The garrison is not yet settled.
Jiang Heng rode his horse smoothly all the way. The post road here was well-maintained, and it must have been built little by little along the way.
"Who goes there!" the guard at the checkpoint shouted, brandishing his halberd.
Jiang Heng reined in his horse and took out the official token left by his father from his bag.
The guard squinted and saw that it was the plaque of the former prime minister. He had long heard that the prime minister was highly favored by the late emperor. This official plaque with its eight-pointed halo pattern was unique and was made and engraved by craftsmen day and night. It could not be fake.
The two guards were at a loss for words, exchanging bewildered glances. But seeing that the handsome young man before them had nothing to do with his cunning and shrewd father, they couldn't help but hesitate.
"The son of Prime Minister Jiang Zhong of the Yu Dynasty is here. Please allow him to pass immediately." Jiang Heng held up a plaque, its gold edges gleaming in the setting sun, blinding the two guards.
"Who's making a racket!" A figure on a black horse approached from afar.
"Your Excellency!" The two guards hurriedly bowed.
The man on horseback was none other than Shaofu Xiaohanjin. He was only twenty years old, his face still showing youthful innocence, but his brows held a unique gloom and sharpness. He was now the true leader of the Swift Cavalry, and his men were all elite warriors.
Xiao Han recognized Jiang Heng at a glance and asked, "Young Master is the son of the Prime Minister. It might be inappropriate for someone of your noble status to be involved in a war-torn region. Perhaps it would be better to leave it to me to handle. Would you like to stay at our humble camp for a while?"
Jiang Heng returned the greeting with a smile and said, "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but I was ordered to inspect the fifty-mile stretch of land that I could travel in half a day. I need to see it with my own eyes before I can report back."
Xiao Han found it strange. Jiang Heng had neither entered the court as an official nor knew any important officials. He was unheard of in the common people or the court. How could he have been ordered by someone else for no reason?
After a moment's thought, Xiao Han finally spoke: "Half-Day Flower... This place is now a strategic border post, and the Ganjiang cavalry frequently appear there. It may not be appropriate for you to go alone, young master."
The two stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to give way. Finally, Xiaohan stepped aside to let him pass, raised his hand to order the guards to let him through, the gate swung open, and Jiang Heng thanked him before continuing on his way.
Xiao Hanjin pulled on the reins, and the horse turned around. The man standing in the distance quickly galloped over. The man's name was Wang Sheng, and he was Xiao Hanjin's personal bodyguard.
"Follow him," Xiaohan said, jumping off her horse.
Wang Sheng nodded, jumped onto the black horse, and followed silently at an extremely cautious pace.
It was still early spring, and the rivers were still in their dry season. Jiang Heng rode his horse freely through the valley.
Wang Sheng followed quietly on the hillside above the valley. Once they left the checkpoint, the vegetation became increasingly barren, making Wang Sheng's pursuit quite enjoyable.
Dusk soon fell, and Jiang Heng found a thick tree, tied his horse to it, and planned to spend the night there. There were no bandits or wild animals here, so it was very safe.
Seeing that he had stopped, Wang Sheng found a relatively secluded hillside and set up camp there as well. Having fought for many years, he was quite adept at surviving alone.
The world was vast and boundless; even the rustling of grass in the wind carried a lingering echo. Wang Sheng was just about to rest when he suddenly heard someone speaking in the distance.
"You've been following me all this way, probably silently protecting me. That's good. Let's rest together then, so the night won't be cold and you won't get frostbite."
Wang Sheng was startled. The person speaking to him from a distance with his back to him was Jiang Heng. He thought to himself how perceptive this man was, and he was now extremely conflicted about whether to go or not. As he hesitated, his horse tripped over a pebble and neighed. Wang Sheng felt resentful; this horse was a recently acquired Xinjiang horse, untrained, and he had forgotten to change it in his haste.
Jiang Heng heard the commotion not far away and only turned his head slightly for a moment.
"You'd better stick close to me. Tomorrow I'll be taking the Honglan route. Once inside, those without experience will have to make it out safely," Jiang Heng continued to mutter to himself.
