The man in the blue gown and long robe attracted Fang Jie's attention the moment he entered. To be honest, this kind of man would draw people's gaze no matter the occasion, whether amidst a bustling marketplace or in the halls of the imperial court.
His clothes were not resplendent, appearing somewhat shabby. Yet, there was no doubt that even standing among a group of richly dressed scions of noble families, his brilliance would never be overshadowed.
A brilliance that seemed indifferent yet burned as fiercely as fire.
What Fang Jie found strange, mixed with a hint of jealousy, was why there always seemed to be a certain type of person in this world who didn't need speech to display their erudition, clothing to display their status, or wealth to display their riches. Merely by standing there, they possessed an immensely powerful presence.
Though he had only glanced at him, Fang Jie felt in his heart that the private room on the second floor opposite the stage in Hongxiuzhao should have been reserved specifically for this man.
If it were reserved for some immensely wealthy merchant or a high-ranking official in brocade robes, it would feel somewhat vulgar no matter what. Although Hongxiuzhao was just a song-and-dance establishment, and the women here couldn't be called noble…
Hongxiuzhao was never a vulgar place, and Madam Xi was never an ordinary person.
As Fang Jie looked at the man, he wondered if he should invite him for a drink.
The thought had just surfaced when the man in the blue gown and long robe, led by the old lame man, went straight up to the second floor. For the first time, Fang Jie saw the old lame man treat someone with such reverence. At the corner of the stairs, the man looked back at Fang Jie again, seemingly somewhat interested in him. Though the distance was considerable, Fang Jie could still discern a faint yet utterly unconcealed emotion in the man's eyes.
It wasn't just curiosity, but also… disgust.
What was it that disgusted him?
Fang Jie didn't know and had no time to guess, because just as the man ascended to the second floor, several border soldiers rushed in through the door. Without explanation, they grabbed Fang Jie and pulled him outside.
"The General is looking for you. Hurry to the market area!"
AI大模型翻译
"I found him," Fu Baobao said with a solemn expression and rapid breathing. Apparently, Red Embroidery Zhao was not the place he had originally been looking for; he had probably already run through half of Fanggu City.
"What's wrong?" Fang Jie asked as he ran.
"You'll know once you arrive."
They ran breathlessly towards the newly-built wooden building of the Market Supervision Office. By then, Fang Jie had probably understood what had happened. Hundreds of tall war horses were parked in the market. A Khitan man dressed in a dirty leather robe leaned against a wooden pillar, seemingly playing a flute leisurely, though the music was slightly trembling.
Fang Jie immediately recognized the man wearing a leather robe as a Khitan, due to their distinctive appearance. This is a special ethnic group. When Fang Jie first learned about these people, he even thought he had traveled back to an era when court dramas were prevalent.
Khitan men wore braids.
Just like the men from a certain dynasty that Fang Jie was familiar with, their foreheads were cleanly shaved, but they wore a long and thick braid tied at the back, which looked quite peculiar.
Fang Jie roughly understood the position of the Khitan people. They were unwilling to endure the oppression of the Mengyuan Empire and had repeatedly expressed their willingness to submit to the Great Sui Empire. However, perhaps due to broader strategic considerations, Emperor Sui never formally responded to the Khitan's request. The vast, icy lands of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, though expansive, were indeed too desolate. The emperor would not wage war against the Mengyuan Empire over such barren territory and backward people.
"Think of a way!" Li Xiaozong glanced at Fang Jie, frowning tightly.
"How did they get in?" Fang Jie didn't answer Li Xiaozong, but asked, "How did so many war horses get into the city?"
"Li Ganda, the police officer on duty today, is really something!" Li Xiaozong roared angrily. "He accepted a piece of gold from that Khitan and let them in. When I summoned him for questioning, he shamelessly claimed that it was he who let the Khitan in, not the Mengyuan people. The agreement between the Great Sui Empire and the Mengyuan Empire does not apply to the Khitan!"
"This guy..." Fang Jie couldn't help but smile bitterly. He knew that Li Gandao was renowned for his greed.
