Lights also came on in a small courtyard not far from the East Courtyard.
Ayan got up, putting on her coat.
As she stepped out of the room, a cold wind carrying fine snow blew in, chilling her to the bone.
She looked towards the east, where the night had fallen.
Not long after, the maidservant hurriedly returned from outside.
Ayan: "How is it?"
The maid shook her head. "Their defenses are very tight, and we can't get close. We can't eavesdrop on what they're saying for now. However, two people were talking in hushed tones on the road, and they mentioned the Western Rong and their troops."
Ayan seemed to be deep in thought.
There must be a war in Yongzhou, otherwise the Embroidered Uniform Envoy wouldn't have been in such a hurry overnight.
.
A heavy snow fell overnight, and some people were consumed by inner turmoil, unable to sleep all night.
Some people, nestled in warm blankets with beautiful maids, had a good night's sleep.
As dawn broke, before 7 a.m., the Qin merchants had already finished getting ready and were preparing to go out.
A young eunuch hurriedly stepped through the door, bowing low.
"Lord Qin, Eunuch Wang requests your presence."
The young embroidered commander was spreading his arms, having someone put a snow cloak on him.
Hearing this, he frowned.
"knew."
News of the approaching enemy forces from the Western Rong reached the Embroidered Robe Envoy in the middle of the night.
Eunuch Wang received the news at dawn.
They are quite clever at getting their eyes and ears open.
Good, let's make things clear to him and not cause any trouble at this time.
…
The Qin merchants arrived very quickly.
After the eunuch finished delivering the message, less than an incense stick's time later, the Qin merchant came to pay his respects to Eunuch Wang.
Eunuch Wang drank several cups of wine last night and slept soundly.
It wasn't until dawn, when someone woke me up, that I learned that Qingchuan, not far from Jincheng, was about to be surrounded by the Western Rong people.
How can this be allowed to continue?
He was entrusted with an imperial mission and could not afford to make any mistakes.
Through a thin gauze curtain, a meek maid was kneeling in front of the bed, helping Eunuch Wang put on his shoes.
The room was filled with incense, but because it hadn't been ventilated overnight, the smell was foul.
After the Qin merchant paid his respects, he stood at the door and waited.
Eunuch Wang first gave him a good scolding.
Why didn't you inform him last night when you learned that the Qingchuan bandits were approaching?
Qin Shang smiled.
"The intelligence report arrived close to midnight. I dared not disturb your sleep, sir, and planned to report it this morning. Moreover, the Western Rong troops have not yet approached Qingchuan. The recent heavy snow has made travel difficult, so the battle may not proceed so quickly."
"Bullshit!" Eunuch Wang spat.
Everyone knows that the Western Rong and other barbarian tribes are all bandits who grew up on horseback. What is such a heavy snowstorm to them?
Perhaps it will be as easy as walking on flat ground.
Otherwise, why would the various Western Rong and Hu tribes always cause trouble during the cold winter months?
Eunuch Wang lifted the gauze curtain and came out from the inner room.
“We can’t stay in Jincheng anymore. These past few days, the goods and cavalry for returning to the capital have been almost completely gathered. Give the order that after breakfast, we will leave Jincheng together with the Prince of Qishan.”
Qin Shang: "Sir, the snow is so heavy, the roads are difficult to travel. Let's wait a few more days."
Eunuch Wang glared.
"Pass on my order: depart at the end of Chenshi (9 o'clock), and no one is to be delayed!"
A few days later, the Western Rong would have slaughtered Qingchuan and would definitely be heading for Jincheng.
Jincheng is the capital of Yongzhou, so it must be much richer than Qingzhou.
The Qin merchant stood still.
"My lord, you are carrying out His Majesty's decree. There is currently unrest in Qingchuan. You should be stationed in Jincheng to stabilize the morale of the people both inside and outside the city, and actively seek assistance from outside."
Eunuch Wang: ...
He looked at me like I was an idiot.
"What does this have to do with me? Guarding Jincheng and stabilizing the hearts of the people inside and outside the city are the responsibilities of the Prefect, Governor, and Commander of Yongzhou."
