Chapter 69 Princess Shang Daozhang is coming to the Northern Territory?
Chen Liangyu sat in an abandoned teahouse in the yellow sand, with Bu Ping'er and Lin Yin standing behind her. Outside the teahouse stood guards wearing eagle-head armor and ring-pommel swords.
From the distant yellow mist came the sounds of fighting and the clang of iron hooves.
Initially, trade between the northern border and the grasslands was thriving. People from the grassland tribes drove their cattle, horses, and sheep into the city to exchange for tea, cloth, and grain from the Central Plains. The grassland people were wild, bold, and didn't haggle. This attracted many tea, cloth, and grain merchants from the south who traveled thousands of miles eastward to the north to do business with the grassland people.
Gradually, a prosperous trade route was established.
Yaocheng was located in the middle of the Shuofang trade route. Caravans came and went, and tea was in high demand. Therefore, at that time, there was a tea stall with boiling water every few steps along the two sections of road before and after Yaocheng.
After Emperor Xuanyuan went to war with Beiyong, the city was often closed, and its commerce declined within a few years.
The cattle, horses, and sheep on the grasslands could not be exchanged for grain, and half of them did not survive the winter. Due to shortages of food and clothing, the population of the people living on the grasslands plummeted. One after another, small tribes disappeared like puddles drying up in the desert.
Later, the stronger nomads spontaneously formed larger tribal alliances, riding large horses and carrying broadswords into the city to plunder.
This group calls themselves "Knife-Horse Warriors" of the grasslands. All who come are guests.
They were known among the common people as bandits.
The Shuofang trade route begins in Zhudong, diagonally crossing Wuzhou Yucheng and Zhongwei City in the north, extending into the grassland inland. At the tip of the triangle formed by Zhudong, Wuzhou, and the grassland, lies Yaocheng.
The area is sparsely populated, remote, poorly defended, and has very poor public security.
This is the kind of place that is especially favored by swordsmen and horsemen, who visit it repeatedly.
The garrison of Yaocheng dared not confront the barbaric and brutal bandits head-on, and after a token attempt to stop them, they retreated to the side.
These people come several times a year, and the imperial court doesn't care. Why should they risk their lives? Anyway, they're only robbed of some property and women. If a few people die, they just send some copper coins to the families to cover it up, and everyone lives in peace. That's how it's always been done.
Chen Liangyu received the command seals of the three northern prefectures. In the imperial edict, Emperor Zhenyuan Xie Yuan added the words "Assistant to the State" before the military rank of "General of the Cavalry". Thus, he became the General of the Cavalry who assists the State.
Later generations simplified his military rank and called him the Grand General Who Assists the State.
Before leaving Yongdu, she made her final visit to the imperial mausoleum to pay respects to her relatives and Crown Prince Yizhang. Then, she went to Taihuang Temple to offer three sticks of incense to Empress Huixian's memorial tablet, without having anyone accompany her. Afterward, she took a detour through Zhudong, saw off Yan Nian and Yan Baizhang, and then returned to the northern border via the Shuofang trade route.
Whether Chen Liangyu was incredibly lucky or the bandits who called themselves "Dao Ma Ke" (Sword and Horsemen) were just incredibly unlucky, a group of Dao Ma Ke entered the city and wreaked havoc, burning, killing, and looting. There were at least one or two hundred of them, a truly impressive sight.
On their return journey, laden with spoils, they bumped right into Chen Liangyu's face.
She was followed by thousands of heavily armored cavalry.
Both groups stared at each other silently for a while.
The swordsmen were familiar with the armor that instilled fear in them, and immediately knew that they had encountered the Eagle Head Army.
Horse hooves scattered, and looted people, grain, and tools were left along the way.
Chen Liangyu gave the order: "Leave one mouth. Leave the rest dead." He then dismounted and went to a teahouse with a drafty roof to wait.
Along this trade route, there are many such dilapidated tea stalls. Most of them no longer have their thatched roofs intact.
The clanging and clashing of weapons stopped shortly afterward.
Jinghe brought a person on horseback. The person's clothing was very much in line with the characteristics of the grasslands, where people liked to tie a piece of animal skin to their cloth, with tiger and leopard skins considered superior and cow and sheep skins inferior. This person was wrapped in sheepskin, and it seemed that he was a lowly person in the grassland tribe.
Approaching the tea stall, Jinghe grabbed him with a large hand and threw him off the horse and onto the ground.
The man fell hard and cried out in pain, trembling slightly.
Jinghe had a string of ears hanging around his neck, still oozing blood. They were just cut off from his dead comrade to count.
Chen Liangyu stepped forward and asked a few simple questions, "Which tribe are you from?"
The man looked at Chen Liangyu in horror.
He couldn't understand the Han Chinese language.
The languages of different grassland tribes are not mutually intelligible, and their languages sound like gibberish, completely incoherent, as if they are afraid that people will be able to understand them.
Chen Liangyu then asked in the most common tribal language, "Kui Rong, Qiu Di, or Xi Mano?"
The man replied, "Chief Di."
Today, the three giants of the grasslands, Kuirong, Qiudi, and Ximano, have almost completed their annexation, devouring numerous small tribes and dividing the grasslands into three, thus re-dividing the territory.
