Chapter 147: Sudden Rain (Part 17)

The road from Shanyang to Shenwu was a post road built during the Han dynasty to campaign against the Xiongnu. Its hard, rammed earth structure remained intact even after the passage of a century. Following the founding of the Sui dynasty, it underwent further repairs to facilitate the transport of military supplies and grain in preparation against the rising Tujue.

Along this route, numerous beacon towers and patrol stations were established, consistently garrisoned by small detachments of Mayi Eagle-and-Bear soldiers. Aside from serving an early warning function, their role was to help maintain the road and provide a resting place for passing couriers, mounted scouts, and wagon convoys.

With the dual necessity of guarding against a southern incursion by the Tujue and the volatile standoff with Yunzhong City—which seemed on the verge of erupting into all-out war at any moment—the Mayi Eagle-and-Bear soldiers stationed along the route maintained extreme vigilance, patrolling day and night without a moment's respite.

A rare and heavy rain had turned the ground into a quagmire. Aside from small squads struggling to press through, a large army could not possibly maneuver under such conditions. These local garrison soldiers finally caught a brief reprieve. With no one currently assigned to active watch duty, some burrowed deep beneath their quilts for a heavy sleep, while others gathered to gamble. In short, they seized the opportunity to enjoy this rare moment of leisure.

Only at a beacon tower near Shenwu County was the squad leader somewhat more conscientious; he and a few brothers remained outside beneath a makeshift shed to keep watch on the road. However, this squad leader had also sent someone to procure some local village wine, which was heated over a fire inside the shed. He then called over his comrades, unsealed the earthen jar, and—dispensing with wine bowls—scooped the liquor directly from the jar using coconut ladles, one for each man.

As they drank, complaints began to air.

"A single jar of village wine has gone up by seven cash! Damn it, this isn't even proper village brew; what goes down our throats practically costs as much as gold!"

"Isn't that because grain confiscations have been far too ruthless? In the past, the land rent was no more than one-tenth; now the Commandery Governor levies four-tenths. Add to that the petty officials fleecing us at every level, and the Governor's inner circle isn't made up of saints either. Six out of every ten parts of the annual harvest end up in the Shanyang granaries. Wine is brewed from grain, and now that there's no grain left, how could the price of village brew not skyrocket?"

Someone chimed in with deep anxiety: "With the common people having no grain left, there's no telling if we'll run out of food entirely by winter. People across the commandery are in a state of panic. If the Tujue take advantage of this to push south, what on earth are we going to do?"

Immediately, someone scoffed at him: "Never mind the common people; even in a stronghold like Yunzhong, the grain is still tightly gripped in the Commandery Governor's hands! The grain for Yunzhong hasn't even been distributed yet. Does the Governor care whether the people of the commandery go hungry? Let's not forget what kind of background the Governor has—when has he ever deigned to cast his gaze downward?"

"The Wang family of Taiyuan, of course! Right now, all they care about is taking the elite troops and wealth of Mayi to march south back to their ancestral home and contend for supremacy with the Duke of Tang. Does the Governor care whether we live or die in Mayi? But to my mind, since the Governor can't swallow Yunzhong, he can forget about heading south!"

Seeing that the men were becoming increasingly reckless in their talk, the squad leader raised a hand to silence them.

"We've all been selected into the Shanyang direct command. No matter how scarce grain gets in Yunzhong or among the common people, our two daily meals won't be short, and our pay is issued in full. Why spout this sour nonsense? Since we follow the Governor, performing our duties reliably is what matters. If anyone keeps babbling, don't bother drinking today—all of you, get out of here and patrol!"

This jar of wine was treated by the squad leader, who had always commanded a certain amount of authority. At his command, everyone fell silent and simply drank in gloomy submission.

Meanwhile, the squad leader stood up, frowning. "Is there a commotion on the road?"

At this, everyone heard the sound of horse hooves splashing through the mud, and they stood up one after another, gazing out behind the squad leader.

Underneath the gloomy sky and amid a persistent drizzle, two riders were laboriously making their way along the road.

Both riders wore tattered military robes, carried identical leather cylinders on their backs, and had dark blue recognition flags thrust behind them. Soaked through by the rain, the banners clung tightly to the poles, motionless.

