Chapter Eighteen: Amidst the Clouds

City in the Clouds.

This formidable fortress, perched amid the northern mountains, was annexed into the lands of Zhao during the Spring and Autumn period, though the nomadic tribes of Loufan and Linhu still roamed and hunted in its wilds. It was here that Li Mu, renowned general of Zhao, fought countless bloody battles against the northern tribes, ultimately forging the iron cavalry of Zhao—a force so fearsome it chilled even the hearts of the Qin.

During the Han Dynasty, this ancient ground became the site of repeated wars between Han and Xiongnu. When the Xiongnu were strong, they would sweep south to raid and plunder; when the Han generals counterattacked, they set out from this very place.

After the fall and decline of the Han, the land once more became the haunt of foreign tribes—first the Xianbei and Wuhuan, then the Rouran, each tribe passing through in turn. When the Tuoba Xianbei rose to power, Northern Wei made this land their capital, then called Pingcheng. Northern Wei moved three thousand families of nobles and officials from its twenty-two provinces to populate it, making Pingcheng one of the great cities of northern China in its time.

With Northern Wei's division into Eastern and Western Wei, and the subsequent rise of Northern Qi and Northern Zhou, Pingcheng remained a prize fiercely contested, changing hands several times. Whoever held it could gather the finest horses of the steppe, recruit hardened border troops, and command the strategic high ground. In the end, Pingcheng fell to Northern Zhou, who renamed it Heng'an Town.

When Northern Zhou eventually destroyed Northern Qi, Heng'an Town was renamed County of Yunzhong and placed under the jurisdiction of Mayi Commandery. The name has remained unchanged through the Sui dynasty to the present day.

Yunzhong has always marked the northernmost outpost of the Central Plain dynasties' expansion. At their height, these dynasties controlled the steppe from here, shielding the Inner Great Wall and securing the heartlands. The hardy men of this frontier formed one elite border army after another, fighting and dying on these lands.

Yet in times of decline, Yunzhong reverted to a pasture for nomadic tribes, its frontier warriors either resisting to the end or falling into the hands of the steppe lords, becoming their tools to menace the Central Plains.

Centuries have passed since Qin and Han, and Yunzhong is now home to a mingling of peoples, its customs fierce and bold. The fate of this territory has become a barometer for the fortunes of the empire.

In the autumn of the twelfth year of the Great Sui, Yunzhong still lay under imperial control. The Heng'an Eagle Command governed here, maintaining the rule of the Sui.

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It was a rare and beautiful day. The autumn sun poured down, the air was still, and a gentle warmth filled the world.

At the city gate, the patrol soldiers of the Heng'an Eagle Command lounged in weathered leather armor, half-heartedly chatting as they sat or stood. Some had taken their uniforms to wash and dry, hanging them everywhere near the gate, so that it looked as though banners fluttered in the breeze.

Even with the Turks growing ever stronger and war raging every year, and with Wang Rengong and Liu Wuzhou locked in a standoff, each side vying for control of this vital road, Yunzhong City—connecting the Central Plains to the steppe—still retained a measure of prosperity.

Merchant caravans, protected by the seals of great clans and unafraid of the roadside tax stations, arrived one after another from the south, entering the city. They brought grain from Hedong, salt from Jiechi, bolts of silk and cloth, and, for the bolder and better-connected, even ironware forbidden to export to the steppe—all loaded onto carts and pack animals bound for Yunzhong.

Meanwhile, the tribes of the steppe herded their horses, hauling furs, gold dust, pearls, and sometimes even loot seized from the Central Plains, coming to trade at the city market. Even amidst war with the Turks, men from their tribes would pose as subjects of the Nine Tatar Clans and come to trade—everyone who knew the truth simply turned a blind eye.

These transactions were all controlled by the great families of Hedong, Mayi, and Yanmen. The steppe tribes, too, were not forces that the Heng'an Eagle Command could afford to offend. Each year after the harvest, tents sprang up everywhere inside and outside Yunzhong; caravans gathered, temples and inns overflowed, and outside the city, herds of horses and sheep filled the air with their cries, lingering until late autumn before dispersing.

