Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (VI)

Bian Hongqiu ignored the pain all over his body, put aside the emotions that were sweeping through his internal organs, mounted his warhorse, and led his men towards the west city gate, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Qi Ziyu, though a shrewd person, was highly conscious of the importance of important matters and was not one to be careless. He personally came to invite Bian Hongqiu, not only because Jingxi Wang's men were counterattacking at the West City Gate, but also because they were experiencing internal strife. He saw that there was also a situation on the banks of the Huai River, and feared that no one would be able to support them, so he hurried to invite Bian Hongqiu.

Bian Hongqiu had spent two years gathering the remaining troops from the Western Border—including the original Lanzhou defenders, refugees he recruited along the way, and civilians who had posted notices and volunteered. Later, he added a small group he had recruited by sending Qi Ziyu to join Man Dayu in Xizhongting to fight bandits. In short, it was a very mixed group.

After reorganizing the army, he gradually integrated himself with the Western Border troops, and with Song Jingyan steering the charge, he had already cultivated a force that rivaled the one he had left at the Shangyang border. He then established an unshakable prestige within the army by retaking Kailanzhou, leaving even the military supervisors sent from the capital powerless to stop him.

But people in the capital were still wary of him.

While he was still grappling with the Western Border Army, an imperial edict was sent to Shangyang, disbanding the Shangyang border troops, who had been brought up under the old Prince of Liang, and assigning them to various locations. Recruits were then transferred from these locations to fill the vacancies. Bian Hongqiu understood the scheming of those in the capital. After all, the barbarians outside the Great Wall had long been repelled, so the imperial court naturally felt confident. Since the transfer order was legitimate, he couldn't speak out. Furthermore, His Majesty hadn't treated these people unfairly. So, for years, Shao Zheng was sent personally to deliver New Year's gifts to his former comrades during the New Year holidays.

After that, the capital city stopped taking any action against Prince Liang’s Mansion.

He likely didn't want to engage in a seemingly inexplicable internal conflict with the King of the Western Border while he was watching closely. Until he submitted a memorial, requesting that Emperor Xue formally incorporate the assembled force. Along with the decree establishing the "Western Border Army," a patrol force was also issued, with the mission to "assist the Western Border and crush the rebels."

Everyone under Bian Hongqiu was dissatisfied.

The imperial decree establishing the Western Frontier Army was also meticulously crafted. It wasn't long enough, every word was filled with pressure, and the word "wartime" was even added to the name at the end. And this patrol army was even more remarkable, with nothing to do but hang around these burly men all day. After the balance of power in Kailanzhou was stabilized in the capital, the secret decree ordering them to stop fighting came from the patrol army. Fearing that the imperial decree wouldn't be enough to control these people, they found ways to find fault, even blaming Bian Hongqiu for something like "General Qi's morning singing disrupting the patrol army's normal training."

Bian Hongqiu was extremely annoyed, so he personally led a team to meet up with Xi Zhongting who was still suppressing the bandits. He cut off dozens of heads of stubborn people as trophies and hung them in front of the patrol army camp. Every day, he invited the general in charge of the patrol army to drink under the "cloud of human heads", and finally he managed to appease this group of people who were looking for trouble.

Since then, the Western Border Army and the Patrol Army have been living in peace. Occasionally, when the Patrol Army wanted to cause trouble, they would head to the west bank of the Huai River to test it, but these were all harmless minor fights.

Bian Hongqiu felt gloomy when he thought of Cai Zhao, the leader of the inspection team.

This General Cai is also Xi Zhongting's number one supporter whom he has never met.

The West City Gate was within sight. Bian Hongqiu glanced over and saw that it was the patrol troops and the Western Border Army at the gate, tense and tense. Cai Zhao, atop a towering horse, wielded a heavy sword as he faced the Western Border Army, who had surrounded the patrol troops. Another of the Western Border Army's lieutenant commanders refused to retreat. The city walls were ablaze with lights, revealing countless silver rays raining down like a rain. The cries of the rebels fighting outside the gate were ferocious, leaving the Western Border Army deployed there struggling. The patrol troops, outnumbered, relied on the Western Border Army's fear of a real attack and, like rats burrowing into a hole, seized the opportunity to push open the city gate.

