After leaving the old steward’s residence, and seeing that there was no one around in the alley, Zhang San reached out and took Sisi’s wrist in his hand.
Having witnessed Sisi’s loss of composure earlier at the prefectural office, he knew that the calmness afterward had merely been him forcefully suppressing his emotions. So he called softly, “Sisi.”
Sisi raised his eyes to look at him seriously.
Zhang San turned his palm over and gently wiped away a few dried traces of blood. Though he often comforted Sisi, he was never good at speaking grand words of wisdom. All he could do was say softly, “The dead can’t come back to life. Don’t be too sad.”
Sisi blinked and slowly nodded. “Mm.”
In truth, he vaguely understood now. Those emperors, ministers, and generals who stood high above everyone else all had their own scales for weighing things. In their eyes, lives had differing weights and values. Not only Grand Preceptor Tong, who was treacherous and vicious, concerned only with preserving himself and treating the common people like grass, but even Prefect Zhang, who was dutiful and not particularly corrupt or incompetent, had to weigh two thousand lives against one hundred thousand lives and decide which mattered more. To protect the heavier side, he could only grit his teeth and sacrifice the lighter one. In the Emperor’s eyes, a ritual capable of “saving the fate of the nation” and preserving the empire was naturally more important than the lives of fifty ordinary soldiers.
After everything he had experienced over the past few days, he was no longer as impulsive as before. Just as he seemingly should not have killed Prefect Zhang, it seemed he also should not march into the palace and chop apart the Emperor who had issued such an absurd decree. Besides, with his grandmother remaining in the capital as a hostage, all he could do now was obey the imperial order, find the young lord, and escort him back to the capital.
What else could he do?
Like the confused self who had huddled in the prison cell that night, he knew the question but did not know the answer.
—
Seeing that Sisi, though somewhat lost and uncertain, had stabilized his emotions, Zhang San finally relaxed.
He took Sisi around the city of Kuiyuan, making a full circuit before they departed. He wanted to inspect the city’s defenses carefully one last time. Over the past few days, he had accompanied Wang Xu on several patrols, but those had only covered the walls and military camps. This was his first opportunity to observe the entire city in daylight.
The inner city’s Great Preparedness Granary was heavily guarded. Civil officials had set up sheds and tables outside it, where they specialized in inventorying supplies and stamping approvals. The defenders at each city gate would dispatch carts and horses with documents from their commanding officers to collect military provisions. Shops and market stalls throughout the city remained open, selling daily necessities. Soldiers patrolled every street and alley to prevent looting and to stop merchants from hoarding goods or driving up prices.
Festivals, public gatherings, theaters, music halls, and entertainment venues had all ceased operation. Yet the people had not locked themselves indoors. Many poor civilians had been conscripted into wartime labor; after a day’s work, they received grain to support their families. On the training grounds of the military camps, several hundred craftsmen and over a thousand civilians were cutting apart discarded timber and constructing barrier nets.
Order throughout the city was excellent. Soldiers patrolled day and night. The pair’s appearances were conspicuous, and their military and clerk’s uniforms attracted attention, so they were questioned several times. Sisi possessed the Imperial City Directorate token that allowed him to pass freely, and now Zhang San also carried the badge of a Training Commissioner. Hanging it proudly from his belt, he swaggered through the city and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being an official.
—
At last, the two headed to the eastern military camp to pay their respects to Chief Commander Wang.
It was afternoon. Chief Commander Wang was drilling troops on the training grounds. Before the Xiao army’s siege, he had recruited a thousand militia from nearby villages and counties and personally trained them. After nearly two months, the results were already quite noticeable. Hearing that Zhang San and the young envoy had arrived, he handed the training over to a deputy and hurried back to the commander’s tent.
The two waited outside. Chief Commander Wang strode over, waved away their formal greetings, and said while walking, “Come inside and talk.”
Sisi followed Zhang San in. Chief Commander Wang glanced back at him. Zhang San quickly said, “Commander, he’s one of our own. If you think it’s inconvenient, I can have him return to the inn first.”
Chief Commander Wang replied, “No matter. The young envoy is a man of true feelings. I admire him greatly. If, after returning to the capital, he can gain an audience with the Emperor and relay my plans, it may benefit the war effort.”
The three entered the tent together and gathered around a terrain model that displayed the long and narrow Hedong Plain in its entirety.
Chief Commander Wang said, “Xiao’er, do you know why I’m sending you to Ant County?”
Zhang San shook his head. “I await your instructions.”
