Chapter 64
Dusk was falling.
Lu Huaying and A Yu rode at full speed and rushed back to Xizhou.
They returned a full afternoon later than the agreed-upon time.
Wang Yu and Lu Hongbi waited at the city gate, but no one came, and they were both very worried. The city gate was about to close, and they still couldn't see them. Lu Hongbi couldn't help but think about going out of the city.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed down the main road at dusk, and Lu Huaying and her companion, their figures covered in dust, appeared before the city gate.
Lu Hongbi breathed a sigh of relief.
The messenger will depart tomorrow. Wang Yu has already packed her luggage. Lu Huaying took out a stack of yellow hemp paper and handed it to her, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is the contract that Madam Yan and I signed."
Wang Yu took the yellow hemp paper and examined it carefully several times. She asked in surprise, "You gave the prescription to Madam Ming?"
Lu Huaying nodded and said, "It's just the simplest remedy for facial acne."
They were suddenly summoned back to Luoyang and had to leave Liucheng. The children in the alley suddenly lost their means of making a living and could only return to the days of hunger and thirst they had endured before.
Lu Huaying returned to Liucheng mainly to resolve this matter. Due to the short notice, she didn't have time to make other arrangements, so she left some money to ensure the children's livelihood and entrusted them to the county magistrate's wife for care. She planned to make further plans after returning to Luoyang and settling down.
Zhou Wei's attempt to forcibly buy those children as servants reminded Lu Huaying that others in Liucheng might also believe the children possessed the recipe for the herbal medicine.
Merchants are the most shrewd and calculating; they won't let those children go unpunished.
After forcing Zhou Wei to put his fingerprint on the document, Lu Huaying immediately went to find the magistrate's wife, signed a contract with her, and gave her several prescriptions for treating facial sores.
The magistrate's wife was at home sighing with the magistrate. Thanks to Lu Huaying's facial medicine, she had made friends with the Zhang and Ma families, powerful clans in Xizhou. Just as she was about to make a move to win over the noble ladies of Xizhou, Lu Huaying was about to leave.
When the couple were both distressed and frustrated, Lu Huaying came to them and offered her a prescription. The magistrate's wife was overjoyed and promised to continue employing those children.
The magistrate immediately summoned the market magistrate and broker to draw up a contract for the two men.
After Lu Huaying explained the ins and outs of the contract, Wang Yu said, "No wonder you came back so late. So, we're going to be doing business with Madam Ming from now on?"
They hadn't considered partnering with anyone before because they hadn't yet been freed from their lowly status and weren't eligible.
Lu Huaying nodded and said, "Madam Ming will be managing things here in Xizhou for us, so we can hand over the things we left in Liucheng to her."
Wang Yu frowned and said, "Xizhou and Shendu are so far apart, and the Lady of the Prefect is the wife of an official. What will we do if she doesn't keep her promise?"
Lu Huaying laughed and said, "Madam Yan is not interested in our business. She just wants to use the noodle business to befriend the women of the powerful families in Xizhou and pave the way for the magistrate's career. She has to consider her husband's reputation and will not easily break the contract. Even if she breaks her promise, we will only lose a few noodle recipes."
Magistrate Yan will stay in Liucheng for four years. At least until Magistrate Yan is promoted, Magistrate Yan's wife will keep her promise and hire those children.
Lu Huaying didn't expect the magistrate's wife to take care of the children forever; what she wanted was to find the most stable and reliable support for the children before she left, ensuring their livelihood.
Once they are settled in Luoyang, we can make other arrangements.
Wang Yu nodded and said, "I was also worried about how those people would live without their wages. Feifei, you've made very good arrangements."
...
The next day, Fan Hui put aside his official duties to see Lu Huaying and the others off.
Lu Huaying asked him how to settle Ayu and Afu, and Fan Hui said, "Wei Mingsu wants them to return to the capital. Since you're going that way, let them continue to follow you. Once you get to the capital, they can go home on their own."
This arrangement was like a bolt from the blue for Afu. His eyes reddened, he wiped them, and turned and ran away.
Lu Huaying found Afu hiding behind the carriage, wiping away his tears, and comforted him, saying, "Afu, you don't know martial arts, so Governor Wei didn't let you come along. He did it for your own good."
Afu glared at her with tears in her eyes and said, "I know my husband is doing this for my own good!"
I know exactly what my lord is thinking!
Lu Huaying coaxed him, "Then why are you crying?"
Afu wiped her eyes: "I'm afraid I won't be able to see my husband again."
After saying that, he raised his hand and slapped himself. "Your bad luck won't come true."