The gap in the city gate widened and narrowed, and the traitors who had been escaping for a long time outside roared with curses. The small leaders among them had already ordered their soldiers to lock their spears in the gap in the city gate. The two groups were not the same group, but at this moment, a sudden inspiration came and they used all their strength to attack the Western Border Army.

Bian Hongqiu reached back expressionlessly.

Qi Ziyu finally had some understanding with him in this regard, and immediately presented him with a heavy bow that he usually used.

The wind was too loud at gallop, making it difficult to talk. Bian Hongqiu reined in his horse and tapped his bow a few times with his fingers, stained with dried blood. He didn't miss the blood on his fingertips; it wasn't his. Thinking of Xi Zhongting, who had insisted on sending troops to the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan, and Cai Zhao, who had turned his sword inward when faced with imminent disaster, he narrowed his eyes and asked perfunctorily, "What happened?"

Seeing that he was ready to strike, Qi Ziyu quickly said, "General Cai told us not to get entangled with these people, but to fight our way out of Huangque Island and come to the aid of General Xi."

"Hmm."

Bian Hongqiu wasn't angry; instead, he smiled. "Actually, I've always been curious. Your Majesty isn't completely ill. The new governors sent to various prefectures all have a heart for the people and possess talent and perseverance. Most of the border garrisons are commanded by Xi Zhongting, who is strict with himself and others. So why would a jerk like Cai Zhao be sent to the western border to cause me trouble?"

Qi Ziyu paused for a moment. Although he knew that Bian Hongqiu didn't really want him to reply, he still thought carefully about what Song Jingyan had said: "This... Cai Zhao seems to be related to the prince's mother?"

The current crown prince was adopted from the royal family and was raised by Your Majesty since he was a cradle.

Bian Hongqiu had no time to correct Qi Ziyu's half-hearted remarks. With his first arrow, he aimed at the city gate, which had been stretched out half a man's width, and stared directly at the rebel leader. The gate slowly opened, and the rebel, caught sight of a face of unparalleled beauty emerging from the bright light of the fire on both sides, appeared among the enemy troops. Having trained in the mountains for ten years, he could be considered a semi-barbarian. He had never heard of the New King of Liang, and at first glance, he instinctively assumed that this face was only fit for a fancy bow. So, he stood there defiantly, neither dodging nor evading, his chin raised, hoping to see the archer's embarrassment.

This arrow hit the bull's eye!

A few round drops of blood splattered from the brow of the leading rebel, and he fell off his horse with his eyes wide open. Qi Ziyu, seizing the perfect moment, waved his hand downwards, and like arrows from a bow, he and the soldiers behind him rushed out. The patrol troops, twisted into small groups, were instantly scattered. Qi Ziyu took the lead, and with a swing of his long sword, he cut off the spear shafts that held the city gate. A dozen infantrymen rushed forward and firmly closed the gate.

Bian Hongqiu continued to ride his horse forward a few steps.

With the second arrow, he aimed directly at the rice bucket on the top of the straw bag's neck. Qi Ziyu just put away his sword and turned back, his eyes widened, and he stammered: "Your Highness, Cai Zhao can't be killed yet, right?"

Bian Hongqiu raised his eyebrows and smiled at him: "Hush, later you lead the brothers to pack up these good-for-nothings, no one will know."

Qi Ziyu was very unsure, but he still gritted his teeth and told the soldiers behind him to get ready, waiting for Bian Hongqiu's arrow to pierce through the wind.

The arrow wasn't shot stealthily. Before it reached Cai Zhao, the scattered patrol troops screamed and clamored for their leader to evade. Anyone with a few years of archery practice on the training grounds could roughly predict the arrow's direction with a simple bend. Unfortunately, General Cai had relied on nepotism to reach the Western Frontier, and at best, he'd been seen a few times at his family's martial arts training ground, with servants praising him profusely. Regardless of his skill, he lacked the courage to face the arrow head-on.

Then, the arrow whizzed past with a tremendous force and pierced Cai Zhao's helmet.

Cai Zhao, clutching his horse's belly, fled, unsure of where to go. The force of the arrow knocked him off his horse. The guards behind him retreated, threatening to crush his brains out. He sprawled on the ground, his hair tangled in his helmet, pinned to the ground by the arrow, the tail of the arrow still trembling slightly.

