Chapter 116: The Crisis in Jincheng

On Eagle’s Nest Ridge, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Inside the council hall, The Ghost paced back and forth, his face grim, silent as he walked.

Suddenly, he stopped abruptly, and with a fierce punch, slammed his fist onto the table. The cups, plates, and bowls on the table scattered in all directions, the clattering noise echoing sharply in the quiet room.

“It’s been two days! That useless Li Datou hasn’t sent any news! What are you all doing?”

“The people we sent out have vanished without a trace, like a cow sinking into the sea. Did they run off, or have they died?”

The people below lowered their heads even further, seemingly trying to bury their entire heads in their chests, not daring to breathe a word.

“Boss, whether Li Datou is dead or alive, our plan must continue. Delaying will lead to trouble!” the man with a goat beard advised, stepping forward.

This man was none other than Li Shubi, the county magistrate of Jin County, who had previously defected to Baihu Villa.

After Bai Choushen’s defeat, when he fled eastward, Li Shubi did not follow but instead sought refuge with Bai Choushen’s cousin, Li Chip (Ghost).

Li Shubi, having been a government official, was familiar with the movements of various government offices, and Li Chip frequently consulted him. Over time, Li Shubi became his strategist, holding considerable influence at Eagle Nest Ridge.

Hearing this, Li Chip’s voice deepened with a sense of anger. “So, you’re telling me that my hundred men were really wiped out by this insignificant little village? Not a single one left to tell the tale? This is a massive humiliation for Eagle Nest Ridge!”

Li Shubi was startled, quickly asking, “You mean this is the Daliushu Village?”

“You know of this village? What’s so special about it?”

Two days ago, Li Chip had casually sent Li Datou to deal with a small village, thinking it was no big deal. Since Li Shubi was not present, Li Chip had not bothered to inform him beforehand.

It wasn’t until now that Li Shubi heard that Li Datou had gone to Daliushu Village, and this made him uneasy.

After all, his entire path of joining the bandits started with Daliushu Village.

First, the widow of the former General Zhennan, who had been saved by the villagers of Daliushu Village, leading to a series of misfortunes for Baihu Villa, and eventually, his own entanglement.

Then, due to the princess incident, he was thrown into a large prison by Bai Yichun.

However, Bai Choushen later denied having sent anyone to rescue him. It went without saying that the person who impersonated the Beizhen Fusi official and rescued him was definitely connected to the princess.

And the princess was deeply connected to Daliushu Village.

Li Shubi’s instincts told him that, unless absolutely necessary, they should never provoke the people of this village again.

Thinking this, he shared everything he knew with Li Chip.

Upon hearing this, Li Chip’s expression darkened instantly, and a murderous aura filled the room.

“So you’re telling me that a hundred of my men were really wiped out by this insignificant little village?” His voice was low, each word seeming to come through clenched teeth. “They just lost their lives for nothing?”

Li Shubi, seeing his reaction, felt a pang of anxiety. He quickly tried to calm him down. “Boss, Daliushu Village is cursed. Whoever touches it is doomed! We can’t afford any more losses with our current manpower. I think we should focus on the main task.”

He continued, “Once our people move, and the new county magistrate is dead, there will only be a clerk left in the office. It won’t cause any major disruptions. Without military support in the office, the few constables are no match for us. We can take advantage of the situation and strike at once!”

“If we wait any longer, when the Hanyang troops return to defend, it will be too late.”

Li Chip, though somewhat displeased at being urged to make a decision, found that Li Shubi’s reasoning was sound.

However, letting go of Daliushu Village was something he could not stomach.

He was indecisive, troubled.

At that moment, someone came to report.

“Boss, over three hundred people have arrived outside the village, asking to meet with you. It looks like they want to join us.”

Li Chip jumped up suddenly.

“Ha! It’s heaven’s help!” he laughed loudly, then turned to Li Shubi. “It’s time to act in the city. Go arrange things, I want to give all of Jin County a surprise!”

…

When Pear Blossom returned, she was carrying a mountain chicken. She cleaned it by the creek outside and brought it back to the cave.

Seeing Dong Yun up, she said, “Today, you can stew this chicken. I also caught a deer, but it’s inconvenient to clean here, so I’ll carry it down to Father to handle. I’ll bring it back later.”

Dong Yun wasn’t really focused on food, but since Pear Blossom had already done the hunting, she agreed.

Just as she was about to leave, Pear Blossom suddenly said, “Sister, yesterday the band received fifty or sixty new recruits. If all goes well, there should be more joining today. Our band needs a name, and I’d like you to help me come up with one.”