Lu Huaying was silent for a moment, then raised her eyes and looked westward, saying, "Good people are always blessed; he will return safely."
The weather was bad today. Dark, gloomy clouds rolled in from the west, making the light dim and the horizon dark, so nothing could be seen clearly.
&n
A look of worry appeared in her eyes as she stepped onto the carriage at Wang Yu's urging.
The wheels began to roll slowly.
The convoy left Xizhou and headed towards the Central Plains under Fan Hui's watchful eye.
...
Dark clouds loomed over Xizhou, and thousands of miles away on the grasslands, dark clouds rolled in, and strong winds whipped up yellow sand, obscuring the dim light of day and shrouding the earth in a hazy, yellowish chaos.
At the request of Uler, the Grand General sent by the Western Liang people to manage the Western Regions, all the tribes braved the severe cold and sandstorms to head to Baisha City.
On this day, a north wind swept by, scattering the low-hanging dark clouds and the dust that filled the sky and earth, revealing the desolate wilderness.
White Sand City stands tall in this boundless wilderness, with a wide river flowing through it. The weather is still not warm, so the river is shallow, and the banks are covered with vast stretches of white sand.
In the afternoon, the soldiers on the city wall blew their horns.
The young Grand Commander Uller donned his cloak, walked up the city wall, and gazed into the distance.
Amidst the mournful sound of bugles, a dark mass of people appeared on the horizon as the clouds dispersed, like a dark cloud slowly moving across the grassland.
Tribes that received the order arrived one after another, and the grassland was densely packed with people. The sound of horses' hooves came from all directions. Among the crowd, the flags of different tribes fluttered in the wind, and the loud noises they made merged together like a series of thunderous roars.
The Xiliang soldiers on the city wall all felt a sense of oppression and involuntarily looked towards their Grand Commander.
Uller narrowed his eyes and led five hundred cavalrymen out of the city to greet the tribes.
The chiefs greeted Ullr with smiles and presented him with gifts and beautiful women.
Uller smiled and said, “You have all worked hard. In Xiliang, tomorrow is our festival. Whether you are a commoner or a soldier, you can dance and sing to your heart’s content, worship your ancestors, and pray to the gods for a year of good weather and thriving livestock. The general invites you all to come to Baisha City for a grand gathering to celebrate this great festival together.”
The chiefs all expressed their willingness to celebrate their great festival with the governor.
Ullr seemed pleased with the chiefs' respect and pointed to a piece of land to the west: "You can camp there."
That night, the open space on the riverbank outside White Sand City was occupied by various tribes. Countless yurts were scattered across the flat plain, and the soldiers in the camp lit bonfires, with thousands of flames flickering in the night sky.
Following the sacrificial ceremony on the second day, a two-day competition was held in Baisha City, featuring horse racing, lassoing, and polo. The warriors of the Xiliang people and tribes displayed their bravery, and the competition was fierce.
The final competition was archery, and all the tribal chiefs were present to watch the competition.
After the competition, the tall and imposing Ulr, clad in armor, ascended the high platform amidst thunderous cheers. He then rewarded all the tribes on behalf of General Kang Wugu and announced that General Kang Wugu would send more Xiliang officials to various places to manage markets, collect taxes, reorganize the tribes, and continue to promote the Xiliang system.
The chiefs' expressions changed.
Uller's brown eyes looked down at them.
The chiefs felt a chill run down their spines. They rose from the carpet, walked before the warriors, and knelt in worship.
Uller smiled, gestured for the chieftains and warriors to stand up, and asked, "Are you all loyal to Xiliang and General Kang Wugu?"
The chief and the warriors all responded in unison.
"good!"
Uller smiled and nodded, stepped down from the platform, picked up a bow that had been placed on the shelf after the match, nocked an arrow, and shot it.
The arrow hit the target squarely.
Uller turned around and laughed, "Since you have served..."
"If you are loyal to Xiliang, then remember this: Xiliang's enemies are your enemies! Wherever Xiliang soldiers' arrows are pointed, yours must be pointed too!"
The chieftain and warriors also picked up their bows and arrows, and everyone fired their arrows at the target that Ullr had hit.
In the blink of an eye, the target, studded with arrows, collapsed to the ground.
Uller drew his bow, nocked another arrow, and before he finished speaking, the arrow flew out.
The arrow struck a flagpole next to the platform, and a flying flag shook violently.
With a whooshing sound, the chieftain and warriors did not hesitate and released their arrows.
A volley of arrows rained down, and with a snap, the flagpole broke, and the flag fluttered down from the high platform.