It was not until Bian Hongqiu rode up to him that the frightened General Cai came to his senses. He was about to scold Bian Hongqiu angrily, thinking that he must report it to the emperor, but when he opened his mouth, he choked on his saliva.

The soldiers from the western border looked away, thinking that Cai Zhao was a general after all, so how could he be treated so badly?

Another deputy general under Bian Hongqiu came forward. His name was Yan He.

Yan He clasped his fists towards Bian Hongqiu on horseback and said, "Your Highness, I am following your orders. I will close the city gates and gather all the people here to go back to the city. Mr. Liu is currently registering the requisitioned houses, weapons, and kerosene borrowed from various businesses. The rebels are numerous, but they do not have bows, crossbows, or other vehicles to storm the city gates."

Bian Hongqiu knew what was going on. He knew Lieutenant General Yan wasn't one to let down his guard, so he hadn't been worried about the soldiers left behind by the King of Jingxi. He pulled another arrow from his quiver, aimed it at Cai Zhao again, and replied nonchalantly, "Really? Then why are you sending such a hasty signal? Are the gates of Huangque Island made of paper? Are you scared out of your wits?"

Hearing this, General Yan, who usually had only one expression, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids and mouth. "General Cai insisted on opening the city gates to meet the enemy. I dare not act on my own initiative and can only wait for your Highness's orders."

Cai Zhao was blatantly pointed at by Bian Hongqiu with an arrow, and he retreated backwards with his legs rubbing against the ground.

"You, you, King Liang, you dare to hurt me!"

Bian Hongqiu nodded slightly, tilted his head to look General Cai up and down, and said apologetically: "It's normal for me, a prince who changed my career halfway, to not be able to draw the bow steadily. I was aiming at General Cai's precious head, but I made General Cai so embarrassed. I'm really sorry--" As he said, he opened his arms, this time aiming at Cai Zhao's neck which was tucked behind his chin.

"Changing career halfway" was a sarcastic remark uttered by Cai Zhao when he was full of ambition and first came to the western border to make things difficult for Bian Hongqiu.

The Cai family wasn't considered high-ranking in the capital. While their aunt might have been considered marrying into the imperial family, the reality was that within two generations, the imperial family would likely have forgotten their existence. After Emperor Ling, the Bian family's empire was on the verge of collapse, and their grandparents lamented daily at home. Who could have foreseen that the Great Yu would survive, and that Emperor Xue would persevere amidst the turbulent times, bearing countless infamy.

Then, great joy came to their Cai family. His Majesty chose a son of the royal family and chose his aunt's child.

The Cai family, having risen to prominence, was eager to find a way to move into the imperial palace. However, even the powerful in Beijing acted as if they didn't exist. His grandfather, carrying wine, was met with a cold shoulder by the gatekeepers at the Duke's residence. Cai Zhao, a mediocre man, grew up to thirty, unwilling to accept the feeling of wealth and status so readily within his grasp. He made three daily trips to his aunt's residence, begging for favors. Finally, he met the Crown Prince, who personally arranged this prestigious position for him.

In Cai Zhao's mind, if he had the trust of His Majesty and the Crown Prince, why would he send any patrol troops to watch over him?

Thinking that King Liang would also be liquidated after taking back Zuo Dan's Eighteen Continents, he was not afraid of offending the other party at all.

And this King Liang was just like that. He had only conquered Lanzhou. Who hadn't learned to draw a bow and ride a horse? His face was filled with an androgynous look of gloom. The Western Border Army obeyed the orders of such a pretty boy, which really made him angry. So the memorials he sent to the capital every month were filled with reports of the Western Border Army's treasonous deeds.

Cai Zhao looked up at Bian Hongqiu, unsuspecting that he had somehow managed to spy on the memorials he submitted monthly. He trembled, the murderous intent and contempt evident in Bian Hongqiu's eyes. He was so frightened that he almost begged for mercy. Sweat streamed down his skin. His voice was so low it could be heard as tears welled up in his voice: "Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's punishment? I'm the chief inspector general personally appointed by His Majesty!"