Chief Commander Wang said, “The tragedy of General Sun’s relief force was partly Prefect Zhang’s fault. But at its root, it happened because Kuiyuan was isolated and cut off from all outside information, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Before the Xiao army surrounded Kuiyuan, Prefect Zhang had already planted informants throughout the northern prefectures and states, hoping they would report back. Most of them, however, disappeared, their fates unknown. A few days ago, only one informant stationed in Xin Prefecture managed to make his way back. He was gravely wounded. Before dying, he informed us of the northern armies’ rebellion and the fall of the various states. Prefect Zhang knew only that Shuozhou had surrendered; he could not determine whether General Sun remained loyal, which was why he dared not trust him lightly.”
Zhang San nodded. “I understand. You want Ant County to remain hidden and serve as Kuiyuan’s eyes and ears, relaying information and verifying the authenticity of any relief forces. But Ant County’s walls are weak and its soldiers few. Once discovered by the Xiao army, it could be overrun within days. How long could it continue sending information?”
Chief Commander Wang replied, “That is the second reason I am sending you there. Ant County’s value may not end there. Xiao’er, Young Envoy, come take a closer look.”
Extending two fingers like a blade, he pointed south of Kuiyuan and west of the Fen River, at a narrow stretch of land squeezed between the Lüliang Mountains and the river. “There once stood an ancient city here called Jinyang. It served as the capital of multiple dynasties and is renowned throughout history. It lies roughly thirty li from present-day Kuiyuan, on the western bank of the Fen River. The terrain is perilous and easy to defend.”
Zhang San asked, “If it had such advantages, why was the city relocated?”
Present-day Kuiyuan stood on the eastern side of the Fen River upon a broad plain, unsupported by any natural terrain. It was an isolated city that could be surrounded and attacked from every direction.
Chief Commander Wang sighed and explained slowly.
“At the end of the Tang Dynasty and before our Great Xuan was founded, nearly a century of chaos passed, with many competing regimes. One small state in Hedong made Jinyang its capital and relied upon its natural defenses. Our founding emperor once attacked Jinyang but withdrew without success. Later, his younger brother, Emperor Taizong, personally led an army against it. Though the city never fell, its ruler became terrified and eventually surrendered the city voluntarily.
“Emperor Taizong believed Jinyang was too strong and too defensible. He had also heard that Jinyang was historically known as the ‘Dragon City’ and possessed water as its elemental virtue, conflicting with Great Xuan’s fire virtue. Fearing that future rebels might use it as a base, he relocated the population and then successively burned and flooded the city, completely destroying ancient Jinyang.”
Even Sisi, who had only been listening, frowned at this. Though he knew nothing of feng shui or elemental theories, abandoning a fortress capable of resisting northern invaders and replacing it with a strategically weaker city sounded deeply unwise.
Chief Commander Wang continued, “The city itself can no longer be used. But while reviewing ancient military records recently, I discovered something interesting concerning your hometown, Ant County.”
Zhang San asked, “What was it?”
“Ant County originally had no name and was merely wilderness among the mountains. Yet according to Tang military records, Ant County and Jinyang both lay on the western bank of the Fen River. Any northern force seeking to attack Jinyang had to pass through Ant County first. Thus, during the Tang Dynasty, a large military stronghold was established there. It served as an important pass upstream from Jinyang and once housed a substantial garrison.”
Zhang San said, “But there’s only one road in and out of Ant County. An enemy only needs to block the mountain path. How could troops move in or out?”
Chief Commander Wang replied, “That is why I am sending you back there—to investigate whether Ant County truly is nothing more than an isolated mountain county and to determine why it once served as a military stronghold. If Ant County can once again function as a fortress, then with its naturally defensible terrain it may not only preserve itself but perhaps even save Kuiyuan.”
Zhang San suddenly understood and immediately bowed. “Yes, Commander.”
Chief Commander Wang continued, “Xiao’er, you are now a Training Commissioner. Every word and action of yours concerns the lives of an entire county’s people and perhaps the safety of Kuiyuan itself. Your responsibilities are immense. You must think carefully and act prudently in all matters. Never allow yourself to act rashly.”
Zhang San repeatedly voiced his agreement.
Chief Commander Wang offered several more instructions and handed him a codebook. All correspondence was to use encrypted symbols, and messenger pigeons were only to be released after dark to prevent interception by the Xiao army. Then he dismissed them to make preparations. Time was precious—they would leave the city that very night.
—
At dusk that same day, the two appeared atop the western city wall.
