Chapter 112: Attitude
On the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, at Fuli post station.
Xiao Yi rose early, washed, ate, and donned his armor.
He did not wear heavy armor, but a brocade garment as his undergarment, a military robe over it, a light and practical Imperial Guard lamellar armor, and a red cloak for warmth and to signify his envoy status.
They were now only forty li from Xuzhou and would arrive today.
The route was planned by the guide, taking the official road south of the Bian River, passing through Song Prefecture, Qi County, and Fuli, for approximately six hundred and forty li.
The official courier service was quite comfortable, with a post station every seventy li, providing relay horses, food, and lodging; even the Wuzhui horses they brought didn’t have to carry people, making communication convenient.
“General, there is a letter for you from Yan Prefecture.”
“Come in.”
Xiao Yi opened the door and welcomed Zhang Mei inside.
“An urgent report from Yan Prefecture: Cui Zhoudu and Yan Honglu, in coordination with Yan Yan’s plan, secretly contacted soldiers. However, before Yan Yan could arrive, the Taining Army mutinied due to the matter of Iron-cast Silver. Murong Jixun could not suppress it and is coming to Xuzhou with five hundred guards.”
“When did this happen?”
“It’s been two days. Murong Jixun has likely arrived in Xuzhou before us.”
“What does Brother Xuangui think?”
“This is bad news. If Murong Jixun knows the General is his father’s killer, he will surely instigate Liu Yun. The General should conceal his name and act according to circumstances.”
Xiao Yi pondered and asked, “Liu Yun’s throne was given by the Imperial Court, and Murong Yanchao and his son are rebels recognized by the Imperial Court. By rights, he cannot harbor Murong Jixun.”
Zhang Mei said, “That being said, it also depends on his personal relationships and stance. It is likely that Murong Jixun’s reason for going to Xuzhou is to persuade Liu Yun not to accept the throne.”
“He can persuade him, and I will persuade him. If Liu Yun can resist the temptation of the throne, he will raise an army even without Murong Jixun.”
“The General has great courage.”
The entourage set off.
At noon, they reached the western suburbs of Xuzhou. Ahead, a dilapidated donkey cart laden with firewood was moving slowly, blocking the road.
Although Xiao Yi and the other knights could ride their horses around it, they also had carts and horses, so they had to ask the old man traveling to move aside to let them pass first.
The driver was a ragged old man who quickly urged his donkey to the side. However, perhaps due to carrying the load for too long, a “crack” was heard, the axle broke in the middle, the cart tilted, the firewood scattered, and the donkey cried out in pain.
The old man tried to steady the frightened donkey and prop up the cart, flustered and at a loss. Finally, he chose to kneel before Xiao Yi, apologizing profusely, his face filled with fear.
Xiao Yi felt a pang of sadness as he looked at him. He dismounted and helped the old man up, then had his soldiers help reload the firewood and temporarily repair the axle.
The entourage continued on.
Soon, they reached the Bian Gate on the west side of Xuzhou City. Xuzhou indeed deserved its reputation as the key to the southeast and a vital point for river transport. As the end of the year approached, pedestrians lined up outside the city gate.
A group of merchants from Jiangnan were stuck on the moat, unable to cross.
After waiting for a while, Lu Chou impatiently looked around and said, “That unlucky old man has also arrived.”
Looking back, the old man was walking slower than before, supporting the cart and urging the donkey. It took a long time for him to reach about ten paces away, bowing and smiling at Xiao Yi.
In the distance, with a burst of rapid hoofbeats, a troop of cavalry galloped towards them.
Zhang Mei immediately became vigilant and said in a low voice, “I’m afraid it’s Murong Jixun’s men.”
Xiao Yi said, “It shouldn’t be. There are only about twenty of them, and they are all elite.”
“The General has sharp eyes.” Lu Chou narrowed his eyes and said, “Their horses are tall with prominent chests, they are strong horses from Hedong… Look, that young woman is so beautiful!”
As the opposing party approached, Xiao Yi first observed the riders. Their faces were rough and fierce, and they wore Han Chinese lamellar armor, but with a touch of barbarian style. For instance, their helmets had ear guards, and their military robes were narrow-sleeved short jackets, with white fur sewn around the collar.
