Chapter 32

Although Wei Jing believed the time had come, the gravity of the matter made him extremely cautious. For two consecutive nights—and even during the day—he slipped out silently to conduct his observations.

His demeanor only made the already anxious Shao Qing even more nervous. For two nights straight, she barely managed any sleep as she waited eagerly for him to return, hoping to see him come back cloaked by the night’s dew.

On the third evening, as darkness fell, Wei Jing finally said, “It’s time.”

…

The temporary camp of the Qingzhai Guards was located in a mountain hollow about two li from the southern bank of the river.

“How’s the intelligence coming along?”

Inside the modest camp tent, around a hastily dug-out fire pit where a bonfire blazed fiercely, four men—including Han Xi and Zhang Yong—sat in a circle. Ji Huan then asked the other three. He was merely a man of letters, possessing little martial ability; the job of gathering information had been entrusted to Han Xi and the three commanders. However, this time, they had taken an unusually long time.

Given the Qingzhai Guards’ capabilities—even in unfamiliar territory—the business in such a small locale should have been wrapped up in a day or two at most. So why was it taking so long?

Yet the longer it dragged on, the more it indicated that something significant was afoot. Although Ji Huan’s voice remained steady and calm, deep down, he could not help but foster ever-increasing hope.

“I’ll speak first.” Han Xi said: “It is said that this county magistrate was demoted from the Central Plains. Even after arriving, he did not immediately assume office; instead, he lay low and covertly obtained evidence showing the previous county deputy’s involvement in smuggling salt for personal gain, and he sent this evidence to Gaoling.”

Chen Qi interjected: “I’ve heard that during that period, once the information leaked out, Lord Qu even dared to order the county soldiers to besiege the county office openly, intent on putting the magistrate to death. Yet Magistrate Yang immediately presented the evidence of his crimes on the spot and ordered the county soldiers to capture Lord Qu and his cohorts.”

Their conversation sounded simple, but it was laden with substantial underlying details.

If he had been transferred from afar, chances were he lacked reliable connections or influential support. Yet the new county magistrate managed to secure the evidence of salt smuggling; moreover, proving the deputy’s misdeeds and winning over the county soldiers is no easy feat—any slight miscalculation might have cost him his life. This clearly shows that the man was indeed highly capable.

“Nowadays, the magistrate has completely taken control of Pingtao, and in recent months, he has even recalled additional troops.”

Zhang Yong added at the end: “This private salt case was perpetrated by the former county deputy—who acted with outrageous temerity and colluded secretly with barbarians. Now that the truth has been revealed and these barbarians’ source of income has been cut off, Pingtao has had to recall extra troops. I went around near the county barracks, and sure enough, the barracks have been expanded to more than double their original size.”

“Recalling extra troops?” Ji Huan felt a stir in his heart.

In all fairness, there have been far too many capable people in the world—many who, like the new magistrate of Pingtao, have pulled off spectacular turnarounds. So this in itself is not especially unusual. However, this act of calling in additional troops has truly struck a chord with several people.

Not only is he capable, but he is also relatively young and skilled in martial arts—qualities that allow him to stand on equal footing with Your Highness. For this reason, Han Xidao and his two companions lingered for three days, straining every ounce of effort to gather as much detailed information as possible.

The common folk of Pingtao naturally have no idea about the intricate details, but that hasn’t stopped them from concocting a series of successive tales about eradicating evil. Han Xi, of course, wouldn’t believe such exaggerated ghost stories, yet he can still extract the key bits of information and analyze them.

At present, they’ve already gathered all that can be gleaned from the streets. To dig any deeper, they’ll have to resort to other means.

Ji Huan immediately pressed, “And what about this new county magistrate? Have you managed to catch a glimpse of his true face?”

Regarding the crucial point, the three exchanged glances, and all shook their heads: “We sent several groups of our brothers to keep an eye on the county office, but unfortunately, we didn’t see the magistrate show up.”

“In that case, let’s go and investigate the county office further.”

So far, this Pingtao magistrate is precisely the man they had in mind. As soon as Ji Huan said that, the others quickly echoed him, and Zhang Yong patted his thigh excitedly, “Alright, tomorrow I’ll go too!”

Zhang Yong expressed exactly what Han Xi and Chen Qi were thinking. They’ve been on the move for half a year since the incident began. Having finally encountered a promising lead, they can’t wait to verify it as soon as possible.

Han Xi couldn’t help but get excited: “With Your Highness’s abilities, once his wounds have healed, capturing a couple of county towns will be as easy as turning over one’s hand!”

“Absolutely!”

“Exactly!”

Even if it were only a glimmer of hope, all four present became roused—so much so that even the usually unflappable Ji Huan couldn’t help but stroke his chin-length beard several times in succession. He steadied himself and said, “Alright, let’s take a break for now. Tomorrow, we’ll enter the city.”

“Alright!”

The four stood up, patted their robes, and were about to leave the camp tent for the little creek where they could wash up.

