Chu De’s troops approached step by step, the air thick with a chilling, murderous intent.
Through the swirling yellow sands, the Thunder-Beast Cloud-Pattern Banner and Chu De’s own commander’s flag gradually became visible. My mind couldn't help but conjure the image of Chu De’s eyes—sharp as a hawk’s—from the first time I had met him.
Chu De, the Great Marshal. For a long time, he had been an object of my admiration. I had once performed *The Song of the Frontier* on the zither to celebrate his birthday, and I had secretly rejoiced over a few words of casual praise from him. He had once… almost become my kin.
My gaze swept past his vanguard soldiers, looking toward the red commander’s flag fluttering atop a distant sand dune. Chu De himself was surely beneath it. He was too far away to distinguish, but that profound sense of presence was impossible to ignore, no matter where one stood on the battlefield.
"Jiang Si!" Jie Ziqian narrowed his eyes, murmuring thoughtfully to himself. "It really is Jiang Si. It seems my prediction was correct—Chu De indeed sent him to lead the vanguard."
Jiang Si was Chu De’s Left Vanguard General. I had met him several times back in Qizhou; my impression of him was that of a deeply calculating man. According to our scouts, he had been promoted to Vice Minister of War, Fourth Rank, before this expedition.
The vanguard led by Jiang Si approached to within two hundred meters of Ming Qi’s position. Without a moment’s hesitation, they charged at Jiang Si’s command. Ming Qi’s long blade suddenly swept upward and swung forward with force. The three thousand elites of the Vanguard Battalion surged like a dark cloud into Jiang Si’s earth-yellow square formation. The howling wind was drowned out by the deafening roar of battle cries and the thunderous roll of war drums.
Jiang Si lived up to his reputation as the Great Marshal’s Left Vanguard General. His spear danced with such ferocity that no one could get near him. Before long, his side began to gain the upper hand.
Suddenly, the rhythm of the war drums shifted. Hearing the signal, Ming Qi’s forces disengaged rapidly, weaving through the clusters of sand dunes in the shallow basin and retreating toward the canyon.
Watching Jiang Si give chase, my heart climbed into my throat.
Jiang Si’s men let out a roar, and in the blink of an eye, they had pursued the retreat into the formation Jie Ziqian had laid out. From our high vantage point, Ming Qi and his men navigated the dunes with practiced ease, exiting the formation, while Jiang Si’s troops began to spin in circles among the sands. From the distance, the urgent drums of the Great Marshal signaled a retreat, making the trapped Jiang Si even more desperate. At that exact moment, several brilliant bursts of fire erupted within the formation.
Jie Ziqian snapped his command flag downward.
An ominous whistling sound tore through the air as tens of thousands of heavy bolts took flight, descending upon the formation like a dense, black rain. The wind grew more violent, nearly masking the screams of the soldiers struck by the arrows.
This was the outcome I had hoped for, yet I felt not a shred of joy in my heart.
To lose Jiang Si in the very first engagement was likely something Chu De had never expected. His main army retreated thirty *li* from their initial position at Starry Gorge, settling at Broken Bridge. Unluckily for them, Jie Ziqian and I had already drugged all the wells there. We had originally speculated they would garrison at Broken Bridge and sent people to "season" the water, but Chu De had unexpectedly camped at Starry Gorge instead.
Even more unexpected was that after his initial failure, he retreated back to Broken Bridge anyway. My Soft Fragrance Powder had not gone to waste after all.
The Great Marshal retreated once more, stationing his troops in the complex terrain of Kirin Valley, keeping his soldiers hidden and refusing to engage.
"The ground-mines the City Lord had formulated with gunpowder are novel, but their power is ultimately insufficient." Jie Ziqian paced back and forth within the tent, his brows knit tight. "Judging by how Jiang Si was trapped, the explosions didn't actually kill many; their primary effect was merely spooking the horses..."
I had seen this as well. However, Lin Ru was busy in Bingzhou overseeing the construction of the medical clinics and settling the wounded; he had very little time to devote to the research and development of new weapons. While there were locals who understood gunpowder, they were difficult to employ. They would not work for me willingly, and I did not dare involve them in such classified matters.
This was my sorrow.
Ever since Chu De arrived outside Red Cloud Pass, the Northern Six Prefectures had been shrouded in a very delicate atmosphere. Lin Ru had said it himself: "The locals are always huddling together and whispering. As soon as they see our people, they scatter. Even the locals working for us have been isolated." Like Bingzhou, most residents of the Northern Six Prefectures remained calm on the surface, but in the shadows, secret organizations were already stirring, raising banners of support for Marshal Chu.