The tribal leader of the Chief Di was named Chief Rong, and he was the one who plundered the border city of Da Lin the most.
Chen Liangyu said, “Go back and tell the chieftain,” pointing to the string of ears around his neck, “that if he dares to invade, this will be the punishment.”
She did not get angry.
Her voice and expression suggested she was casually chatting with someone. After speaking, she looked up at the endless yellow sand and covered her mouth and nose. The grassland man lay prostrate at her feet, like an ant waiting to be trampled to death.
Finally, the pair of terrifying military boots in front of him moved away and left.
A dozen or so women, covered in dust and dirt, sat huddled together on the wasteland.
Chen Liangyu said, "Jinghe, escort the people back, return the goods to the people, and record the losses. I will go and settle accounts with the chieftain. Who is the garrison commander of Yaocheng? Summon him to see me."
Perhaps due to frequent harassment and slaughter by the swordsmen, the garrison commander of Yaocheng is often changed, and it is unknown who has taken over now.
Jinghe said, "Yes, Miss. I was just about to go and see which coward it is."
Bu Ping'er circled the group of women twice, with more than a dozen pairs of eyes following her every step and turning their heads back and forth. By the time she had finished her "malicious" circling and scrutinizing, the women were already blushing, their heads buried in their chests, filled with unease.
Bu Ping'er said, "Are we just going to let ourselves be bullied like this?"
Nobody paid any attention to her.
Bu Ping'er then asked, "Do you want to fight back, girls?"
Chen Liangyu's forehead creased with annoyance. "You really never forget your job, no matter where you go."
Lin Yin also said, "You don't even pick the right time to recruit soldiers."
Bu Ping'er said, "When will you recruit soldiers? If you pick a time, I won't want you anymore. Girls, how about joining the army with the General?"
Lin Yin scoffed at her.
She followed behind Chen Liangyu, calling out, "Chen Liangyu, General Chen...".
Chen Liangyu asked, "What is it?"
Lin Yin asked, "Why doesn't the Eagle Head Army want women?"
Chen Liangyu said, "Who said no?"
Lin Yin said, "But I haven't seen a single one." She pondered.
Chen Liangyu stopped and explained to her earnestly: "The Eagle Head Army selects its members once a year. They hold a martial arts competition at the Suzhou camp. Those who win twelve rounds can receive the Eagle Head Armor and Eagle Pattern Sword. The female soldiers of the Cloud Banner Army just arrived this year, and no one has competed yet, so you naturally won't see them."
Bu Ping'er appeared out of nowhere and said, "This humble general accepts the challenge."
Lin Yin said, "I agree as well."
"Okay." Chen Liangyu's lips curled up slightly, her smile relaxed.
Many years ago, she went up to the platform to compete in martial arts. She won the first eleven rounds and was full of pride. As she was cleaning her spear in her tent in preparation for the twelfth round, she heard some harsh words outside the tent.
"You can usually just play around with her, but you treat the selection of the Eagle Head Army like this?"
"Everyone knows how she won. The Marquis and the Young Marshal were watching from below. Who would dare to beat her? If you really have the ability, go and spar with Vice General Jing. Vice General Jing won't let you have her."
"That's right. Deputy General Jing is ruthless when it comes to the selection of officers in the Eagle Head Army. Only by defeating Deputy General Jing can people truly respect her."
Two dark figures drifted past the tent and disappeared into the distance. In that battle, she used all her might to defeat Jingming.
She was fifteen years old that year.
She stood high above, holding a long spear with a red tassel, beneath the fluttering banners of the command platform, taking center stage. At this time, less than a month had passed since the famous Battle of Horseshoe Valley in the Qilian Mountains.
Lin Yin said, "Then I will definitely be the first female soldier to break into the Eagle Head Army."
Chen Liangyu had already mounted his horse, and his voice descended from above, "That's a pity, you won't be the first one."
Lin Yin was not discouraged and said, "If I can't be the first..."
Bu Ping'er said, "What if you can't be the first one?"
Lin Yin held up two fingers: "Then let's make the second one."
Bu Ping'er mounted her horse: "I thought you were going to make some kind of solemn oath!"
Lin Yin also mounted his horse and said, "How can a solemn oath be made so carelessly?"
As a thousand riders swept past, the yellow dust seemed to grow even thicker.
After the iron hooves had trampled far away, the chieftain Di frantically groped for the only remaining horse, mounted it, and fled.
A solemn oath should not be sworn lightly. Not long after, Lin Yin was defeated in the second round against Bu Ping'er.
She was knocked down by Bu Ping'er's spear, rolled on the ground a few times, covered herself in mud and dust before standing up and rushing to Chen Liangyu's main tent, saying, "General, this competition is completely unreasonable!"
Chen Liangyu didn't even turn his head: "Defeated?"
"Yes," Lin Yin said, "But in warfare, is brute force the only option?"
Chen Liangyu asked, "Then what do you want to compete in?"
"Military formation!"
Chen Liangyu stared at the sand table, a handwritten edict in his hand. He was thinking about how to expand the Shuofang trade route while figuring out how to make the chieftain Di suffer another major setback.