Both had changed into black night-traveling clothes. Li Si reclaimed the imperial saber and bow confiscated when he entered the city, while Zhang San had pestered Wang Xu into lending him a high-quality broad single-edged saber—the very blade Wang Xu himself carried.
Zhang San also wore a bamboo cage on his back. Inside were more than a dozen messenger pigeons concealed beneath black cloth.
Wang Xu had even wanted to give Li Si his own Golden Crow Bow, but Zhang San stopped him. “It’s too long and too heavy. He’ll have trouble carrying it, especially if the Xiao army pursues us.”
Wang Xu relented, but personally selected dozens of particularly well-crafted arrows and stuffed Li Si’s quiver full.
Watching him bend over beneath the lantern light, carefully choosing arrows for Li Si with all the attention of a protective elder brother, Zhang San said speechlessly, “Brother Xu, when I asked for a blade earlier, you refused no matter what. But when it comes to giving him things, you’re suddenly generous.”
Wang Xu cursed, “Any good weapon I give you gets ruined in no time! Either you break it or lose it somewhere! Grandfather told me yesterday that you hacked a notch into his sword! Is a sword supposed to be used like a saber? You little wastrel! Giving you anything is a waste! I’ve changed my mind. Give me the saber back! Someone get him a broken one!”
Retreating rapidly, Zhang San leapt onto a breach in the battlements and grabbed hold of the giant basket used to lower people down the wall. “Brother, I’m off!”
The brothers-in-arms had fought together for years. Comrades came and went, and they had long since grown accustomed to parting and death. Yet this time, with the nation itself possibly facing destruction, there was a chance this might truly be their final meeting. A trace of melancholy crept into Zhang San’s heart. He wanted to say, “Let’s meet again after we win this war,” but decided the words were too unlucky. Such things never ended well. So, with remarkable wisdom, he swallowed them.
Wang Xu likewise wanted to say something, but found nothing appropriate. In the end, he only said, “Be careful.”
Zhang San waved and descended in the basket. After dropping only a few meters, he saw Wang Xu poke his head over the wall again, looking oddly reluctant to part.
Deeply touched, Zhang San waved once more.
Then Wang Xu shouted, “Don’t bully the young envoy anymore! Once your mission is done, send him safely back!”
Zhang San: “…”
—
Not long afterward, Li Si climbed out of another basket. Zhang San was waiting below with his hands on his hips and immediately demanded, “Little colt, tell me honestly—what kind of enchantment did you use on Brother Xu?”
The first genuine smile Li Si had ever given since childhood had been bestowed upon Brother Xu, but he himself had completely forgotten it. That night, he had been half asleep. After watching Brother Xu leave, he had simply curled up beside Brother Xiao and gone back to sleep.
So he only shook his head blankly, looking utterly innocent, like a small white flower blooming in the darkness.
Zhang San pinched that flower-like face hard. Li Si’s eyes widened in pain, making him look even more innocent.
—
The two sneaked along like a pair of furtive mice, walking, crawling, and hiding. After half an hour, they finally approached the Xiao army’s western camp.
From afar, they saw the camp blazing with torchlight and flying a new banner. Evidently, a new commander had been appointed. Zhang San counted carefully and realized there were noticeably more tents than before, which likely meant more soldiers as well. The sentries were no longer lazy or careless. At the slightest disturbance, they immediately became alert and searched the surrounding area.
After observing quietly for a time, the pair continued westward.
—
Along the way, they encountered two Xiao cavalry scouts. Repeating their usual tactic, they hid behind rocks and ambushed them, dragging them from their horses and killing them. Zhang San also killed both horses.
Kneeling on one knee beside the bodies, Li Si stroked the horses’ heads, his eyes full of sorrow.
Zhang San felt the same regret. Xiao cavalry rode excellent steeds. Ever since Great Xuan lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, it had lacked the broad grasslands necessary for raising horses. Combined with corruption in horse administration, quality warhorses had always been scarce and largely depended on foreign purchases. Only a few months ago, when Northern Lang fell and the Sixteen Prefectures returned to Great Xuan, Shuozhou had been among them. Thus, the two thousand elite cavalry brought by General Sun had all ridden horses of this caliber. Yet before they could even enjoy them for long, the territories were lost once again to the Xiao army. The two thousand riders had perished for nothing.
If these horses could somehow be taken back to Ant County, it would be ideal. Unfortunately, the mountain road was blocked by fallen rocks. Even taking them to the earthen fortress was impossible, as the river ice was not yet thick enough to support their weight. Releasing them was equally dangerous. Trained warhorses knew the way home and would likely return to camp on their own, alerting the Xiao army and bringing more pursuers.