The more he spoke, the more his last few words trembled. The Western Border Army behind Bian Hongqiu tried to hold back their laughter, but when Bian Hongqiu turned around and glanced at them, they immediately restrained their expressions.

Bian Hongqiu was in a very bad mood.

Not only for these idiots who made things difficult for him, but also for himself.

A few days ago, when the King of Jingxi launched an attack on Lanzhou with a fleet of fleeting naval forces, he couldn't see any significance behind this action, other than a spur-of-the-moment, muddled thought. So when Xi Zhongting threatened to take action prematurely, he more or less relaxed his guard, perhaps also because he was planning to allow himself to enter Huangque Island. In short, he was half-forced to join in the attack.

Cai Zhao insisted on crossing the river with the patrol troops, his ulterior motives obvious. Seeing Zuo Dan's Eighteen Continents recaptured, the patrol troops couldn't stay in the Western Territory for long. They simply wanted to earn merit with the Western Territory Army, ideally landing under Xi Zhongting's command, and then worrying about nothing from now on.

So he just put his brain on the ground and even thought of a plan to break out from Huangque Island to support Xi Zhongting.

He didn't consider the unknown number of troops the King of Jingxi had left behind. If they truly left without a care in the world and headed for Yuechan Island, what if these rebels turned around and marched straight for Kailanzhou? In that case, it would be the Western Border Army and Xi Zhongting who would be the victims, and the livelihood they had cultivated on the east bank of the Huai River for decades would be destroyed.

The blood clots on Bian Hongqiu's fingertips pulled at his skin, constantly reminding him of the price he paid for his underestimation of the enemy and his impatience.

It's bad luck for this guy named Cai.

He had previously been reluctant to argue with Cai Zhao; at most, he would have prevented Qi Ziyu from shouting in broad daylight, a move that would have relieved the Western Border Army. But that didn't mean he had to rely on currying favor with a jerk to maintain his relationship with the imperial court. Xi Zhongting's rash military action, even if he and the Western Border Army had jointly controlled the entire Eighteen Continents, would have completely disrupted their subsequent plans.

The imperial court did not dare to touch him at this time. Could it be that they hated him more than they hated the King of Jingxi?

Even if he killed Cai Zhao, at most he would receive an imperial edict of reprimand, which would not be a big deal.

If the Crown Prince could really punish him to seek justice for his cousin, why would Xi Zhongting and his group of old ministers act on their own when His Majesty is seriously ill?

Bian Hongqiu raised the corner of his mouth, "I really want to know how His Majesty will deal with me."

As he finished speaking, the third arrow roared towards Cai Zhao. Cai Zhao could almost see his own hideous tears on the tiny arrow tip.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, spare my life!"

Cai Zhao couldn't pretend any longer and threw himself forward, just in time to avoid the fatal arrow. He hugged the horse's leg, and the arrow nailed to the ground tore off a large piece of his scalp, leaving a red circle on the top of his head. He burst into tears and wiped his snot on the horse's leg: "Your Highness, I will obey your orders in everything! Your Highness, please spare my life!"

Bian Hongqiu had been too polite to him in the past, even when he mocked her directly, he'd just laughed it off. He really thought Bian Hongqiu was soft-tempered and easy to manipulate. After all, he had the old Liang Wang's old man following him, and Song Jingyan and Shao Zheng's reputations were well-known among the nobles in the capital. Even a fool could be helped to rise to power, right?

When he was invited to drink tea under a row of people, Song and Shao were standing on his left and right. He was still angrily scolding Bian Hongqiu in his heart for being a puppet with no ideas. He really didn't expect that Bian Hongqiu was actually a real prince with real power and temper!

Bian Hongqiu reined in his horse and stepped back. The horse, quite human, hesitated, wanting to kick the "human slug" that was holding it away, but ultimately followed its master's lead and retreated. Bian Hongqiu tossed his longbow. Qi Ziyu, who had been worried that Bian Hongqiu would pierce Cai Zhao's head in a fit of rage, breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out to catch the arrow and awaited his next instruction.

He pondered for a moment, "Cai Zhao is colluding with the rebels and is worthy of death. I will imprison him and write to the Crown Prince, requesting his order for punishment."