Other bands are named after their family, like the Zhao family army, the Wu family army, or the Bai family soldiers, so our family’s army should have a name too.

She added, “Any name other than Liu family army will work.”

Their family was of the Liu lineage, so if they named it based on their surname, it would be Liu family army, which Pear Blossom disliked.

Dong Yun paused, holding her cup, then thoughtfully said, “How about the Wuyin Army?”

Pear Blossom had become known to the villagers through Wuyin Mountain, where wolves, tigers, and leopards roamed viciously. It seemed fitting for a fierce army name.

Pear Blossom’s eyes lit up when she heard this. “Sister, your name sounds so good! The Wuyin Army is perfect.”

Dong Yun was pleased to see her so happy.

And so, the name “Wuyin Army” was chosen.

Fubao had been frightened yesterday, so today Pear Blossom didn’t plan to take her down the mountain. She stayed in the cave with Dong Yun while Pear Blossom carried the deer down the mountain herself.

She woke up early, and hunting the animals was no trouble. By the time she reached the foot of the mountain, the sun had just risen.

Dagen had not yet left when Pear Blossom told him to finish dealing with the wild deer before leaving.

Mrs. Xiong glanced at the area behind her and asked, “Where’s Fubao?”

“She was startled, so I had her stay with her sister today,” Pear Blossom explained, then turned to Daniu, “Go ahead and have the assault team practice together. Senior sister should be here later. I need to handle some matters with the troops, it’s going to be a busy day, so I won’t be able to look after your side for now.”

Daniu had become familiar with the training process and nodded in acknowledgment.

Pear Blossom looked at the cakes in the pot, wrapped them in lotus leaves, and tucked them into her arms.

“Mother, I’ll take all these cakes with me.”

Mrs. Xiong waved her hand and said, “Take them, take them. If they’re not enough, I’ll fry some more later.”

With that, Pear Blossom hurriedly mounted her horse and left.

She first went to He Village to check on how the villagers were settling.

The injured were gradually stabilizing. Doctor Zhang had been diligent these days, coming and going early and late, treating the injured at every house, from the village entrance to the back.

Each household had received their grain and had finally settled.

Pear Blossom walked past and, when she reached Cao’er’s house, saw her sweeping inside.

The tile-roofed house and two thatched cottages had been tidied up very neatly.

Upon hearing footsteps, Cao’er looked up. Seeing it was Pear Blossom, her face lit up with joy.

“Leader Pear Blossom—”

Pear Blossom smiled, tied her horse to the big tree at the door, passed through the fence gate, and walked up to her.

“You’ve cleaned up really well, it’s so comforting to look at.”

Cao’er shyly smiled. “Leader Pear Blossom, come inside and sit for a while.”

Pear Blossom shook her head and took out the cakes, handing them to her. “They’re still warm, eat them.”

Cao’er quickly declined. “No need, we received rice yesterday, there’s no shortage of food at home now. You don’t have to bring food for me anymore.”

“How long can that little bit of rice last? These meat pies were made by my mother, with meat filling and eggs. I don’t come by every day, just take them.”

When Cao’er heard there was meat and eggs inside, she couldn’t help but swallow, but she still blushed and took them, thanking her repeatedly.

Pear Blossom asked, “What have you been busy with these days?”

Cao’er thought for a moment before replying, “I have two acres of land, and the rice seedlings have already sprouted. There’s no urgent work now, and we don’t have any livestock. I usually do some embroidery work. When someone goes to the city, I have them sell it for a few coins.”

Pear Blossom asked, “Would you like to join my troop?”

Cao’er was stunned for a moment, then her eyes brightened. She asked in disbelief, “Can… can I really? I don’t have much strength, I probably can’t fight…”

“Of course you can! Our troop has different roles, not everyone needs to wield weapons. We also need support personnel, like medical staff, which is what you did with Aunt Miao before. But those people were just temporary help from the village. I may not always be in the village, and they can’t always follow me.”

Cao’er immediately became excited. “Leader Pear Blossom, I’m willing! Please take me!”

Pear Blossom smiled and nodded. “Alright, it’s settled then. I’ll send someone to register you. I’ll tell Doctor Zhang later, let him teach you for a while and have you assist him. You should learn from him.”

Cao’er never dared to think she would have the opportunity to learn medicine in her lifetime. She was both shocked and excited, but the only regret was that her parents and elder brother were no longer here to see her succeed.

She held back her tears and suddenly knelt on the ground, saying, “Thank you, Leader Pear Blossom. From now on, I’ll follow you, working like a cow or horse, and obey your every command.”