Though the two riders appeared thoroughly disheveled, their mounts were spirited beasts—at a glance, fine horses acquired from the grasslands. Such fine horses were relatively few within the Mayi Eagle-and-Bear Garrison, but in the lands of Yunzhong, such steeds could be found by the hundreds and thousands.

Needless to say, these were messengers hailing from the Heng'an Eagle-and-Bear Garrison of Yunzhong, dispatched to deliver official documents.

The two riders also spotted the Mayi soldiers beneath the straw shed, and one of them raised a hand in greeting. The squad leader shouted out, "Would you care to come in and rest a spell? Feed your mounts some fodder and warm yourselves with a cup of hot wine?"

The superiors of the Mayi Eagle-and-Bear Garrison viewed the Heng'an Eagle-and-Bear Garrison like bitter enemies. But to the ordinary soldiers beneath them, they were all comrades-in-arms within the same commandery—how could there be such deep-seated hatred? Not to mention that the Heng'an Eagle-and-Bear Garrison stood at the frontline defending against the Tujue, enjoying a stellar reputation throughout Mayi Commandery. Seeing them here, the squad leader extended a hospitable invitation.

One of the couriers called back in a loud voice, "Many thanks for the kindness! Military orders brook no delay. On our way back from Shanyang, I'll come hit this elder brother up for a bowl of wine!"

The squad leader cupped his fists from afar to the two couriers as a farewell.

Watching the two riders wade through the mud into the distance, someone muttered softly, "I'll bet Yunzhong is desperate, sending couriers to demand winter provisions from the Governor. But I reckon it'll be difficult! The Governor practically aches to swallow that Commandant Liu in one gulp!"

Another person spoke up in defense of the Heng'an Eagle-and-Bear Garrison: "These brothers stand at the vanguard, holding off the Tujue. If the Governor wants to march south, let him march south; he should just leave the Heng'an Garrison to protect Mayi for us. Starving them out just so he can annex them later—what kind of logic is that? Up and down the commandery, nobody's heart is in it!"

The squad leader's eyebrows twitched, and he looked ready to erupt in anger. Several men shoved the loose-tongued soldier away, muttering, "You're already drunk on this little bit of wine—get back and crash! There isn't much wine left as it is; leave the rest for us!"

Before the squad leader could decide how to deal with this loose-lipped fellow, the sound of horse neighing reached them once more.

This time, the commotion was substantial—the whinnying of more than a dozen horses, sounding very much like an approaching convoy.

The squad leader dropped the matter of the unruly soldier, raised his head to look out again, and muttered to himself, "What's gotten into today? Raining as it is, this road has suddenly become so lively!"

Upon the muddy road, three or four heavy wagons were slowly approaching, each pulled by strong horses and laboriously making their way toward Shanyang.

Seeing the Eagle-and-Bear soldiers looking over from the straw shed, the drivers all halted, unhitched the horses from the shafts, and swung up into the saddles one after another. The leader let out a sharp whistle and raised his voice.

"Lord Yue took Shenwu under the orders of Commandant Liu, and Shenwu is now firmly in Commandant Liu's grasp! Lord Yue felt it discourteous to arrive unannounced, so he has specially sent a gift to greet and apologize to Prefect Wang. Coming in such haste, these gifts could only be gathered on the spot: the heads of an entire battalion of Mayi elite cavalry! Prefect Wang is cordially invited to inspect and receive them!"

The horsemen on the mounts pulled back the felt cloths covering the wagons. In the driving rain, there lay carts piled high with helmets still clinging to severed heads!

Having dropped off such a "gift," the horsemen let out another whistle, and the dozen or so men wheeled their horses around, heading back in the direction of Shenwu.

Beneath the straw shed, from the squad leader down, every single Eagle-and-Bear soldier turned as pale as death.

Had Liu Wuzhou launched his campaign and made a move against Wang Rengong? A massive battle was about to erupt within Mayi Commandery!

With trembling hands, the squad leader gave the order: "Lead the horses out! Report this to the Prefect... Something momentous is about to happen!"