Chapter 98: Rest And Recuperation
At noon, Xiao Yi arranged for soldiers to take turns guarding, and he returned to the Two Corridors Guard Room.
“General, someone is looking for you. They’ve been waiting outside the gate for a long time.”
It was a servant boy in green from Li Tao’s residence, inviting him to dine at his home when he had time.
“I’m not on duty tomorrow. I’ll visit around noon.”
“Yes, the master will await the general then.”
Xiao Yi then went to Old Pan and Hua Nong and said, “Since the battle is over and the situation has stabilized, let the brothers take turns resting for half a day tomorrow, but no trouble. I still need to go to the Imperial Guard Headquarters tomorrow morning, so I’ll leave it in your care.”
“Rest assured, General.”
“I also need to visit Duke Xin Chen’s residence. What gift would be suitable?”
Hua Nong thought for a moment and said, “Buying the Four Treasures of the Study is best.”
“That makes sense. Do you have a map? A map of the current prefectures and counties’ defenses.”
“Yes, I’ll get it for the general.”
“What about Guo Xin?”
“He was summoned by the Marshal…”
Returning to his duty room, Xiao Yi removed his armor and felt as light as a swallow.
He ate, practiced archery, washed up, and sat by the candlelight looking at the map, studying strategies for engaging Liu Chong and Liu Xin.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded outside the door.
“I’m not drunk…”
Xiao Yi frowned, opened the door, and saw Li Chongjin.
“Brother Chong Jin, you’ll be on duty for the next two days, and I’ll escort the funeral procession on the twenty-seventh. How about that?”
“That’s great! How did you know I didn’t want to escort the funeral procession for the incompetent ruler?”
Li Chongjin’s dark face flushed slightly, and he readily agreed.
Xiao Yi still clarified, “This is the Empress Dowager’s request.”
“That woman is difficult to deal with. When Gaozu founded the country, she advocated for not seizing people’s property, earning her a righteous reputation. To survive under her watch, you can’t entirely obey her, nor can you offend her without her giving you a hard time… Brother will teach you. We’ll assign soldiers to duty, and you and I will slack off and stay away.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chong Jin. I’ll report to Commander Wang tomorrow.”
“Heh heh, Uncle went to the palace today, and you were on duty, it must have been tough, standing there in armor, listening to those old folks babble, suffering, like being punished to stand in a classroom, the most suffering… The next two days are mine!”
With that, Li Chongjin burst into Xiao Yi’s duty room.
Ignoring the dampness, he plopped down on the tea table. He let out a burp, and his drunkenness seemed to intensify.
“Xiao Lang, talking with you makes me feel so much better… Wuwuwuwu…”
The crying came too suddenly, and Xiao Yi was startled.
“Brother Chong Jin, what’s wrong?”
“My heart aches!”
Li Chongjin pounded his chest, making loud thuds. He said, “Uncle wants me to get married. A man doesn’t shed tears easily, only when his heart is broken… Wah!”
With a loud cry, he fell backward, rolled off the tea table, and didn’t get up, sitting on the ground and weeping.
Xiao Yi tried to help him up a couple of times but couldn’t. He simply sat down on the ground with him.
“Starting a family and a career is a good thing. Who does Brother Chong Jin want to marry?”
“The Ma family, daughter of Ma Duo of Shen Prefecture.”
“Brother Chong Jin doesn’t like her?”
“I’ve never met her…”
Xiao Yi thought to himself, Guo Wei is probably not worried about his nephew’s marriage but about a marriage alliance.
Why Ma Duo?
Shen Prefecture?
He stood up and looked at the map.
The current territory was not large. His finger traced south from Kaifeng, past Xu Prefecture, and then further south was Shen Prefecture… Xu Prefecture?
Liu Xin was in Xu Prefecture, and Wang Jun mentioned the severe flooding in Xu Prefecture today.
Xiao Yi suddenly understood Guo Wei’s plan: to win over Ma Duo and form a pincer attack on Liu Xin from the north and south.
“Wuwuwu… Brother Xiao! I’m heartbroken!”
“Don’t worry, maybe the young lady of the Ma family is very nice.”
“You don’t understand, you don’t understand love between men and women… I’ve known since childhood that I couldn’t marry her, but my heart… Wuwu… I’m going to kill Wang Chengxun!”
Li Chongjin suddenly stood up.
Xiao Yi was caught off guard and quickly stopped him.
“Brother Chong Jin, why are you like this?”
“You don’t understand my heart!” Li Chongjin’s eyes were red, and he shouted, “I’ve sworn to protect her for life, and even if I can’t marry her, I absolutely will not let a treacherous villain like Wang Chengxun covet her. She must marry a man of integrity whom I, Li Chongjin, can approve of… Wah! It hurts so much! My heart hurts so much!”
“You’re drunk, go back and sleep.”
“I’m not drunk, I’ve never been so clear-headed. Do you know why? Because my heart hurts too much, wah! Kill! Kill!”
Everything happened too suddenly.
Xiao Yi held onto the ferocious, tiger-like Li Chongjin tightly, feeling his immense strength.
He had been tired all day, and being caught off guard by this, the muscles in his left shoulder seemed to cramp.
“Someone, someone!”
“Let go… Who dares to stop me?!”
Xi Hou and Hu Deng, worthy of being scouts, were the first to rush over and grab Li Chongjin.
Xiao Yi quickly let go and stretched his muscles.
“Bang!”
However, Li Chongjin, with two people hanging on his legs, still charged out of the room and ran through the corridor towards the direction of the straight gate within Xuanwu Gate.
“Stop him!”
If Li Chongjin were allowed to rush out of the straight gate shouting “kill,” it would be no small matter.
Wu Gouzi, Wei Liang, and Lu Chou flew out, not even bothering to pick up their dropped shoes.