Other than killing them, Zhang San had no choice.
Of course, Zhang San knew Li Si’s heartache was not the same as his own. There were no complicated calculations in the little horse’s head. He was simply saddened because another little horse had died.
So Zhang San hauled the sentimental Li Si to his feet. “Alright, enough. We need to keep moving.”
⸻
Another hour later, they arrived at the abandoned village where they had rested before. It was far from the Xiao army camp and relatively safe. The two decided to rest there until dawn and wait for the sun to come out and warm things up a little before crossing the frozen river.
They slipped once more into the roofless earthen hut where they had stayed previously. The heated brick bed was still there, and so was the half-scorched bedding they had once used as a cushion. They sat down upon it side by side.
Four days earlier, when they had come here, soldiers had crowded the area. Even speaking required lowering their voices so as not to disturb others. Four days later, only the two of them remained alive. Even the horse Li Si had fed beans to back then had been killed by a cold arrow from the Xiao army.
Li Si sat with his head lowered. One look at his expression made it obvious he was in a poor mood.
Knowing he was thinking about what had happened before, Zhang San reached over and poked his pale cheek.
Li Si turned his head in confusion.
“Little colt, how did someone like you end up becoming a soldier?”
Li Si looked even more bewildered. He had been born into a military household. Of course he was supposed to become a soldier.
Zhang San poked his face again, then rubbed the cool flesh of his cheek. “With your temperament, you should have gone and studied. Being an official wouldn’t suit you either. You should’ve just become a schoolteacher. Every day you’d shake your head while reciting books, and your greatest worry would be that your students were causing trouble again.”
Li Si had no desire to become a schoolteacher. Being a soldier was good. Soldiers received pay and could support their families. They learned martial skills and could protect their families as well. Although these past days had repeatedly shown him how unpredictable life was and how insignificant he himself was—how powerless he was before so many things—he was still far better off than the version of himself who had once been pinned down and bullied by vicious children, who had made Grandmother cry through the night, who had forced his Second Uncle to constantly worry about him.
If one day he could become someone as capable as Brother Xiao, that would be even better.
A great many thoughts passed through his mind, yet what came out was only:
“Being a soldier is good.”
Zhang San snorted with laughter. “Good my ass!”
His left arm could now be raised, so he brought both hands into action, kneading and squishing Li Si’s face. First he pulled it into a crooked-mouthed expression, then flattened it into something resembling a little dough cake.
Brother Xu had told him, “Don’t bully the Young Envoy anymore.”
Naturally, he intended to do exactly the opposite.
What of it? Was he not allowed to bully him?
Li Si quietly allowed him to do as he pleased. He neither dodged nor kicked at him like a stubborn mule. Zhang San liked how obedient he was. The more he kneaded and squished, the happier he became.
The moonlight was dim rather than bright, so he could not see Li Si blushing. He merely laughed and said, “Why are you getting hotter and hotter?”
At last, Li Si turned his head aside to avoid him, only to have Zhang San catch his chin and turn it back.
“What are you shy about?”
Had this been a young woman, she might very well have pulled out a hairpin and stabbed this shameless rogue to death. But Li Si had never been teased by anyone except Zhang San and did not even realize this counted as teasing. He merely assumed Brother Xiao was bullying him again. Brother Xiao had always bullied him like this. He had been doing it since the very first time they met.
Back then, he had been so angry that he fought Brother Xiao.
Now, however, he willingly let Brother Xiao bully him.
Brother Xiao was not hitting him or cursing at him. Having his face touched and kneaded a little was nothing. Yet Brother Xiao’s fingers were warm, and his indistinct smile in the darkness was pleasant to look at. In the winter night, Brother Xiao seemed like a warm flame. Li Si wanted to move closer, yet also found him scorching hot. Gradually, he realized his face had become so warm that it was uncomfortable. He felt as though he could hardly breathe, as if he had caught a cold. His heart was in turmoil. In the end, all he could do was retreat.
He stood up and fled to the other side of the room, prompting Zhang San to burst into hearty laughter.
Zhang San made no attempt to catch him. Instead, he lay flat on his back atop the half-scorched bedding.
“I won’t tease you anymore. I’m going to sleep for a bit. You take the first watch. Wake me in an hour.”
Not long after he lay down, Li Si silently crept back and sat beside him, pressing his lower back against Zhang San’s arm. Just as before, the two leaned against one another. Zhang San had barely closed his eyes before he drifted off to sleep.
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