Only the small-time peddlers without connections dared sneak over the mountains to trade with lesser tribes on the steppe, always risking capture. The Heng'an Eagle Command, unable to touch the powerful families or the Turks, could only set their sights on these minor merchants.

No matter what undercurrents stirred in the commandery, no matter when the Turks might turn hostile and sweep south again, for now, peace reigned in and around Yunzhong.

As noon approached, the official road outside the southern gate grew busy with carts and riders arriving.

They traveled according to schedule, setting out at dawn to reach the city by midday, so they could settle in and rest.

All morning, the guards at the gate were lazy and relaxed, but as the afternoon approached, they had to pull themselves together; at the very least, whenever a caravan arrived, they had to stand straight and appear vigilant.

Though there was a tax station at the south gate, the officials assigned there—even as the traffic increased—merely huddled in their grass shelters, napping.

The southern stretch of the road was controlled by Prefect Wang Rengong, the north by Liu Wuzhou. Only the merchant caravans of the great clans dared travel openly here—many of their leaders were themselves surnamed Wang. Otherwise, the taxes would eat up all their profits.

As for those who could be bullied, the smaller traders had all slipped into the ravines, playing hide and seek with the sentries of the Heng'an Eagle Command. For the tax clerks, there was nothing to do but doze.

Suddenly, one of the guards called out, "Clerk! There's a group coming—doesn't look like merchants. Go see who they are!"

The tax clerk, a man in his forties with the rustic air of a village scholar, also belonged to the Heng'an Eagle Command. He had this post thanks to a relative who was an officer, and his modest literacy earned him this easy job.

Years in the service had worn away any scholarly pride he might once have had. At the guard's call, he got up lazily and looked down the southern road.

A merchant caravan was passing, large in scale—sixty or seventy pack animals loaded with goods, a dozen heavy carts drawn by sweating horses. Thirty or so armed retainers, swift and bold, moved up and down the line, bows and knives at the ready, watching over the cargo.

In the middle of the caravan were two or three covered wagons, curtains drawn low so nothing could be seen within. The dozen or so guards around these wagons wore only short robes and trousers, their hair tied up and without hats, yet their bearing marked them as seasoned soldiers. The clerk wondered which great family had sent a merchant caravan with an escort of actual troops.

Still, such displays were nothing new to the guards and clerks. In these times, only families with deep roots in the Sui dared send caravans along this trade route to the steppe—families whose ancestors had once served as pillars of the state since the Six Garrisons of the Xianbei.

What really drew the guard's attention was another group—a band of eight or nine. While the merchants traveled on the main road, this group kept to the verge, moving separately.

They looked travel-worn and weary, their mounts stumbling, barely able to lift their hooves. A few horses exhaled foamy breath with each labored stride, on the verge of collapse.

All eight or nine carried bows and knives, dressed like wandering knights of the frontier. But the one who led them was a youth of eighteen or nineteen, slim and upright in the saddle, sharp as a drawn sword, his eyes curious as he studied the passing caravan.

The tax clerk was puzzled—who were they?

Wandering knights had either been recruited into the Mayi Eagle Command under Wang Rengong, or driven off to Hedong. The Heng'an Eagle Command was not a place for such young adventurers to come and go freely.

Nor could they be merchants—there was no cargo, and with so few in their party, who would dare travel so openly along the official road? The small traders all stuck to the mountain paths.

After a moment's thought, the clerk decided not to worry about it. He told the guard, "No cargo, so why bother me? How can I tax them? Maybe they're just scouts sent ahead by some merchant caravan. If they've got backing, let them in. If not, the Eagle Command can always use more laborers—eight or nine more won't make a difference."

He cast another glance at the sharp-eyed youth leading the group, clicking his tongue. "Still, that one's no ordinary lad. But these days, what sort of young scion would dare come to this place?"

Shaking his head, he turned back toward the city gate. "This is Yunzhong! Only men like our Liu Yingji, with no background and nothing to lose, dare hold command here—there's death aplenty to be found, but no advantage. Prefect Wang still dreams of seizing Yunzhong! One day, the southerners will finally get what they deserve!"