Since Doctor Zhang had benefited from Pear Blossom, he treated her like an ancestor. When he heard she wanted him to teach Cao’er for a while, he agreed without hesitation.

“If this little girl has the talent for this work, I wouldn’t mind taking her as my apprentice.”

Doctor Zhang’s son had no talent for medicine, and over the years, he had given up. He had been looking for a successor but hadn’t found one. Now, he was willing to take Cao’er in, although his only regret was that she was a girl. But upon thinking about it, Pear Blossom was also a girl, and there was no boy around here as capable as her, so gender didn’t matter much anymore.

Cao’er, an orphan girl, now had Pear Blossom supporting her. She had joined Pear Blossom’s personal troop and would learn medicine from Doctor Zhang. With her new status, the gossip in the village that had previously surrounded her faded away.

After handling Cao’er’s matter, Pear Blossom turned to Doctor Zhang. “There’s something else I need to trouble you with.”

Doctor Zhang smiled and said, “Don’t mention it. Treating injuries is my duty. Anything related to this, I’m happy to help.”

Pear Blossom said, “There’s an old woman in the village, she had a fight yesterday, and her leg might be twisted or injured. After you’re done here, please check on her.”

“I was wondering what it was, sure, which household?”

“It’s the one you visited last time.”

“You—You mean Princess’s mother-in-law?” Doctor Zhang had been treating her after her hand injury, and he knew some details.

Pear Blossom coughed lightly, “For the sake of discretion, she’s my mother-in-law.”

Doctor Zhang quickly agreed, “Alright, I’ll go later.”

After Pear Blossom finished giving her instructions, she whispered a few words to Cao’er and then got busy with organizing the Wuyin Army.

After some counting, it turned out that fifty people in He Village had joined the Wuyin Army.

These people, in addition to being attracted by Pear Blossom’s monthly salary, were more importantly seeking revenge after the brutal massacre. They desperately needed a strong ally.

In the village of Fuping, twenty more individuals joined, and news spread to nearby villages, particularly those that had been raided, attracting survivors.

Since the recruits were part of a military force, they needed to be capable fighters. Pear Blossom carefully selected individuals, keeping only two hundred physically strong and potentially capable recruits, aside from a few with special skills. With rigorous training, these individuals would become a force to be reckoned with. Combined with the village’s existing defenders, they would be ready to face off against the Eagle’s Nest Mountain forces.

Pear Blossom divided the two hundred recruits into four teams of fifty, assigning each a leader and selecting a nearby valley as the training camp. There, the teams would set up camp and begin their training.

Murong Jin had been helping with training for the past few days, as Pear Blossom had insisted on training her personal troops.

Once that was done, Pear Blossom turned her attention to Liu Youtie. At this point, Liu was still behaving erratically, and his father, the elder Liu, could do nothing but sigh in resignation. The elder Liu’s wife, too, was heartbroken, shedding tears over her son’s state.

Meanwhile, Zhang Laowu’s mother had been causing a stir at Liu’s house, angrily cursing him every day. She even followed Pear Blossom when she came to visit.

As Pear Blossom entered the Liu family house, she immediately grabbed Liu Youtie by the collar and dragged him outside. She dragged him all the way to the grave of Liu Youtie’s young daughter, Liuya, who had tragically died at only three years old. According to the family’s tradition, she couldn’t be buried in the family’s ancestral grave, leaving her grave alone at the foot of the mountain.

Pear Blossom forced Liu Youtie to kneel at the grave, and without hesitation, she slapped him several times, each slap echoing clearly in the silent air.

Liu’s mother, unable to watch any longer, turned away in tears.

“Look closely,” Pear Blossom’s voice rang out as she stared fiercely at Liu Youtie, whose eyes flickered uneasily. “There’s only the head of Liuya buried in that grave! The rest of her body was eaten by bandits! Yet, instead of seeking revenge for your daughter, you go after other girls. Do you think bringing one back will bring your daughter back?”

She continued to scold him, her words sharp as each slap hit him. Liu Youtie was dizzy, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, and he lost a couple of teeth.

“Do you even know you have a son? The bandits aren’t all dead. One day, if they attack again, your son could die too! Are you still going to ignore your son and chase after someone else’s child?”

“You are a coward!” she spat. “When you can’t defeat the bandits, you bully the weak. Does pretending to be mad erase your sins?”

Liu Youtie seemed unaffected, his expression blank, and he barely showed any pain.

Pear Blossom yanked at his collar and pointed at the small grave. “Your daughter lies there, alone, while you go after another family’s child. Do you think she’s not heartbroken?”

