortunately, over the years, he had gathered a fair number of capable people.
When Old Physician Ji arrived, the two people were quietly occupied, one reviewing official documents, the other going through account books. The room was silent, with only the fine patter of rain drifting in from outside the window. Old Physician Ji took Duan Linzhou’s pulse. Mu Peixuan asked, “Old Physician Ji, how’s it?”
Old Physician Ji shot him a glare and said, “What’s the rush?”
He glanced at Duan Linzhou, who was grinning beside him, and snapped, “You, kid, are lucky; I will prescribe another prescription for you.”
Duan Linzhou replied, “That’s all thanks to your magical hands, even the King of Hell wouldn’t dare mess with you.”
Old Physician Ji spat and said, “Save your flattery. I’m not falling for that nonsense.”
Duan Linzhou rubbed his nose, then, noticing the weariness on the old physician’s face, he said, “You’re not young anymore. You’ve already trained so many apprentices, let them take over some of the work. You should take better care of your health.”
Old Physician Ji shot him a glance, a faint warmth flickering in his heart, though his tone stayed curt. “This old man knows what I’m doing.”
Duan Linzhou chuckled and said, “Well then, my life’s hanging by a thread, and you’re the one holding it now.”
Old Physician Ji replied, “Good that you know. Spare this old physician some worry.”
The old and the young sparred with words, neither backing down, their banter bringing a softened look to Mu Peixuan’s face as he watched Duan Linzhou. Duan Linzhou then said, “I heard you’ve sent the physicians from Huichun Hall to the refugee settlement to treat the displaced people?”
Old Physician Ji replied casually, “The weather’s cold and rainy, just one bout of chills can be fatal. I asked them go to get some practice.”
Duan Linzhou praised, “Truly, you have skill and compassion.”
Old Physician Ji let out a light snort, then, as if recalling something, hesitated briefly before saying, “That reminds me, there’s something I ought to mention. When the physicians from the medical hall went to treat the refugees, they discovered that several of them were afflicted with a certain illness.”
Both Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan turned to look at Old Physician Ji.
Old Physician Ji said, “It starts with a fever, it was high and unrelenting. Then red rashes break out all over the body. One of the patients stopped breathing just before dawn today, he’s already dead.”
Duan Linzhou frowned and then heard Old Physician Ji continue, “He’s not the only one. Several of the people living with him have also caught the illness. I asked around, and the one who died was the first to show symptoms. I suspect—”
“This is an epidemic.” Old Physician Ji said.
Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan both widened their eyes in shock. “An epidemic?”
Physician Ji said, “Yes. I wasn’t sure at first, but yesterday, a young apprentice from Huichun Hall who had been delivering and preparing their medicine also came down with a fever… This matter is of great importance, which is why I came to report it to Your Highness personally.”
He added, “In this old physician’s opinion, anyone who has had contact with those infected refugees should be isolated immediately.”
Mu Peixuan’s expression darkened. He stood up without hesitation and said, “I’ll go find someone to handle this right away.”
He bowed to the elderly physician with white hair and a youthful face. “Thank you, Old Physician Ji.”
Mu Peixuan moved quickly and sent someone to directly report to Han Shiqing. Upon hearing that an epidemic might have broken out among the refugees, Han Shiqing’s face turned pale. He didn’t even have time to put his official hat on properly before rushing off in a sedan chair straight to the refugee settlement.
There were simply too many refugees, so Han Shiqing did not allow them into the city, instead having most of them housed outside the city walls. There were makeshift shelters out there, as well as deserted temples. Fortunately, the infected individuals had all been staying in a dilapidated temple. Due to their poor health, they rarely went anywhere besides the porridge stations. Even so, there were still quite a few people who had come into contact with them.
The authorities did not openly declare an outbreak of plague; they only claimed they were renovating the refugee dwellings. These refugees, already displaced from their homes, were deeply grateful to Ruizhou for offering them shelter outside the city walls, setting up porridge stations, and even allowing them to earn a living through dock work. With officials carrying swords standing nearby, the refugees naturally cooperated without question.
Over the next few days, physicians from Huichun Hall identified several refugees showing signs of fever and red rashes. The number of cases remained low and within control, prompting Mu Peixuan, Duan Linzhou, and Old Physician Ji to breathe a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, something occurred to Mu Peixuan. He asked, “Elder Ji, where did these infected refugees come from?”
Old Physician Ji thought for a moment and replied, “I did ask about that. They said they came from Fuzhou City in Fengzhou.”
Mu Peixuan’s expression changed drastically.