“Who?!” Zhang Yong, the most impatient of the group, was the first to pull aside the fluttering curtain and stride outside. But in an instant, his eyes were suddenly dazzled—he saw a black figure standing by the tall clump of reeds at the creek’s edge, though he couldn’t tell when it had appeared.

With his jet-black hair tied up, broad shoulders, and a slim waist, he was unmistakably a man. He had appeared silently, and not even the nearby sentries—whether on duty or off—had detected his presence. In the cold light of the moon, he stood facing the creek with his hands clasped behind his back, his chin held high in a noble manner, his posture strikingly upright.

“Th-this… Your Highness?!”

That silhouette was so familiar—it had been seen countless times, and during the past six months, Zhang Yong had longed for a reunion every moment. In a blink, disbelief overtook him, yet overwhelming joy had already surged within his heart.

“Greetings, Your Highness!” The four battle-hardened men were momentarily at a loss, staring dumbfounded with wide eyes. It wasn’t until Ji Huan, losing his customary composure, cried out loudly that they snapped back as if waking from a dream.

“We, your humble servants, shall now respectfully pay our homage to Your Highness!!”

With a few muffled “thump, thump, thump” sounds, Han Xi and the others dropped their knees heavily. They knelt on one knee, bowed their heads, blinked away the sudden rush of emotion, and some were even so moved that tears befitting a man welled up.

They had been searching for far too long. Having abandoned everything in their resolve to follow, only to encounter a traitor midway, leading to an ambush and capture—the many hardships aside—even though they were convinced that Wei Jing would not die, the long, fruitless search inevitably stirred a sense of growing agitation.

Now, at last, he has appeared. In an instant, it was as if the dark clouds had suddenly cleared to reveal a bright moon—how could this not move one to tears?

Overcome with emotion, Zhang Yong and Ji Huan raised their voices loudly. In no time, word spread among the several hundred guards at their post; overjoyed beyond expectation, they surged in like a tidal wave, dropping to their knees and exclaiming in unison, “We have been honored to meet Your Highness!”

“Everyone, please rise.” Wei Jing had already turned around. He called to all those present, personally helped Ji Huan, Han Xi, and the other two up, patted Zhang Yong and Chen Qi on the shoulder, and then said to Ji Huan, “Your march south brings me great solace.”

Indeed, not only had Ji Huan arrived alongside Han Xi—who led the Qingzai Guards—but even the two eminent generals he had once personally promoted, Zhang Yong and Chen Qi, had forsaken everything to follow him.

Surveying everyone around him, Wei Jing fervently declared, “Your southward advance fills my heart with gratitude!”

“Loyalty to Your Highness! We would face death without hesitation!”

Han Xi, Zhang Yong, and the others moved forward, leading the excited guards, who all knelt again in homage.

The clamor was so great that it startled the night birds into flight. Having already scouted the nearby area and found no one else, Wei Jing answered loudly, “Good!”

“Everyone, please stand up quickly!”

After being separated by life and death for so long, the reunion was truly stirring. Just when everyone had finally managed to calm down a bit, the guards—at their orders—returned to their posts, while Wei Jing, surrounded by Ji Huan and his men, entered the same humble camp tent as before.

“Reporting, my lord!”

Everyone took their seats according to rank. Han Xi immediately stood up to report: “At present, the Qingzhai Guards has 3,112 men divided into 12 teams. The other 11 teams are also disguised as merchant caravans and are currently searching the nearby towns and villages for any word of you, my lord.”

The Qingzhai Guards were originally organized with nearly 5,000 men. When they broke away from the Northern Army, about 1,000 had already been weeded out. During the journey south, Han Xi conducted several meticulous cleansings, eliminating another 500 to 600.

Five to six hundred is already a large number—he would rather risk overdoing it than let any imposters slip through, for the Qingzhai Guards are none other than war orphans personally selected by Wei Jing, whose loyalty is unwavering and incomparable to that of ordinary soldiers.

They had thought the screening was complete. Yet, to their dismay, a straggler like Zhang Kuo still emerged, nearly jeopardizing everything. After escaping Prince An’s ambush, they once again carried out a strict selection, and finally, just a little over three thousand remained.

Han Xi and the others used various methods—including deception and intimidation—to finally confirm that these three thousand men had been thoroughly “cleaned” and that no enemy spies remained.

Without mentioning the hardships endured, Han Xi and the others remained silent about the ordeal. Wei Jing, never one for fuss, simply nodded briskly and said, “Very good—call them back for now.”

He mentioned a location and directed the Qingzhai Guards to temporarily settle there—this spot is near that natural granary in the western suburbs, and he planned for the Qingzhai Guards to eventually take over the granary as well.

Han Xi carefully noted every detail. Finally, when the matter had reached a lull, the impatient Zhang Yong hurriedly asked, “My lord, how have you managed these past six months?”