The soldiers rushed forward one after another, finally subduing Li Chongjin.
“Who is pressing me?! Wuwu, a silkworm spins its silk until death!”
“My mother, I’m exhausted.”
“I’m convinced, he’s truly strong.”
……
“Xiao Yi! Bullying Wu Niang, I’ll kill you!”
Xiao Yi suddenly opened his eyes. The ferocious black face in front of him disappeared, and the sky was bright.
He had a strange dream.
He stretched, got up, and left his duty room. Old Pan happened to be bringing breakfast. Although the palace had assigned servants to attend to him, Old Pan insisted on personally checking everything he ate.
“Where is Brother Chong Jin?”
“The alcohol has worn off, and he’s preparing to go on duty. General, do you want to see him?”
“No. By the way, did we keep a portion of the war trophies for ourselves?”
“General, this is a customary practice in the army. Hua Nong has recorded it in the public fund.”
“Pick a sword for me.”
“Yes.”
After breakfast, Xiao Yi tidied himself up and left the Two Corridors Guard Room.
He looked back, feeling that something was strange today, as if something was missing.
At the Imperial Guard Headquarters, messengers and clerks bustled about, very busy.
The line of people seeking an audience with Wang Yin was very long. Xiao Yi naturally stood at the back, but a military officer came over and asked him to announce his name.
“Xiao Yi.”
“Since you are General Xiao, please follow me directly to the Council Hall.”
“Thank you, then.”
Xiao Yi walked forward, hearing quiet murmurs behind him.
“Who is that kid? Not queuing.”
“Didn’t you hear? Hua Qiang Xiao Yi, he defeated Yan Kunlunnu.”
“I don’t believe it, he looks like a gilded pillow…”
Xiao Yi ignored them and walked through the Passage Corridor. The Registry Room was filled with the rustling sound of writing soldier rosters.
As he neared the Council Hall, Wang Yin’s scolding could be faintly heard.
“I don’t care! If the grain and fodder are not replenished within a month, you’ll be punished according to military law…”
Xiao Yi guessed that Guo Wei was probably preparing for a battle with Liu Chong.
Of course, the best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
He was essentially eavesdropping on military affairs, approaching without orders.
He waited at the bottom of the stone steps. A general with a wronged expression hurried out of the Council Hall.
Seeing someone arrive, Wang Yin casually flipped the map on his desk to the back. Upon seeing it was Xiao Yi, he flipped it back and, without looking up, continued to read it, showing no formality.
“Your subordinate greets Commander Wang.”
“You are excused. Come visit more often, don’t be so formal.”
“Your subordinate has something to report,” Xiao Yi said. “The Empress Dowager has asked me to rest tomorrow and escort the two empresses for the funeral procession the day after.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Yi glanced at the map, and as expected, Wang Yin’s gaze fell on Xu Prefecture.
After a while, Wang Yin came to his senses and said, “You act with great composure. You report even small matters… The Empress Dowager has given her instructions, and you may follow them. However, there is one thing: do not let any messages passed to her from outside the palace go unnoticed. If you encounter any messengers sent by Liu Chong, Liu Xin, or Liu Yun, apprehend them immediately.”
“Understood.”
“I imagine you wouldn’t make a mistake even if I didn’t instruct you. Is there anything else?”
“Your subordinate would like to inquire if Su Fengji has been apprehended.”
“Why?”
“I was raised by Li Song, and I should avenge him to be loyal and righteous.”
“Good! If my two sons were like you…”
Wang Yin suddenly stopped speaking, licked an old scar on his lip, and said, “Come here.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s discuss it.” Wang Yin pointed to the map and said, “Li Ye and Su Fengji must be planning to flee to Li Hongxin in Shaan Prefecture. It’s a 350-li journey. They set off on the afternoon of the eighteenth. I dispatched the fastest light cavalry on the morning of the nineteenth. Logically, they should have been caught by now, but this morning, two light cavalry returned from Shaan Prefecture. Li Hongxin has surrendered and sworn that he did not see Li Ye or Su Fengji.”
Xiao Yi said, “That statement can be trusted. He couldn’t have reached Shaan Prefecture faster than our light cavalry. Are they hiding along the road?”
“There are three main roads. The Shaan Prefecture road is the fastest and easiest to travel. I have increased the manpower to strictly search posthouses and residences along the road. The ancient road through Xiao Mountain and the towing path along the Luo River have also been searched, and even the Mang Mountain canyon was not spared.”
Xiao Yi leaned in to examine closely. The map showed posthouses, ferry crossings, and passes around Shaan Prefecture, all densely marked.
He didn’t believe Li Ye and Su Fengji had the ability to escape Wang Yin’s search unless they weren’t on these three roads.
“Is it possible they went to Hedong instead?”
“Considered. There are the paths from Biankou, Zhongmu, Zhengzhou to the tidal flats on the south bank of the Yellow River; the Xiao Mountain logging path that bypasses Luoyang’s official posthouses to reach Xiashi Pass in the west; and the private canals along the tributaries of the Bian River… All roads, big and small, have been set up with checkpoints.”
His finger traced across the map, leaving a faint mark. Wang Yin’s eyes were like a hunter’s eagle.
“How could they hide from my light cavalry?”
Xiao Yi closed his eyes, trying to imagine what he would do if he were facing cavalry pursuit and interception.
He opened his eyes and mused, “Unless they are not on any of the roads.”
“Returned?”
“Yes. If it were me, upon discovering light cavalry ahead, I would realize escape was impossible. I would immediately return the way I came. The light cavalry would not investigate those going in the opposite direction, so the most dangerous place would be the safest place.”
“This is the only possibility.”
Wang Yin murmured, his finger tapping lightly on the characters “Kaifeng City” on the map.