Uller smiled with even greater satisfaction, nocked another arrow, slowly raised his arm, turned around, and aimed at the next target.
The crowd suddenly fell silent.
The lively laughter and joyful atmosphere froze into ice at that moment.
Everyone stared in disbelief, horrified, at Wu.
Ler.
Uller's target this time is a chieftain of a Xiliang tribe!
The crowd exchanged glances, their hearts pounding with fear.
The chieftain of the Xiliang tribe, whose arrow was aimed at him, realized that Uller was not joking. He turned pale and trembled all over.
The chief's close attendant, who was also his son, silently turned away from the chief and walked to Ullr's side.
He also raised his bow towards the chief.
The chief stared in disbelief at his son who had betrayed him, his expression twisted in shock.
Above the camp, a flock of flags fluttered in the wind.
Uller, still wearing a gentle smile, glanced at the terrified crowd and proclaimed loudly, "Warriors, use the arrows in your hands to show your loyalty to Xiliang and to the Great General!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a sound of something cutting through the air rang out, and two arrows flew towards the chieftain.
The chieftain was hit by two arrows, but finally realized what was happening. Despite his injuries, he climbed onto his horse and tried to escape back to his camp.
Uller stood still, not sending anyone to chase the chieftain. He turned to look at the stunned crowd, his brown eyes full of laughter, and slowly drew an arrow.
The commander's next targets were those who dared not fire arrows!
Everyone was terrified. When they came to their senses, someone took the lead and fired an arrow at the chief's fleeing figure. The others did not dare to hesitate and drew their bows with trembling hands.
One arrow.
Another arrow.
More and more arrows wove together to form a net.
The chieftain was struck by several arrows, swayed a few times, and fell to the ground, his blood staining the soil beneath him.
"Governor!"
Several Xiliang soldiers, covered in blood, ran over from the direction of the camp to deliver a message.
Just now, a commotion broke out in the camp of the tribe to which the deceased chief belonged. Xiliang soldiers surrounded the camp to prevent the people inside from escaping. After a shout of battle, all the loyal followers of the chief died under a hail of blades.
After the soldier finished reporting, everyone was horrified.
The chieftain's son walked to his father's side, cut off his father's head with a knife, presented it to Uller, and knelt on the ground, saying, "Governor, my father betrayed Xiliang and wanted to lead the entire tribe to surrender to the Great Zhou! He deserved to die!"
Uller lowered his bow and laughed, "Your loyalty to Xiliang is very gratifying to the Great General. From now on, you will succeed your father in managing the tribe. The Great General is wise and mighty; he will not let those who betray Xiliang go unpunished, nor will he mistreat the heroes who are loyal to Xiliang!"
The chief's son beamed with joy and thanked him with a smile.
In the distance, the Xiliang soldiers sang: "Where the eagles roost, the hope for the rise and growth of the dynasty, clouds rise from there, golden sunlight shines, and the enemy's blood splatters on his scimitar."
As the crowd listened to the song and looked at their chieftain, whose head had been severed, they were like frightened birds, their voices trembling: "We swear to be loyal to Xiliang to the death, and to the Great General!"
Uller glanced around at everyone, a smirk playing on his lips.
...
The Xiliang soldiers simply treated and preserved the chieftain's head with lime, then hung it on the city gate of Baisha City.
Everyone who passed by the city could see the head.
This is betrayal.
The fate of Xiliang.
Two days later.
Merchants entering the city were startled when they saw the chief's head while waiting for inspection.
There was a young man from Xiliang in the caravan who greatly admired Governor Uller. He described to the merchants in detail how Uller had used a scheme to kill the chieftain and intimidate the tribe.
The merchants were buzzing with discussion.
At the very back of the crowd, a young man with his face covered by a veil raised his eyes and looked at the chief's head.
His attendant beside him was shocked and whispered, "My lord, we're too late! The chieftain has been killed by the Xiliang people."
Wei Mingsu frowned.
A tribe in Xiliang, dissatisfied with the heavy taxes and corvée labor of Xiliang, wanted to surrender to the Great Zhou. The entire tribe moved to the Great Zhou. The Empress was overjoyed and sent him to receive the tribe. To prevent the news from leaking, even Fan Hui did not know his purpose.
However, the information was leaked by the tribal chief, causing infighting. The chief's son reported the chief to Uller, who immediately summoned all the tribes to make an example of him.
Two Xiliang soldiers looked over at the caravan.
Wei Mingsu looked away and lowered his head.
Their mission failed.
Uller killed the chieftain, creating a climate of fear and making their situation even more dangerous.
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