The term “Your Highness” is no longer suitable now. Although he is inherently headstrong and brusque, when it comes to matters requiring attention to detail, he is never careless. Without needing to be reminded, he had already—just like Han Xi—adjusted how he addressed Wei Jing.

Unable to hold back, Zhang Yong cursed, “That dog-thief Prince An has set up a complete snare in the lower reaches of Qian River!”

At the mere mention of Prince An—one of the emperor’s close confidants—Wei Jing’s eyes darkened for a moment. Yet his expression remained unchanged as he briefly and succinctly recounted everything after he fell into the water.

He recounted the events in just a few plain words, omitting all mention of his hardships; however, he did note that Shao Qing had accompanied him.

“Is the princess consort also traveling with the lord?!” Everyone was utterly astonished upon hearing this.

It wasn’t that couples couldn’t be together—in fact, from what they knew, this princess consort had hardly ever interacted with His Highness. It was even said that during the wedding, His Highness wasn’t in the capital at all.

A pair of completely unfamiliar spouses—in such a dangerous situation that it even forced Wei Jing to leap into the river—yet he still took along this nominal wife?!

The revelation was totally unexpected; despite their shock, the expressions on everyone’s faces quickly turned serious. Recalling Shao Qing, Wei Jing’s eyes warmed slightly as he said softly, “Though the princess consort appears gentle and frail, she has greatly aided me. You all should honor her just as you honor me.”

The weight of his words was considerable. Though the others were initially surprised, their faces turned solemn, and in unison, they responded, “We obey!”

Now, it is already the middle of the night, and there isn’t enough time to recount all the details of our parting. Wei Jing said, “As for the rest of the matters, I’ll explain them in full once you’ve reached Pingtao.”

He then ordered, “Tomorrow morning, send someone with a letter to the Pingtao County office, and you’ll be able to arrive by the day after tomorrow.”

---

“Husband? Are all three thousand coming?”

“Isn’t that far too many?”

That night, when Wei Jing returned at midnight, the moment Shao Qing heard the sound of the door, she rushed out to meet him. With the night growing deeper and the dew heavy, his clothes were slightly damp. As she helped him take off his garments, she inquired.

“No, I’ve arranged for Ji Huan to send only several dozen men. Otherwise, it would draw too much attention.”

“At present, the county barracks haven’t reached their full quota of new recruits—we’re short by a few hundred—but tomorrow, we can organize for some men to answer the call. First, send in one or two hundred troops; these Qingzhai Guards will gradually emerge as minor and major leaders while subtly influencing the ordinary soldiers, enabling me to maintain an even firmer grip on the county barracks.”

“The remaining force of about three thousand will be concealed in the mountains and forests of the western suburbs to serve as my personal, elite troops.”

“If circumstances change later on, I will make further adjustments.”

Finally, the shortage of manpower had been completely resolved. Shao Qing couldn’t hide her delight. She caressed the large white porcelain pot in the warming cage—still retaining its warmth—and wet a cloth with warm water before handing it to him.

Wei Jing wiped his hands and face, gently squeezed her hand, and frowned, “Now that the night is cool, why don’t you put on another piece of clothing?”

With the Mid-Autumn Festival fast approaching, a light rain had fallen in the evening, and the night air carried a touch of chill. Yet Shao Qing truly didn’t feel cold. Still, in response to his concern, she replied with a cheerful smile, “Hmm, I’ll definitely wear one next time.”

Glancing at her, Wei Jing carried her to the bed and lay beside her. He added, “Ji Huan and a few others will arrive the day after tomorrow. You needn’t worry—I’ve told them you should be respected just as they respect me.”

Lately, Shao Qing has often been seen at the government office, actively handling affairs and clearly enjoying herself. Naturally, Wei Jing did not attempt to stop her. In fact, he was quite indulgent—and intended to remain so in the future.

However, the common perception of women in this world, much like Wang Mi’s traditional views, was that a woman’s proper duty was to support her husband, educate her children, and manage domestic matters. In the eyes of their contemporaries, Shao Qing’s behavior was rather unconventional.

Of course, Ji Huan and the others would not disagree with the lord’s decision, but they might inevitably cast sideways glances at first glance.

Wei Jing would never allow anyone to hurt Shao Qing, so he made a special point of saying to Ji Huan and the others: “You must respect her just as you respect me.”*

To be honest, when Shao Qing first heard it, she was utterly astonished. These words carried such an overwhelming weight that not even the most solemn marital vows or pledges of eternal fidelity could compare. In that instant, memories of the harrowing escape through the mountains and forests—and the desperate, angry despair she felt when she had jumped into the river—rose in her heart, leaving a bittersweet ache as her eyes grew slightly warm.

It was as if a rainbow had burst forth after the storm, filling her with a myriad of complex emotions.

Deeply moved, she looked up at Wei Jing. She saw him with his gaze lowered, gently smoothing the loose strands of her dark hair scattered upon her pillow.

With a soft, curved smile, Shao Qing said, “Husband, you are truly kind.”