Zhang Mei leaned in and whispered, “Not good, it’s Liu Chong’s guards, the Northern White Wolf Guard from Daibei.”
“It’s fine. With the current state of affairs in the empire, it’s normal for Liu Chong to send people to inquire.”
At this point, Xiao Yi finally looked at the beautiful young woman Lu Chou had mentioned.
She was a girl in military attire, riding at the forefront, clad in silver fine-scale armor, covered by a fiery red fox fur cloak. Her skin was slightly dark, her nose high, her eyes deep, and her pupils were a rare light brown – a typical appearance of a Shatuo person.
It was said that Liu Chengyou was also Shatuo, but his appearance did not show it prominently.
The Shatuo girl urged her fine horse forward, but was blocked by the donkey cart carrying firewood. She immediately whipped it, striking the old man.
“Where did this old thing come from? Get out of the way!”
The old man cried out in pain but dared not scream. He hastily tried to pull the cart away, but couldn’t turn it around.
The girl, impatient, commanded, “Kill them and push the obstructing things to the side.”
“Yes!”
A cavalryman accepted the order and rode forward, drawing his saber as he rode, and swung it towards the helpless old man.
Xiao Yi was slightly surprised, not expecting the other party to be so ruthless, willing to kill at the slightest disagreement. He spurred his horse and charged towards them.
“Giddy up!”
Wuzhui shot out like an arrow from a bow.
Ahead, the sharp saber of the Hedong cavalry was descending directly towards the old man’s neck.
Xiao Yi drew his saber.
“Clang.”
The man leveraged the horse’s momentum, and the saber moved with his body.
The saber edge skillfully deflected, breaking the cavalryman’s wrist guard and opening a deep, bone-revealing gash on his arm.
Unfortunately, it was a moment too late.
The cavalryman and the old man cried out in pain simultaneously. The moment the saber slipped from his hand, the old man also received a cut on his back.
Blood splattered.
Xiao Yi reined in his horse, and Wuzhui reared up with a long neigh.
The twenty-odd riders immediately surrounded him.
The Shatuo girl pointed her whip and shouted, “Bold rebel, how dare you injure someone?!”
Xiao Yi remained silent. As Wuzhui’s front hooves landed, he spurred his horse and broke through the encirclement.
He couldn’t wait for them to complete the encirclement before trying to escape.
“Take him down!”
Xiao Yi shot out from the other side of the donkey cart like lightning.
Three Hedong cavalrymen on his left and right swung their sabers at him. One targeted the horse’s neck, another his shoulder, and the third swung his saber at his waist.
Reining in, Wuzhui, as if understanding, abruptly stepped half a pace to the right, avoiding the saber.
At the same time, Xiao Yi raised his saber to block, deflecting the incoming blow. He smoothly flipped his saber and counter-attacked the opponent.
The moment blood splattered, he used the momentum to roll over. He pressed his left hand on Wuzhui’s neck, bent his right knee against the saddle, and his entire body slid to the left of the horse, as if falling.
Flying Swallow at Water’s Edge.
This was a horse riding technique he often practiced, making him appear to vanish from the horse’s back.
In a flash, the saber that swung horizontally missed, and Xiao Yi had already slipped away.
The talisman hanging from his waist brushed against the accumulated snow on the ground, kicking up snowflakes.
Man and horse broke out of the encirclement.
“What skill!”
Behind him, the Shatuo girl exclaimed and shouted again, “Chase!”
Xiao Yi flipped himself back into the saddle and galloped back.
Ahead, his twelve soldiers had caught up on horseback, shielding him and engaging the twenty Hedong cavalrymen.
Xiao Yi hadn’t acted recklessly. He had considered that the Shatuo girl, being arrogant, had left her main formation. With twelve men against twenty, he was confident he could capture the leader first and give Liu Yun a show of strength.
“Stop!”
Zhao Shangjiao quickly called out, leading Wang Yan and Wang Du to ride forward and mediate.
“It’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. We are envoys from Bianjing, sent by the Empress Dowager to invite the Successor Lord. This is the Commander of the Inner Palace Guard, appointed by the Empress Dowager. He is young and impetuous and has offended your subordinate. We hope for your understanding.”