“You hit other people’s children. How are you any different from those bandits?”

“You coward! When you can’t fight the bandits, you bully the weaker ones, pretending to be crazy. Do you think pretending will erase your guilt?”

Liu Youtie clenched his teeth, his face twitching with suppressed anger.

Liu Youtie’s son, Liu Xiaoyu, suddenly ran up and clung to his father, crying, “Dad—Dad! Liuya is gone, but you still have me!”

“Let’s go with Pear Blossom and kill the bandits to avenge Liuya! Once the bandits are gone, Liuya can rest in peace!”

Liu Youtie’s head buzzed with noise, overwhelmed by his son’s plea.

Pear Blossom sighed deeply. “A child knows better than you what needs to be done. You’ve already made one mistake. Do you want to continue down the wrong path and let Liuya’s death be in vain?”

Suddenly, Liu Youtie collapsed to the ground and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Pear Blossom gave him one last warning: “If something like yesterday’s incident happens again, I’ll beat you every time I see you.”

With that, she stood up, left him there, dusted off her clothes, and walked away.

The next morning, when Pear Blossom came down from the mountain, Mrs. Xiong told her that Liu Youtie had visited the family of the boy, Dog, to apologize, and then came to their house. However, since Fu Bao wasn’t home, they left a gift and exchanged a few words before leaving.

Pear Blossom was puzzled. “Is he better, or still mad?”

Mrs. Xiong shook her head. “I don’t know. He looked dazed, with a blank stare, and didn’t say much.”

Pear Blossom couldn’t figure out what state Liu Youtie was in but had no time to dwell on it. After all, she had warned him—if he misbehaved again, there would be consequences.

When she arrived at the training ground, however, she was surprised to find that Liu Youtie was there, in the ranks of the recruits.

Recalling her promise to the elder Liu during the grain distribution, Pear Blossom lowered her gaze but said nothing. She personally led the recruits through their training, before heading to the training camp in the valley to inspect her troops.

It was the first day of training for the troops, and the atmosphere was tense but filled with energy.

Murong Jin arrived as scheduled, and the two women showed off their skills in front of the new recruits, who were left in awe by the intense battle, their hearts fired up with the desire to train harder. They hoped to be as strong as the two women, or at least have a fraction of their strength, so they could be confident facing the bandits.

The physical training earlier had been simple enough, but now Murong Jin left the stones and wood for the recruits to practice with, as she turned to Pear Blossom and said, “I’m going to the cave to visit my sister.”

Pear Blossom quickly responded, “I’ll go with you.”

Murong Jin shot her a glare, her voice sharp. “You’ve been hiding in that cave every night, and now you can’t even leave in the daytime?”

Pear Blossom immediately felt her cheeks warm, and she awkwardly smiled, “I just wanted to accompany you on the way.”

Murong Jin wasn’t really opposed to her following, he was just speaking out of impulse.

However, when they arrived, they found that Xia Xunyan was also in the cave.

Murong Jin glanced at the female teacher and smiled, “No wonder I said the study hall was closed today. Turns out the teacher is here enjoying a rare moment of leisure.”

Pear Blossom heard this and couldn’t help but look up at Murong Jin. Since he went straight into the valley upon arrival without heading toward the school, how would she know the study hall was closed?

But he didn’t pay any attention to her.

Xia Xunyan, as always, spoke in a calm tone, “Today is the tenth day of rest, and since I had some free time, I came to chat with His Highness.”

Dong Yun smiled and invited everyone to sit and enjoy tea.

Pear Blossom obediently added more coal to the stove, and the water in the iron kettle began to bubble. She didn’t know how to make tea, so she rested her chin on her hands and quietly watched Dong Yun prepare the tea.

Xia Xunyan’s tea-making etiquette was instinctive, so how could she allow the princess to make tea for herself in front of Pear Blossom and Murong Jin?

“I’ll do it,” she said, taking the teapot from Dong Yun.

Dong Yun, knowing her personality, didn’t argue.

Pear Blossom watched as the teacher made tea with elegant and graceful movements. Every gesture was a pleasure to the eye. Even the slightly uneasy atmosphere seemed more relaxed. Unable to hold back, she said, “Watching the teacher make tea really is an enjoyable sight.”

Murong Jin, who had been admiring the beauty of the tea-making, heard this and casually shifted his gaze away.

Dong Yun laughed and said, “You, this bold girl, know how to appreciate a beauty making tea.”

Pear Blossom blushed and said, “Sister, you make tea beautifully too.”