Jie Ziqian stopped pacing and glanced at me hesitantly. "I have brought someone who might be of help to the City Lord. I wonder if the City Lord would be willing to meet him?"
I was still mentally drafting plans for landmine development and merely nodded absently.
When I looked up again, a gaunt, middle-aged man stood in the tent. His skin was dark, and his bulging eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"Xi Huo!" I gasped in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to be recovering from his injuries in Qizhou?
I turned to Jie Ziqian, who gave an awkward grin and avoided my gaze.
"City Lord Xia." Xi Huo cupped his hands, his manner neither humble nor arrogant. "The responsibility for this lies with me. Master Jie could not withstand my persistent pestering and was forced to bring me to see you."
"General Xi, please, have a seat." I stood up and signaled Ming Tao to bring a chair.
Xi Huo sat down and looked around openly. His sharp gaze swept over the faces of Ming Chuan, Ming Qi, and Feng Yao before finally resting on me. "After I fled the Great Chu, I was a fugitive. Unfortunately, I was captured by Liu Yunhai. If the City Lord had not taken the city, I fear I would never have seen the light of day again."
"General Xi is too kind." I wasn't sure what his purpose was in coming here. It had to be more than just a simple thank you.
Xi Huo took the tea Ming Chuan offered, lowered his eyelids slightly, and said in a flat tone, "I have come to shamelessly offer my services. I hope the City Lord will give me a chance."
His words were somewhat expected. I glanced at Jie Ziqian, who was focused on the sand table on the desk, appearing to only half-listen to our conversation, his expression as calm as still water.
Since he was playing the invisible man, I had to ask the question myself. "Why?"
Xi Huo gripped his teacup tightly, though his expression remained composed. "I have spent my life as a fugitive. My entire clan of over a hundred people was exiled to the Western Frontier. My wife and young son could not endure the humiliation and threw themselves off a cliff during the journey. All of this... was thanks to Chu De." Though his tone was level, he spat out those last few words through gritted teeth.
My heart jolted. I wanted to ask for details, but I saw Feng Tong at the other end of the long table give a slight, subtle shake of his head.
I swallowed my questions. This man had been a famous general of Great Chu and had faced Chu De in battle several times. Having him lead the defense of Red Cloud Pass would undoubtedly be an excellent choice. However, there were still suspicious points regarding his background; perhaps it would be more appropriate to have people investigate him privately.
"General Xi, how do you view today’s battle?" I changed the subject.
Xi Huo’s gaze fell upon the sand table. It was a creation of Ming Chuan and mine; though crude, the general positions were accurate.
"Today’s battle can only be called a stroke of luck." Xi Huo’s eyes moved from Red Cloud Pass all the way to Broken Bridge, choosing his words carefully. "Jiang Si is not only brave but also meticulous and calculating. Had it not been for the sandstorm obscuring the light today, a mere Sand-Confusion Formation would never have trapped him."
I looked up at Jie Ziqian, who responded with a bitter smile. He seemed quite embarrassed to have his work so ruthlessly criticized by Xi Huo. Yet, this bluntness made me feel a sudden, inexplicable liking for the man.
"What is your esteemed opinion, General?" I asked humbly.
Xi Huo looked me straight in the eye, a strange serenity appearing on his weathered face. "Red Cloud Pass is easy to defend and hard to attack; the City Lord holds the geographical advantage. But Marshal Chu is a veteran of a hundred battles. He won't give today’s minor setback a second thought. I wish to volunteer as the vanguard."
That final sentence sent a thousand thoughts racing through my mind, and my temples began to throb. This man was from Great Chu... he was a famous general... he was a veteran... he was skilled in strategy... and he held a personal vendetta against Chu De...
The gazes of Ming Chuan and Feng Yao fell upon me. The strange atmosphere in the tent felt like a crumbling mud wall that would collapse at the slightest touch.
Xi Huo’s round eyes waited for my answer without blinking. Jie Ziqian stroked his short beard, giving an almost imperceptible nod. Ming Chuan frowned, seemingly disapproving of Xi Huo’s presence, while Feng Yao studied him shamelessly with great interest. In the corner, Feng Tong’s green eyes were fixed on Xi Huo, his expression thoughtful.
I struggled to gather my scattered thoughts and said calmly, "To have General Xi as a vanguard would be a waste of talent. If I were to entrust the defense of Red Cloud Pass to you, I wonder if the General..."
Xi Huo froze, a strange brilliance suddenly erupting in his eyes. He stood up, gave a deep bow, and said loudly, "I swear to defend Red Cloud Pass to the death!"
"I have only one condition," I said, staring into his eyes, emphasizing every word. "That is: you must put your personal grudge against Chu De last."