His gaze swept over Qin Shang's face.
He sneered, thinking that the little thing was probably trying to take credit again.
After all, the Embroidered Robe Envoys are a pack of bloodthirsty wolves.
What appears to be a catastrophe to outsiders may be seen as a stroke of good fortune.
"If you wish to stay, then stay as you please. We will not interfere in your affairs, but will simply send people to protect me and the King of Qishan."
Qin Shang smiled slightly.
For some reason, that smile seemed somewhat meaningful in the dim light.
"Does Lord Wang insist on leaving at this time?"
Eunuch Wang was displeased: "What? Are you going to disobey our master?"
The Qin merchant bowed and begged for forgiveness.
"This humble official dares not. This humble official will see you off, sir."
As he straightened up, a flash of light appeared on the long sword at his waist, and the eunuch Wang felt a chill on his neck.
The next instant, blood spurted out.
He stared wide-eyed, gurgling in his throat, unable to utter a word.
He never imagined, even in death, that a Qin merchant would dare to kill him.
…
The young eunuch who had been serving Wang the eunuch widened his eyes.
She wanted to scream, but then, for some reason, she covered her mouth tightly with both hands.
He knelt down, trembling.
After the sudden change, the room was completely silent, like ice and snow.
The Qin merchant raised his knife and kicked aside the obstructing corpse.
He casually sat down in the main seat and gave the instructions:
"Go and invite Master Daoci here."
.
The white-robed monk stepped into the room, which was unusually dim because the candles had burned out.
The thin gauze curtains billowed in the wind.
The charcoal brazier went out, and the blood of the corpse lying on the ground had congealed due to the cold weather.
He gathered his prayer beads and recited a long Buddhist chant.
The official seated in the main seat, dressed in a dark green embroidered robe with snake scales, was wiping bloodstains from his fingers with a white handkerchief.
Upon seeing him arrive, a smile appeared on the handsome face of the man.
"It's just that I've troubled you to come here so early in the morning, but there's a reason for it."
The words spoken were intimate and gentle.
A monk in white robes stood outside the door.
"What business does Your Excellency have with me?"
Qin Shang: "Hmm, there's no rush. Has the master eaten yet?"
The monk replied that it had already been used.
The Qin merchant tossed aside the handkerchief he was using to wipe the blood and laughed:
"But I haven't eaten yet. Master, why don't you accompany me to eat some more?"
.
If Qingchuan is about to start a rebellion, Jincheng will not be able to remain unaffected.
The most urgent task is to go to Daning City to get reinforcements.
The city of Danning is stockpiled with 10,000 soldiers year-round. These soldiers are from various units that retired seven years ago after the great victory at Panxia Pass.
The general in charge of the army in Danning City was originally the Right General of the Pingxi Military Governor's Office. Although he had achieved military merits, he was repeatedly demoted because he was a former general of the Zhou Dynasty, and eventually became the garrison commander of Danning.
However, this person has an eccentric personality and treats his soldiers and armor as if they were his own lives.
They wouldn't even obey the King of England's military orders, so it would be incredibly difficult for ordinary people to borrow troops.
The sky was dimly lit, and the snowflakes fell in disarray.
The dark green official robes with snake scales walked side by side with the white robes of the monks on the road.
The vast mansion resembled a snow-covered tomb, utterly silent.
Qin Shang: "I've heard that the garrison commander of Danning is a former official of the Zhou Dynasty. Master, you bear the blood of the Zhou royal family, so your influence is certainly greater than mine. There are 300,000 people in Jincheng and 120,000 in Qingchuan. Master, you have a compassionate heart; surely you wouldn't watch these people's lives be trampled by the sand bandits of the Western Rong?"
After listening, the white-robed monk remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he recited a long Buddhist chant.
His eyes reflected the snowy, crystalline beauty of the world.
"This humble monk is willing to go."
Just as a look of joy appeared on Qin Shang's face, he saw the pair of dark eyes opposite him, cold and icy, as if they were sealed with snow.
"But I am going alone, not with you."
The smile on Qin Shang's face froze.
What's the meaning?
He wanted to go to Daning alone to seek help?
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