"However, what Li Ganda said isn't entirely correct!" Fang Jie took a sip of tea from the table, cleared his throat, and said, "The agreement between His Majesty the Emperor and Meng Ge doesn't seem to mention the Khitans, right? So the Khitans are not bound by the agreement... If the Mengyuan Empire tries to make a big deal out of this, they won't make much progress. This matter will eventually be handed over to the officials of the Ministry of Rites to argue with the grassland barbarians. I've heard that those officials are very proud and have sharp tongues. When it comes to arguing, the grassland barbarians are definitely no match."
"You mean... we should pretend nothing happened?" Li Xiaozong asked uncertainly.
"Of course not!" Fang Jie said with a deadpan expression. "There was no official trade between Emperor Sui and the Khitans. The Khitans usually traded with the barbarian tribes on the steppes... Of course, because of this, they must have suffered many losses. But there's no doubt that it's illegal for the Khitans to come here alone! Regarding foreigners who enter the border cities of the Great Sui without the permission of the imperial court..."
Fang Jie looked at Li Xiaozong: "Aren't they all considered invaders?"
"In principle, yes."Li Xiaozong thought for a moment and said.
"Then what is the General waiting for?"Fang Jie asked with a smile.
"Fang Jie!"Li Xiaozong slapped Fang Jie's shoulder hard. "You are truly a talent!"
…
That afternoon, explosive news spread like wildfire through Fangu City. The Khitans who had brought no fewer than five hundred warhorses for trade were captured by General Li Xiaozong himself. The Khitans' horses were confiscated, and over thirty Khitan men were chained and thrown into the city dungeon, reportedly subjected to severe torture.
The news spread like a storm. Before long, the Mengyuan garrison in the city of Nirvana across the Wolf's Milk Mountain Range knew all about it.
The thousand-man commander Agudamu didn't dare delay and immediately sent a fast rider galloping to the camp of Mandula, the banner lord of Mandu Banner, two hundred li away.
The Mengyuan Empire's territory was the most vast in the world. It was once said that the most troubling matter for successive Khans of the Mengyuan Empire was that none knew exactly how much land they ruled or how many subjects they had. Because the Mengyuan Empire's territory was simply too vast—too vast to be properly surveyed.
The Mengyuan Empire was divided into forty-eight banners. The smallest banner governed over a thousand li of grasslands. The closest to the Great Sui border city of Fangu was Mandu Banner. Its banner lord, Mandula, was a hardline hawk. The banners of the Mengyuan Empire were like the commanderies of the Great Sui, varying in size. Banner lords were appointed by the first Khan of the Mengyuan Empire and then inherited hereditarily.
Mandula was a fanatical warmonger who had repeatedly requested Mengyuan Khan Mengge to attack the Great Sui.
However, it was said this fellow had six wives, three of whom were Han Chinese.
Whether the incident in Fangu City would become the trigger for war between the Mengyuan Empire and the Great Sui was unclear. But Li Xiaozong knew he had to be prepared at all times. He ordered all eight hundred border troops to cancel their rotations and assemble to guard against a sudden attack by the Mengyuan. At the same time, he sent someone to report to the commandery seat, Jibei City, for Commandery Governor Wu Peizhi to decide.
When the news reached Jibei City, Wu Peizhi was immediately startled.
He only cursed Li Xiaozong as a pig, then immediately wrote a memorial and sent it via express courier to Chang'an City. Jibei Commandery was over ten thousand li from Chang'an… Who knew if war would have already broken out by the time the news reached Chang'an? To ensure no accidents, Wu Peizhi mobilized all the commandery troops for defense and simultaneously wrote a letter, sending someone to deliver it to the Right Houwei Army camp three hundred li away.
The fifty thousand elite garrison troops of the Great Sui's Right Houwei Army were the shield of the northwestern frontier!
The Right Houwei Grand General Li Yuanshan was also from the Longyou Li Clan, a direct descendant. This man had illustrious military achievements and was highly trusted by Emperor Yang Yi. Speaking of which, which of the Grand Generals commanding the twelve garrison armies of the Great Sui wasn't a man of great merit? Which didn't come from a prominent aristocratic family?
Compared to those lofty Grand Generals, a minor border town commander like Li Xiaozong was truly insignificant. If Li Xiaozong was insignificant, then there was no need to mention someone like Fang Jie, who only held the lowly position of deputy scout team leader.
And at this moment, this insignificant minor character was sitting in the dungeon, talking eloquently.