Not long ago, she dealt with the garrison commander of Yaocheng, destroyed the stronghold of the chieftain Di, and forced their tribe to migrate north. Suddenly, the court wanted to discuss annual tribute with the three major grassland tribes of Kuirong, the chieftain Di, and Ximano, and ordered her to cease hostilities.
Interestingly, Xie Wenjun actually did send Du Peisun to this barren land of Wuzhou, a distance of three hundred li. Before she received the imperial edict, Du Peisun had already come to inform her.
"The imperial court is currently negotiating annual tribute with the leaders of the three tribes of Qiudi, Kuirong, and Ximano, with the aim of reopening the Shuofang trade route and establishing trade with the grasslands. You've been chasing after Qiudi, but the Qiudi tribe has moved its strongholds one after another. When the imperial envoys arrive at the new locations, all they find are abandoned cattle and sheep pens and thatched huts; they can't find anyone at all. How can we possibly negotiate under these circumstances?"
Chen Liangyu pondered for a moment and said, "Is the Princess short of money again? She even wants to do business with the bandits?"
When the You family heard that Princess Zhonglin and Chen Liangyu wanted to keep people, they thought of the more than one hundred noble families who had died tragically in Zhudong. They begged and pleaded with everyone to send four million taels of silver to the Eastern Palace and the Xuanping Marquis's residence.
Even in peacetime, the annual tax revenue collected by Da Lin was only 20 million taels.
The money was recorded by the Grand Secretariat and entered into the national treasury under the guise of reparations.
Du Peisun said, “In your report of losses, the chieftain slaughtered a few old hens and broke a few worthless earthenware pots. The most valuable thing was a small lamb. So you want to go to war with the chieftain? This is not right, General! This is the second time I have come to persuade you, but you will not listen. Someone from the court has already submitted a memorial impeaching you.”
"On one hand, they want to shut down Lingjiu Academy, and on the other hand, they submit a memorial impeaching me. Are they deliberately trying to make things difficult for me? They say I'm going to war over a few chickens. I just happened to be passing by that day, and they only killed a few chickens. What if I hadn't been there? Killing a few chickens today, killing a few cows tomorrow, and a few people dying the day after are all minor matters and not worth going to war for. May I ask, Lord Du, at what point is it worth going to war? Must we wait until we lose territory and cities before we must muster an army to conquer and reclaim the lost land? You're only spouting sarcastic remarks when the chieftain's knife isn't at your throat."
Chen Liangyu became angry when this matter was mentioned.
"I haven't even addressed you yet, Lord Du. How have you served as the Prefect of Wuzhou? Yaocheng has been robbed by bandits time and again, and you've just stood by and watched the people suffer. Where's the backbone you had when you fiercely criticized the Princess? Have you lost your nerve?"
Du Peisun: "I am only here to convey the wishes of the officials to the General. If the General wants to scold me, please don't take it out on me."
Chen Liangyu: "Since you came on their behalf, you deserve to be scolded!"
Du Peisun said, “It’s not that I don’t want to get involved. It’s just that the city is frequently looted, so most of the people have moved away. There are a few left who are unwilling to leave their homeland. We’ve tried to persuade them, but there’s nothing we can do. The city is remote and has a small population. The imperial court has never allocated grain to Yaocheng, so we can’t station a large army there. We can only have the Wuzhou garrison patrolling the area regularly. Haven’t you always advocated avoiding war if possible? Why are you insisting on fighting this war over a few chickens?”
Chen Liangyu said, “The Di chieftains have repeatedly harassed the borders of my Dahe. I do not advocate war, but we must at least drive them back and frighten them so that they will think twice before they dare to invade in the future. Only then can the people of my dynasty live in peace! If we keep backing down and cowering, and send envoys to negotiate whenever something happens, they will only think that my Dahe is weak and easy to bully!”
Du Peisun said, "I cannot persuade you. You can speak to the Princess yourself in a few days. I will prepare a memorial to apologize to the Princess."
Chen Liangyu suddenly looked up: "Is Princess Chang coming to the Northern Border?"
She could only return to Yongdu once a year for reporting on her duties or when summoned. Now that it was neither the day for reporting on her duties nor when she received a summons, the only time they could meet was when Xie Wenjun passed through the northern border on his way north.
Du Peisun asked, "Didn't you receive the Princess's edict?"
“There is a written edict,” Chen Liangyu said.
She initially thought the imperial edict would simply tell her to stop pursuing the killing of the chieftain's tribe, and decided to finish the battle quickly before considering the consequences. This way, it wouldn't be considered disobeying the imperial decree.
After Du Peisun left, Chen Liangyu hurriedly searched through the bright yellow silk brocade and found it. It was indeed Xie Wenjun's handwriting.
In June of the second year of the Zhenyuan era, Xie Wenjun made his second field inspection, heading north.
Author's Note: The outline for my next book, "Youthful Resignation Literature," is in its initial stages; I'm currently saving drafts.
A broken mirror mended, 1v1, happy ending—this is the book I'm writing about. You can pre-order it now! Thank you!
Thank you for reading this far!
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