Chapter 18: Wild Geese Return to the Pass
Summer at the frontier comes late and violently.
The summer north wind was hot and dry, scraping across one's face like a blunt knife. Withered and yellowed grass stems lay prostrate on the hard ground, spreading all the way to the gray mountains on the horizon.
This was Yanhui Pass, the northern gate of the motherland, and the place Wang Rong guarded. The walls towered high, the weathered bricks and stones a dull, iron-gray hue. The soldiers guarding the walls, clad in heavy armor, stood like frozen statues.
The air was filled with dung, cheap tobacco, and a faint, bitter smell of poverty.
Shen Zijie reined in the equally exhausted steed beneath him, the hem of his blue robe rustling in the wind. His thin features were further carved by the north wind at the frontier, but his eyes remained as calm as ever, like the water of a deep pool, reflecting the desolation of the pass.
"We're here." His voice was not loud and was easily swallowed by the wind, but it was clearly heard by Wen Youqing beside him.
Wen Youqing didn't respond. She sat upright on her horse, her back straight, her dark, easy-to-move-inspired outfit making her complexion appear even colder and paler. Her gaze passed over the towering wall, reaching beyond, to the vast, barren land beyond, seemingly forgotten by the gods. The wind lifted her long, tied-back hair, and a few strands brushed against her tightly pursed lips.
Since leaving that rice jar, she's become much less talkative. Those eyes, once filled with the pride and sharpness of a noblewoman, have become as hard and silent as rock.
Only when he occasionally looked at Shen Zijie's back busy with the people, would an elusive fluctuation flash across the depths of his eyes.
Shen Zijie's integrity, like the man himself, became a rare and precious source of light in a land oppressed by both class and poverty. He moved among the low-slung, musty, and sickly-smelling earthen houses, like an invisible warmth, quietly melting the locals' traditional alienation and wariness toward the "official from the capital."
It had been a while since Wang Rong had last seen him, and the atmosphere inside the pass wasn't as peaceful as it appeared. As soon as the two of them entered the pass, they heard whispers: small groups of Xiongnu horse bandits had been unusually active recently, with the frequency and ferocity of their attacks far exceeding those of previous years.
The old soldiers guarding the border murmured privately that the grassland outside the wall, which originally belonged to the patrol and buffer of Wang's army, seemed to have some unidentified riders roaming around in a mysterious way recently.
Wang Rong, a general with great prestige in the border army, and his soldiers inside the pass seemed to be shrouded in an invisible oppression.
"Sister-in-law!" Wang Rong was still unruly when they met, but the knife marks on his armor made the atmosphere not lively at all.
"We came to see you. Don't get too carried away." Shen Zijie held Wang Rong back as he was about to step forward, putting some distance between him and Wen Youqing. "We'll treat you well today."
"Hey, if someone shows you kindness for no reason, he's either a traitor or a thief." Wang Rong said jokingly and became defensive.
"I do have something to discuss with you."
"You guys chat," Wen Youqing instructed the men to unload the supplies they had brought. "I'll put everything away first."
Wen Youqing didn't know what Shen Zijie and Wang Rong talked about, but after the conversation, both of them looked unhappy, and they didn't even say a few words during the meal.
But soon, there was no time to pay attention to such details. As the first real thunderstorm hit the ground, news spread from within the Great Wall: the ancient altar on Cangwu Mountain, west of the Great Wall—a sacred site for the people for hundreds of miles around—had collapsed in a corner due to days of rain and snow and years of neglect. This caused considerable panic among the border residents, who believed deeply in the gods.
Finally, someone started to deal with Empress Hehe. When Wen Youqing heard the news, he glanced at Shen Zijie, who had been studying the karez at his desk for several days.
He was so focused as if this matter had nothing to do with him.
"You did it?" Wen Youqing asked directly.
"I guess I can do my part." Shen Zijie accepted it directly and continued to study hard.
"If you need me, let me know."
"Don't tell me, it really is true. Can you stop Cui Junji?" Shen Zijie thought for a moment before saying, "We need to let the people know that this is a scam. No matter what the noble families want to do, no one will believe that stupid Hehe Niangniang."
"Wow, what a grand plan. Okay, is it enough to just trip him? I don't believe it's that simple." Wen Youqing pointed out directly.
As soon as these words came out, Shen Zijie smiled widely, like the rumored dandy, or a fox who hadn't experienced the world much. "Let him destroy Empress Hehe himself."
"You..." Wen Youqing lowered her eyes, "You don't plan to rely entirely on Cui Junji, do you? You have other things you want to do." After a pause, she saw that Shen Zijie was a little stunned, "Why don't you tell Wang Rong directly? Let him do it. It's okay, if you don't want to talk, I won't ask. I just want to go back. Hey, you should rest up quickly, your dark circles are almost falling to the ground."