Wang Sheng finally made up his mind. In addition, he was indeed unfamiliar with the terrain. Losing him was a minor matter compared to his own death. So he threw off the reins and ran down the slope. He ran straight up behind Jiang Heng, dismounted, and cupped his hands, saying, "Young Master is wise and intelligent. I, Wang Sheng, was ordered to secretly escort you. Now that you have noticed, why don't we go together?"
Jiang Heng chuckled softly, raised his hand over his shoulder, and a black-backed pigeon with a red beak flew from his arms to his shoulder and landed.
Wang Sheng was startled again.
Jiang Heng said unhurriedly, "I was talking to the sparrow just now and neglected you, young master. I was very rude." When Jiang Heng noticed that Wang Sheng did not answer, he continued, "I did not expect to kill two birds with one stone. I am sorry for disturbing you, young master."
Wang Sheng was speechless for a moment, and could only mechanically tie up the horse, going with the flow. He leaned against a tree trunk to rest, and spent the whole night without sleeping.
The next morning, Wang Sheng followed military discipline and packed his belongings on his own. Jiang Heng was eating his dry rations when he noticed that Wang Sheng didn't seem to want to eat. He guessed that Wang Sheng had left in a hurry and probably had no food left, so he casually broke off a piece and offered it to Wang Sheng.
“In the army, we only eat one meal a day. I only need to eat once every two days. Right now, it’s more appropriate to focus on ensuring your well-being,” Wang Sheng refused.
Jiang Heng frowned. These days, even getting a full meal is difficult; this is simply an inhuman rule.
"Eat something. The road ahead is windy and sandy, so you won't be too weak when you get back to camp," Jiang Heng stood up and handed out the food. When the other party still didn't take it, he added, "If anything happens to you, won't the Minister of the Interior arrest me and hold me accountable?"
Wang Sheng, initially wary, took the food after seeing that the young man posed no threat. As he chewed, he asked, "The land ahead is desolate; why does young master choose to go there?"
Jiang Heng replied, "I was ordered to inspect fifty li of land."
Wang Sheng nodded. Although this place was desolate, it could be very beneficial if it could be utilized. Thinking of this, he quickly asked, "May I ask whose noble person came up with this idea?"
Jiang Heng, with his bag tied in one hand, replied, "It is indeed the Prince of Huayan of the Half-Day Inn."
Wang Sheng thought to himself, "Where is this Prince Yan? It turns out this kid is quite clever, like he can bluff people. He must have been talking nonsense before, and he can't be trusted."
Jiang Heng sensed Wang Sheng's suspicion, smiled slightly, and remained silent. The two finished their meal in silence and continued on their way.
Jiang Heng had only visited Honglan once as a child with his father, but he was unaware that springtime was dry, with gravel and yellow sand swirling around, accompanied by howling north winds. Jiang Heng handled the situation with ease, but Wang Sheng's horse was so frightened that it broke free several times.
Wang Sheng cursed at the horse, but dared not whip it too hard, so he could only let it spin around haphazardly, looking rather disheveled. Afraid that Jiang Heng would take the opportunity to run away, he tried hard to open his eyes to determine Jiang Heng's location, only to find that Jiang Heng was stopped right in front of him, the man and the horse shielding him from some of the wind and sand.
"You can't be too harsh on the Jiangma." Jiang Heng's voice was already clear and melodious, and when heard with the wind, it even had a sense of echoing through the valley.
Wang Sheng was utterly powerless to reply; he was struggling against this gust of wind, and his mind was a complete mess.
Jiang Heng rode over, flicked the hemp rope attached to the reins, and looped it around the neck of the steed, bringing the two horses' necks together. The steed neighed in distress, trying to break free.
Jiang Heng's horse gave a warning snort, and the steed lowered its head and deflated.
Wang Sheng stared in disbelief, letting Jiang Heng turn around and lead them away with a rope.
As dusk fell, they slowly emerged from the ancient red-railed path, where the wind and sand gradually subsided.
Wang Sheng was finally able to speak, and said, "Young master's horse training skills are superb, I admire them."
Although Wang Sheng was somewhat convinced, he still looked down on Jiang Heng because he was too young.
Wang Sheng tapped the horse's back with the reins and continued, "May I ask how to train this Xinjiang horse?"
Seeing that he had no intention of studying, Jiang Heng replied, "Bloodline suppression."