"What you Khitans did was just too idiotic."Fang Jie looked at the lead Khitan man and sighed. "Did you think I couldn't see through your scheme? Trying to force Mengyuan and Great Sui into war? Force Great Sui to accept you? Idiotic! Even a minor border official like me can see through it. Do you think the great personages in the imperial court are blind?"
Fang Jie glared fiercely at the Khitan man. "Do you think your crude, idiotic scheme could drag two empires into it? Do you think you Khitans have that qualification? You're being too naive. I'd bet that whether this matter reaches Mengge's ears or comes to the attention of our Great Sui Emperor… at most, it will only elicit a smile."
The Khitan man facing Fang Jie was around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, robust, with sharp eyebrows, angry eyes, a long thin face, and thin lips. His appearance suggested a man of resolute will.
"Your Honor!"The Khitan man clasped his fists. "I admit you've seen through our intentions, and the outcome might indeed be as you say. But if the Great Sui and Mengyuan go to war, and we Khitans then exert our full strength to assist the Great Sui in defeating Mengyuan, would the Emperor still refuse to accept us? Perhaps you will never understand how desperately we Khitans wish to find a new homeland."
"I just don't understand!"Fang Jie stood up abruptly, pointing at the man's nose. "What's wrong with living peacefully? Must there be war and death for you to be happy and satisfied? Don't you care how many die? Aren't you afraid Mengge might order your tribe exterminated in anger? Can't you just stay in your homeland and live well?"
"Your Honor…"The Khitan man looked at Fang Jie, a flash of pain in his eyes. "You must never have been to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, so you don't know how cold that place truly is. Perhaps you think the winters in Fangu City are already hard to endure. But in our homeland, the current weather in Fangu City is warmer than our spring! If you had been to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, you would know what real cold is—a despairing cold."
"We Khitans do not fear the cold. What we fear is extermination… Since the previous Khan of the Mengyuan Empire, every five years, the Mengyuan launch a recruitment drive among our tribe, claiming to recruit able-bodied men to join the Wolf Cavalry. But in truth, those men taken away are slaughtered along the way. Because the Mengyuan fear us; they don't want our tribe to grow strong, so they use this cruel method to slaughter our people. If this continues… in less than thirty years, our tribe will vanish from this world."
He looked at Fang Jie and asked word by word: "Do you think we shouldn't fight?"
"What's your name?" Fang Jie asked.
"Wanyan Liyao," the Khitan man replied.
"Alright, Wanyan Liyao… can your Khitan people forge iron?"
"Of course! The scimitars in the hands of our tribesmen are sharper than those of the Mengyuan Wolf Cavalry! But… we have no iron. So we lack sufficient weapons, enough arrows, to resist the Mengyuan Wolf Cavalry."
"You will."Fang Jie smiled and lowered his voice. "Stay here peacefully. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll soon be taken to a very large city. Officials far higher in rank than me will speak with you. Perhaps this will turn out to be a good thing for you."
"Finally…"
Fang Jie said gently: "My General asked me to thank you for the horses on his behalf."
"No need for thanks."Wanyan Liyao shrugged indifferently. "What the Khitans lack most are ironware and salt. What we don't lack are fine warhorses! And in this world, only we Khitans possess cold-resistant warhorses. I don't know if you've heard… The reason the Mengyuan always want to exterminate our people is that our Khitan Cold Cavalry is the only cavalry capable of charging to the foot of the Great Snow Mountain. That's why the followers of the Buddha Faith won't allow us to possess such strength. The Buddha Faith… they are a group of demons!"
Fang Jie nodded and turned to leave.
At that very moment, in the private room on the second floor of Hongxiuzhao.
"You've come."Madam Xi, whose crow's feet at the corners of her eyes were now visible but whose face remained captivating, spoke to the man before her. Undoubtedly, this was a superfluous statement. Madam Xi, whose age was hard to pinpoint, looked calm, but the rise and fall of her chest was far more pronounced than usual.
Her still lofty bosom was dazzling, exuding the allure of a mature woman.
"I am leaving, so I came first."
"Leaving again? Where to?"
"The most mysterious place in the world."The man in the blue gown said lightly with a faint smile. "I must go, or I would regret it."
Madam Xi was stunned, a slow tear trailing from the corner of her eye. "You have no other regrets?"
Desolate, helpless.
"If even that perilous place cannot keep me, I will return to find you."