Wang Yan also stepped forward and said with a smile, “Lady, please calm your anger. We are all soldiers of the court, we must not harm harmony.”
Xiao Yi glanced coldly, saw that the Hedong cavalrymen had reined in their horses, and ordered his men not to move rashly.
“Everyone, put down your weapons. They are envoys of the court.” The Shatuo girl said with a smile, “I heard on the road that the Empress Dowager and Guo Que’er had agreed to make my elder brother the Emperor. Is that true?”
“It is absolutely true.”
“It’s good that you have discerning eyes. My elder brother is skilled in both civil and military arts and is a good candidate to be Emperor.”
“Lady, according to etiquette, you should address the Successor Lord as ‘cousin’ or ‘Your Highness’.”
“Why? He is clearly my own elder brother.”
Since a fight was averted, Xiao Yi dismounted and went to the old man’s side, squatting down to examine him.
The wound had penetrated the old man’s entire back, bleeding profusely and completely soaking the snow beneath him. An armored soldier or a robust person might have survived such a blow, but he was old and frail, terrified, and barely breathing.
“Old man, do you have any last wishes?”
“I… I wanted to sell the firewood to…”
The old man spoke with difficulty, his old eyes fixed on Xiao Yi. Before he finished speaking, he suddenly passed away.
“Old man…”
“My name is Liu Luan. What about you? Your skill is truly impressive.”
A voice came from beside his ear. It was the Shatuo girl.
Xiao Yi continued to gaze at the old man’s eyes, seeing in their dimness a yearning for life and a hope of returning home to his family after selling the firewood.
“I’m asking you a question! Are your ears stuffed with donkey hair?”
Liu Luan urged her horse forward and added, “Do you know who I am? The daughter of the Military Governor of Hedong. Are you the General personally appointed by the current Empress Dowager? She is my aunt.”
Xiao Yi suppressed his disgust and stood up, looking at Liu Luan. A trace of offended anger still lingered in her light brown eyes, but more prominent was her intense curiosity.
He did not answer, turning his head to signal Zhang Mei to come forward and handle the situation.
“I am Zhang Mei, greetings, Lady.”
“Did I ask you? Why isn’t he answering me? Is he mute?”
Xiao Yi called over Lu Chou and instructed, “Bury this old man and find his family to provide compensation.”
“Yes.”
“So you can speak,” Liu Luan pouted. “What? Did killing an old thing make you angry? You injured my soldier, and I haven’t settled the score with you yet.”
Xiao Yi continued to let Zhang Mei handle the interaction, while he remounted his horse and rejoined his contingent.
Listening to the conversation behind him, he assessed Liu Luan’s stance.
“Lady, the General’s duty is to protect the common people. His actions were a bit hasty. If the conflict is reported to the Successor Lord, it might lead to a misunderstanding. Why don’t we enter the city first and meet the Successor Lord? After all, the matter of succession is of utmost importance.”
“That makes sense, but why doesn’t he pay attention to me? Why does he have you relay messages for everything? Does he dislike me? What makes him so arrogant?”
“No, no, Lady, you misunderstand. The General has always been cold and taciturn, not one for much talking.”
“Alright then, let’s enter the city together. I want to see how long he can remain arrogant.”
Not long after, Zhang Mei rode over and whispered in his ear, “General Xiao, the important matters come first. Do not let personal feelings get in the way.”
“I know.”
“Why is the General treating this lady so discourteously? What if we alienate her…”
Xiao Yi did not deliberately lower his voice. He said in a stern and clear voice, “Once the Successor Lord ascends the throne, he will be the Son of Heaven and should govern with benevolence. If the sister of the Son of Heaven can arbitrarily kill people, and we condone and follow her, are we still worthy subjects?”
“What does the General mean?”
“Committing a crime in public. When we meet the Successor Lord, I will ask him to deal with this matter.”
Behind him, Liu Luan heard this and became furious, shouting, “How dare you?!”
Xiao Yi still paid her no attention.
He truly disliked Liu Luan, but he was not letting his emotions cloud his judgment.
This was his attitude for this mission. He was here to invite Liu Yun to ascend the throne, an envoy bearing momentous good news, not a con man trying to lure Liu Yun to Kaifeng.
Therefore, he should be proud. The more proud he appeared, the more the other party would believe him.