Xi Huo declared, "I also have one presumptuous request. Since the City Lord has entrusted the pass to me, I ask that you do not constrain me at every turn or tie my hands."
I smiled. "That goes without saying."
I handed the command tally to Xi Huo and left Red Cloud Pass that same day. Aside from Feng Tong, I took only sixty personal guards with me.
Once we were clear of the pass, Feng Tong asked, "You trust him that much?"
"If you doubt a man, do not use him; if you use him, do not doubt him," I said. "As a general, he is indeed more suited for this than I am."
Feng Tong laughed. "It couldn't be that you heard he was once a fugitive and felt a surge of compassion, could it?"
I shook my head. "He doesn't need my compassion. Those who have stood at the gates of hell come back stronger than they were before."
Feng Tong’s eyes flickered, but he didn't pursue the topic further, only asking, "Back to Bingzhou?"
I shook my head again. "To Bai City."
Among the four prefectures of Bai City, Tiejia Town, Fengdu, and Liangzhou, Bai City was the largest and most populous. However, years of war had left its economic development stagnant, giving the city a lack of vibrant energy.
Unlike when I first arrived, the vast fields outside the city had been reclaimed, and many farmers were meticulously tending the land. Nearly half of the fields had already been sown.
"The city has organized laborers to dig irrigation channels." Qian Xu’s sun-darkened face wore a faint, gratified smile. "Many farming households volunteered to help. As long as the spring irrigation is guaranteed, we will surely have a bountiful harvest by late summer."
Qian Xu led us through a small grove of red tamarisks, continuing, "If we have a harvest this year, we can conscript labor next spring to reclaim all the nearby wasteland. Perhaps in less than five years, Bai City will no longer need relief."
Qian Xu was in his thirties and had originally been a local village head. It was said he had once passed the imperial examinations but had moved to this desolate northern city for unknown reasons. Perhaps out of resentment for the rampant looting by the Han and Jiang armies, he had readily agreed when Ming Yue and Feng Xiuxiu sent people to ask for his cooperation in promoting flax cultivation.
Because he was a local leader and knew the area well, the establishment of the charity schools and medical clinics was eventually handed over to him, leaving Ming Yue with more free time.
"How is the situation in the city?" I asked. "I heard that Wu Ying, the mastermind behind the iron mine riots in Bingzhou, is hiding in Bai City."
Qian Xu shot me a quick glance before returning his gaze to the distant crops. He answered flatly, "For such matters, the City Lord should ask Captain Ming. I have been busy gathering people to dig the channels; I have paid little attention to matters of security."
His face was a picture of calm composure; I could detect no further emotion.
Ultimately, he was a scholar of the Yantian Kingdom; I couldn't demand more from him. I felt that Qian Xu’s attitude represented the majority of the residents in the Northern Six Prefectures. They appeared calm, peacefully accepting the various efforts we made. They welcomed the charity schools, the nursing homes, and the free clinics, but they kept the new administrators and the heavily promoted new laws at arm's length, maintaining a deliberate distance and coldness with a subtle, guarded air.
I could not see into their hearts.
This gave me a faint sense of unease. Ming Yue had complained in his letters that almost no one stopped to listen when he spoke at the lecture platforms set up in the marketplaces. The flyers distributed to the local scholars seemed to have no effect. Most importantly, the locals seemed to have reached a tacit understanding: they settled their disputes privately, leaving the newly refurbished magistrate’s office deserted day after day.
In Ming Yue’s words: "They enjoy the benefits we give them while waiting to see us fail."
Every time I thought of those words, I couldn't help but shiver. It made me realize that what we had to face was not just Great Marshal Chu outside Red Cloud Pass.
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 雷兽云纹旗 | Thunder-Beast Cloud-Pattern Banner | The military flag of Chu De's forces. |
| 姜巳 | Jiang Si | A general under Chu De. |
| 武侍郎 | Vice Minister of War | A high-ranking military official title. |
| 地炮 | Ground-mines | Primitive explosive devices buried in the earth. |
| 软香散 | Soft Fragrance Powder | A medicinal powder used here as a sedative or incapacitant. |
| 麒麟谷 | Kirin Valley | A geographical location (Kirin/Qilin). |
| 席获 | Xi Huo | A former Great Chu general seeking asylum/revenge. |
| 钱许 | Qian Xu | A local official/scholar in Bai City. |
| 混沙阵 | Sand-Confusion Formation | A tactical military formation using terrain/sand. |
| 义学 | Charity school | Schools established for the poor. |
| 养老院 | Nursing home / Almshouse | Facilities for the elderly. |
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