"Wang Rong is the legitimate son of Teacher Cui Junji. Although Wang Rong has a straightforward personality, we are all family after all. Doing some small things behind the scenes is harmless. As an outsider, I will not interfere if I can."
There is actually such a relationship! Wen Youqing finally found out.
As expected, Cui Junji quickly made a move. He gathered the prominent elders and gentry in the interior of the country at the garrison, of course, behind the scenes.
Several minor officials spoke earnestly, "The altar is the spiritual home of the border residents, and a symbol of the court's efforts to appease distant people and stabilize the border. Its collapse is deeply regrettable. Our top priority is to repair it as soon as possible to comfort the people."
"Master Shen, please make a decision as soon as possible and arrange personnel to oversee the important task of repairing the altar and calming people's hearts."
Shen Zijie's reputation among the border residents was unmatched. He was the best person to calm panic and rally people's hearts if he oversaw the renovations. But just as Shen Zijie was about to step forward, he suddenly felt dizzy and dazed.
When he woke up, he was already home. The days of hard work had really taken their toll on his body. Wen Youqing helped him up, poured him water, and served him food, but she ended with a single sentence: "Don't make things worse. Call Brother Cui over."
Cui Junji was waiting in the main hall. When he saw Wen Youqing's unfriendly expression, he knew that Shen Zijie still had his eyes on him.
But Cui Junji pretended not to know, etiquette was not abolished, "Mrs. Shen."
"Let's go meet him and stop him from worrying so much. There are so many people in the yamen, do we have to let him do such a small thing?" Wen Youqing complained as she led the way, looking like a nagging woman.
Cui Junji just smiled and said nothing, just kept apologizing.
When they reached the door, Wen Youqing reminded him again, "Talk and eat at the same time, so as not to delay them."
"Don't talk while eating and don't talk while sleeping. Madam should know this." Cui Junji knew that Shen Zijie might hear it, so he said this to her.
Wen Youqing immediately opened the door and said sternly to Shen Zijie: "Remember to finish your meal after chatting. If you can't finish it, take the bowl and get out with him. I don't care whether you live or die."
Such a bold style made Cui Junji frown deeply.
In the following days, Cui Junji replaced Shen Zijie and devoted almost all his energy to the repair of the altar. Wen Youqing was naturally worried and kept an eye on him under the pretext of managing logistics.
The altar, located on a gently leeward slope, was built of massive bluestones. Its style was simple and rugged, weathered by frost and frost, and its surface was covered with ancient symbols and totems that no one could decipher. What had collapsed was the roof and part of the wall of the west side hall.
Cui Junji took care of everything personally, measuring the damage, calculating the wood and stone needed, organizing experienced craftsmen among the border residents, and arranging people to clean up the ruins and mine and transport stone materials.
He respected local customs and before starting any project, he would invite the oldest shaman in the tribe to preside over a simple ceremony.
Wen Youqing became his capable backup, even though Cui Junji was reluctant at first.
Wen Youqing naturally persuaded Cui Junji. She specifically found Cui Junji who was studying ancient books and said, "Cui Yulan has been missing for so long, and you are not worried at all."
It was like lighting the fuse himself. Cui Junji raised his head and glanced at her calmly, "Why aren't you anxious? Madam Shen cares about this more than any of our Cui family members."
"Of course. I was going to get a piece of the pie, but now that he's gone, I can't even smell the meat." Wen Youqing didn't care at all and spilled the beans.
Instead, Cui Junji panicked. He looked outside the room and whispered, "What on earth does Madam Shen want to share? I don't understand."
"Stop pretending. When you sneaked into Wang Shouren's house that day, don't tell me you were going there to say goodbye. You were just going to deal with the dogs who were not loyal to the Cui family. We are all foxes with a thousand-year history, so there is no need to keep pretending. I don't have a noble family background, and my husband doesn't know what I did. I just wanted to get a piece of the pie and make some money to support myself."
Cui Junji was surprised by Wen Youqing's straightforwardness. He put down his pen while thinking and pondered for a moment before saying, "Madam Shen, should I say you are smart? Or stupid? So early..."
Wen Youqing thought he was just barking in a hypocritical tone and interrupted him directly, "You guys are missing a Cui Shouren. You've been doing so much behind the Wang family's backs, it's hard not to give them a piece of the pie, right? The Shen family doesn't qualify, but my status, or the status of my people, is just right, isn't it?"
If this was really a marriage arranged by our parents, someone with such courage and skill really shouldn't be committed to the house. What a pity...
After just a moment's thought, Cui Junji immediately made up his mind, "Since Third Brother trusts Madam Shen and has said a lot to you, then I naturally trust Madam Shen as well. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."
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