Murong Jin lightly coughed and said, “Good, Pear Blossom, flirting with my sister right in front of me. Be careful, I won’t let you off easy.”

It was the first time someone had openly acknowledged their relationship, and though Dong Yun was typically composed, her eyes flickered slightly before she returned to her usual calm posture.

Pear Blossom, hearing the word “flirting,” instinctively glanced at Dong Yun and stammered, “I… I wasn’t flirting… I just like watching tea-making! You… don’t say nonsense!”

However, Murong Jin wasn’t letting it go and continued teasing, “Oh? Really? You compliment my sister’s tea-making, then praise your teacher’s looks. If you were a man, you’d be a heartbreaker.”

Pear Blossom knew she couldn’t argue with him, but fearing he’d say something to upset her sister, she was about to protest again when she saw Xia Xunyan bring a half-filled cup of tea to Murong Jin.

“Such fine tea, can’t it shut your mouth?”

Murong Jin, hearing this, glanced at the calm and cool woman before him and indeed stopped talking. “The tea made by the teacher can certainly silence my noisy mouth.”

Xia Xunyan lowered her lashes, “Since that’s the case, drink more.”

She then poured tea for Dong Yun and Pear Blossom.

Murong Jin took the old-fashioned teacup, brought it to his lips, and took a sip. Then, turning to Dong Yun, he said, “The new county magistrate of Jinyang suddenly died last night.”

Dong Yun was surprised. “Dead? How did he die?”

“He died on the belly of a concubine.”

The women exchanged various expressions.

Murong Jin continued, “This new county magistrate was only twenty-two. Though he often indulged in pleasures, it’s puzzling that someone so young died on a woman’s bed. Fortunately, the coroner is a talkative person. With a bit of money, we managed to get the truth from him. According to him, the county magistrate did indeed die from a bed affair, but he was drugged, and that drug was given to him by his concubine.”

Dong Yun frowned and asked, “What kind of person was this concubine?”

“She is the daughter of a merchant in the city,” Murong Jin replied.

“Why would the daughter of a merchant do such a thing?”

“That depends on who’s behind her. Who benefits from the county magistrate’s death, or who wants to use it for some other purpose?” Xia Xunyan joined the conversation.

Murong Jin smiled at her. “The teacher’s insight is sharp. After learning of the magistrate’s death, I investigated the merchant and found that he didn’t have a daughter. The woman was actually an adopted daughter whom he took from elsewhere and then offered her to the magistrate.”

Xia Xunyan said, “Since Miss Murong has already looked into this, I suppose the concubine’s real background has also been uncovered?”

Murong Jin raised an eyebrow. “Exactly. This concubine was actually the former county deputy Li Shubi’s mistress, whom he hid in the city. Since their relationship wasn’t known, after Li Shubi fled, the woman wasn’t affected and instead ended up in the magistrate’s bed. The reasoning behind this is indeed intriguing.”

Dong Yun snorted coldly. “It seems Li Shubi didn’t flee east with Bai Choushen. Instead, he sought refuge with Guijianchou.”

Then she furrowed her brow and turned to Pear Blossom. “How long has Zuo Qi been absent from the Hanyang garrison?”

Pear Blossom thought for a moment and answered, “I saw him ten days ago. After that, he told me that the soldiers from the garrison had been sent to Xinzhu to suppress a rebellion and that he probably wouldn’t be back anytime soon.”

Dong Yun placed her teacup back on the table and said, “In that case, Jinyang City is in danger!”

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

“Since the former county magistrate and deputy both either fled or joined the bandits, only a clerk named He remains in the office. The government is leaderless, and administrative affairs have already collapsed. Although the new county magistrate came and tried to tidy up the mess, he was never much of a force. Now that he’s dead, Jinyang County is bound to fall into chaos again.”

“That concubine chose the perfect moment to act, neither too early nor too late, taking advantage of the absence of the soldiers from the Hanyang camp. This means that they must be preparing to attack the city in the coming days.”

Murong Jin suddenly understood: “The registrar is ineffective and can’t organize the citizens of the city to defend it. Without external support, that Li Shubi, who was originally the county magistrate of Jinyang, is very familiar with the city’s wall’s weak points. Even if they don’t attack through the city gates, simply infiltrating through these gaps will be enough to cause chaos!”

Dong Yun nodded and said, “Jin’er, you must immediately report this to your father so that he can prepare for defense. Jinyang City must not fall into the hands of Gui Jianchou; otherwise, the citizens will suffer. If your father successfully defends, it will also make it easier for us to act next.”

Hearing this, Murong Jin immediately understood. She quickly stood up and said, “Alright, I will go back right now.”