Cai Zhao's mouth was full of snot and tears. The sentence "collaborating with the rebels" almost knocked him unconscious. He was about to grab the horse's leg and climb up Bian Hongqiu's leg, but suddenly heard the second half of the sentence "Prince Regent". He suddenly saw his future after surviving the disaster. Half of his face was distorted, and he didn't know whether he should cry or not.

Qi Ziyu was confused by his empty talk. Just as he was about to say something, Deputy General Yan, who was traveling with him, had already followed Bian Hongqiu's instructions. He ordered two of his personal guards to pick up General Cai, who was lying in a heap of mud. Then he imprisoned the patrol soldiers who had assisted the evildoer. He also sent a message to Mr. Liu, asking him to draft a memorial for the commander-in-chief.

After wrapping up the chaotic scene, Bian Hongqiu continued, "Send someone to ask Xi Zhongting. Is Cai Zhao just being self-indulgent, or is General Xi secretly colluding with the Western Border Patrol? If it's the latter, don't be polite to me. Just send the people." The rebels were still shouting outside the city gate, but Bian Hongqiu didn't bother to climb the city wall to take a look. "Qi Ziyu, come with me to the Huai River bank. General Yan will be in charge here. All matters will be handled by you and Mr. Liu."

Yan He understood what he meant. Zuo Dan's Eighteen Continents wasn't a small place to be taken in one go. Xi Zhongting hadn't even reached Yuechan Continent yet. No matter how unstoppable their advance was, they would inevitably exhaust their energy between the various continents. It would be better to hold onto Huangque Continent while Xi Zhongting recovered and recuperated before making any plans. Their influence at court wasn't as strong as Xi Zhongting's, so no matter how unpleasant this situation was, they had to keep going.

Bian Hongqiu left some words and took Qi Ziyu around the city.

Shao Zheng acted even more swiftly, not only stabilizing the disorganized Kailanzhou navy but also, starting from the banks of the Huai River, conducting household checks on population, household registration, and livelihoods. Upon hearing from his personal guards that Bian Hongqiu had imprisoned Cai Zhao and the patrol troops who had committed folly at the West City Gate, he sent word back to Kailanzhou, ordering the remaining patrol troops to be placed under arrest.

Bian Hongqiu did not change his armor. The wound on the back of his neck went from numb to severe pain, so he just hurried back to the inn.

Meng Shizhuang's life was no longer in danger, but she remained unconscious, with Liu Lang guarding her bedside. Bian Hongqiu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went into the next room. Song Jingyan, who had fainted earlier, had woken up, but her head still ached. However, she had no time to rest. Upon hearing that Bian Hongqiu had stabilized the rebellious patrol troops, she immediately devised a plan to move the Western Border Army to Huangque Island.

She saw Bian Hongqiu coming from next door, and before she could say anything, Bian Hongqiu came forward and picked up the note she had written despite the headache, saying, "Jingyan, thank you for your hard work. I will go back to Lanzhou myself. If something happens and I can't come in time, all matters in the city will be left to you to decide."

Seeing his face full of forced energy, Song Jingyan turned to leave, leaving a trail of fresh blood on the ground. It was from the back of Bian Hongqiu's neck. Startled, she tried to call out to him, but Bian Hongqiu strode out of the room. He unsheathed the Mulan sword he carried. Seeing him return, Liu Lang, unsure of his plans, assumed he would stay longer and was about to whisper an explanation about the letters he had received over the years.

Bian Hongqiu raised her hand to stop him, placed the Mulan Sword next to Meng Shizhuang's left hand, tucked the quilt in for him, and reminded Liu Lang: "Your brother doesn't know anything yet, don't tell him this."

Liu Lang paused and thought so too.

His Highness was so obsessed with missing him that he became ill, but Meng Shizhuang never thought of him at all. At most, she regarded Prince Liang's Mansion and His Highness as her hosts.

The atmosphere of the reunion was forcibly interrupted. Bian Hongqiu, so busy that he was completely distracted, had actually come to his senses. Even if they had met in their youth, after ten years apart, anyone would find his feelings inexplicable. Ah Shi had no ties. If things didn't work out, he could just take Liu Lang with him and travel around the world. By then, there was no telling where to find him.

He has to take it step by step.