Wang Sheng smiled contemptuously, took the rope off the horse's neck, and threw it to Jiang Heng.
The border was now much quieter, and beyond the desert, there were already waist-high thick grasses.
The two found a secluded spot to rest. Jiang Heng called out to Wang Sheng in a low voice and pointed into the distance.
Wang Sheng followed his finger and saw carriages, horses, and soldiers rising and falling in the white mist. The leading soldier was noticeably taller, carrying a torch to lead the way. He seemed to have an injury in his leg, and the torchlight rose and fell with his staggering movements. Behind him was a carriage, the only one in the troop, and its outline indicated that the person carrying it was of high status.
The moonlight pierced through the mist in the grass, making the upright thatch look like outstretched, thin arms, which was eerie.
At this point, it's either encountering ghost soldiers or actually running into enemy troops. But Wang Sheng preferred the latter, at least he could die knowing why.
"Judging from their direction of travel, they're also heading to the Half-Day Flower Market," Jiang Heng whispered.
"That's strange. Our troops won't arrive at the border until tomorrow, yet this force is following us," Wang Sheng muttered to himself, then thought thankfully they weren't ghost soldiers. He then realized, "They're our commander!"
Jiang Heng found it amusing. His subordinates needed a while to recognize their commander, and they didn't even know the marching route. The two sides were quite unfamiliar with each other. It was possible that they might mistake each other for enemy troops and turn on each other.
Wang Sheng felt a little guilty and added, "To be honest, young master, we haven't seen the commander-in-chief for three years."
Despite their initial distrust, the two gradually became acquainted through their interactions. Wang Sheng noticed that Jiang Heng was genuinely sincere in his dealings with people, and she gradually lowered her guard.
“Three years…” Jiang Heng said, his heart trembling, “It was bitter.”
"What?" Jiang Heng's voice was too soft, so Wang Sheng had to ask again.
Jiang Heng smiled and shook his head. Whether soldiers on the front lines or ordinary citizens, everyone was on the verge of collapse under immense pressure. The army in the distance was advancing slowly, likely at its last gasp. He couldn't help but recall the splendor of the golden steps in the palace that day; everything seemed so disjointed.
After the army had gone far away, Wang Sheng asked in a low voice, "Young master, your horse training skills are superb, but you don't look like someone who travels around all year round. How do you make a living?"
Jiang Heng replied, "I have some talent, but I only earn money by writing poems and couplets for wealthy families."
"Did you take the imperial examination? Did you pass?" Wang Sheng pressed.
"Failure to pass the imperial examinations repeatedly is already the worst possible outcome." Jiang Heng was used to setbacks and felt no sense of disappointment.
“What a coincidence! Our young master is having a birthday banquet in a few days. If I introduce you, young master, perhaps you can get a chance to compose a poem,” Wang Sheng said with a delighted expression.
Jiang Heng thought it was a perfect opportunity and agreed.
“No.” Wang Sheng’s voice suddenly trembled. “The one leading the group… is the commander-in-chief.”
"What did you say?" Jiang Heng was even more surprised. The figure in the distance looked even more lonely in the moonlight, and he suddenly understood. The court had separated the elite Sa Ta Cavalry from Zhao Peiming's main force, and even with good strategies, it would be difficult to implement them.
"How come he doesn't even have a decent horse?" Jiang Heng's voice was wooden, still reeling from the shock. "How can he fight a war like this?"
Wang Sheng trembled all over and remained silent. Jiang Heng gently put his arm around his shoulder to comfort him, and in the moonlight, gestured for him to continue.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty has stripped him of half his troops. This time, this time it will probably be a fight to the death..." Wang Sheng knelt on the ground. He never expected that his once spirited commander would be so destitute. "The commander has always been kind to his subordinates. He probably gave his horse to the wounded. I... I rode on his horse." As he said this, Wang Sheng was already in tears.
Jiang Heng cursed the bastard in his heart and said, "Do you believe me or not?"
Jiang Heng glanced at Wang Sheng and said sternly, "What's the use of crying?! Can a man like this even lift a knife?!"
Wang Sheng also felt that her crying was inappropriate, so she stopped sobbing and did not answer directly. Instead, she tried to control her trembling hands and groped around her waist.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com