Chapter Thirty-Three: Liu Wuzhou (IV)

Liu Wu Zhou’s words put a definitive end to today’s incident of Xu Le’s bold entrance into Yunzhong. If Xu Le’s speech appealed to local sentiment, Liu Wu Zhou’s response was both reasonable and compassionate. He neither punished Yuan Junwei and his companions, nor incited resentment among his own followers by absolving Xu Le and the others. In the end, the villain was left as Prefect Wang Ren Gong, currently administering Shanyang.

A day’s cloud cover dispersed and the soldiers and citizens of Yunzhong, relieved at last, could not help but cheer aloud.

“Liu Eagle-Strike is wise!”

“That’s our Liu Eagle-Strike!”

“This young Lord Le is a local prodigy—let bygones be bygones!”

As for the deeper meaning in Liu Wu Zhou’s words, especially the suggestion to seek justice from Wang Ren Gong, few took it to heart. It was only natural: Wang Ren Gong was furiously recruiting troops, preparing to confront Liu Wu Zhou. How could Liu Wu Zhou risk leaving his domain to enter Shanyang City and court disaster? Should he actually go, the infamously unyielding Wang Ren Gong would surely seize him on the spot, assign some arbitrary crime, and swallow up the Eagle-Strike Commandery.

So, when Liu Wu Zhou spoke, everyone listened and let the matter rest. What mattered most was that, no matter what excuse Liu Eagle-Strike found, the matter had finally been put to rest!

Amid the cheers of Yunzhong’s soldiers and citizens, Xu Le, who had stood tall throughout, finally bowed in respectful salute. Now was not the time to assert himself further; Xu Le was no fool.

Liu Wu Zhou stepped forward, supporting Xu Le so he wouldn’t kneel. “Why so formal? Old Liu once passed through the Sanggan Valley and heard of Old Lord Xu who swept the valley with bow and horse, but never had the chance to pay his respects. Since you are a son of this land, you are family to Old Liu. The past need not be mentioned. When you have time, come visit my commandery office as a guest!”

Liu Wu Zhou’s face was full of admiration, his gaze sweeping Xu Le up and down like a kindly elder from the same village. At last, he shook his head and sighed, “Truly a brilliant young man of our land! We old folks are all aging now!”

Xu Le smiled, his eight gleaming white teeth shining as he lowered his head slightly, embodying the humility of a youthful junior.

Everyone around breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed their weapons. Yuchi Gong’s face broke into a broad grin, already considering whether to spar with Lord Le during his stay in Yunzhong.

Song Bao, whose heart had been lodged in his throat, now felt it drop. His back was drenched in cold sweat, his legs weak, and the scar at the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This merchant’s journey had felt like losing twenty years of life… But this Lord Le, the people of Shenwu County had truly underestimated him—he was a dragon among men!

Would someone like him really be content to linger forever in the shallow waters of Shenwu County? How high might he rise in the future?

Should Song Bao, having built some rapport through this journey, follow in Lord Le’s footsteps, might he ride the wave when Le soared skyward?

Meanwhile, Yuan Junwei slowly climbed to his feet, each word of praise for Liu Wu Zhou and Xu Le piercing his heart. Clenching his fists tightly, he stared at Xu Le’s figure, his muscles tensing with a single thought swirling in his mind: Should he charge forward and fight Xu Le to the death? Even dying would be better than enduring such humiliation!

Just as Yuan Junwei’s body reached peak tension, a hand pressed firmly on his shoulder. He turned, eyes red, to see Yuan Junzhang gazing at him coldly.

Truth be told, Yuan Junwei’s stubbornness sometimes led him to challenge even Liu Wu Zhou, but his elder brother’s glance was enough to make him stand down, not daring another move.

Liu Wu Zhou seemed not to notice the disturbance. After praising Xu Le once more, he waved jovially to the crowd. “What are you all gawking at? Go on, disperse! Rest up and prepare for the Autumn Fair in three days! After a year’s toil, that’s the time to truly enjoy yourselves!”

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On the low hills outside the city, many spectators watched the events unfold with mixed reactions—some sighed, some grew tense, some held their breath, and others finally cheered.

When Liu Wu Zhou resolved the conflict, the hills echoed with cheers. Everyone praised Liu Eagle-Strike, especially those from Yunzhong, for whom Liu Wu Zhou’s presence meant the city could stand firm between the opposing threats of the Turks and Wang Ren Gong.

Liu Wenjing had watched Xu Le’s explosive confrontation with patient attention, surprising even the Six Commandery Guards around him. Normally, the Prefect of Jinyang paid no heed to the martial contests of soldiers.

After Liu Wu Zhou appeared, Liu Wenjing’s gaze locked on the borderland hero until he diffused the situation. Only then did Liu Wenjing return to his carriage, a hint of mocking smile on his lips.

The Six Commandery Guards noticed Liu Wenjing’s expression and felt a faint sense of injustice. Legends like Liu Wu Zhou, stalwarts of the frontier, seemed not worth the Prefect’s notice. For men like them, perhaps they were mere dust in his eyes.

Others were simply born lucky, blessed with powerful fathers—what use was indignation?

On another low hill, two nobles disguised as Tatar tribesmen quietly watched the confrontation.

The younger noble’s face glowed with admiration: Xu Le’s solitary battle against dozens of Eagle-Strike soldiers, Liu Wu Zhou’s command of both military and civilian loyalty—it all left him dazzled, whispering to himself, “Only the Han produce such men, only the Han!”

His attendants shook their heads. The noble was generous and heroic, but his admiration for the Han was excessive, heedless of the feelings of other tribal aristocrats, leaving his guards awkward.

The older noble’s face darkened at Xu Le’s martial prowess. The rivalry between Xu Le and Yuchi Gong was like dragons clashing, and his expression grew gloomier, almost dripping with resentment.

Yet, when Liu Wu Zhou entered and resolved the crisis, and the whole city cheered, the older noble wore a mocking smile much like Liu Wenjing’s, and waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing more to see. Let’s return.”

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Liu Wu Zhou turned and departed, Song Bao and the others’ eyes following this honest, stalwart man. If life in Heng’an Commandery weren’t so harsh, Song Bao would have been tempted to join him; with such a leader, any soldier with ambition would wish to follow.

But remembering his enmity with Yuan Junwei in Heng’an, Song Bao quickly abandoned the thought.

Xu Le’s gaze likewise followed Liu Wu Zhou’s back. For a moment, Liu Wu Zhou seemed to sense it and glanced over. In that instant, Xu Le felt Liu Wu Zhou’s gaze was sharp as a blade!

But the edge vanished as swiftly as it appeared, as if it were merely his imagination. Liu Wu Zhou nodded warmly at Xu Le, smiled again, and left, surrounded by his personal guards.

At that moment, Xu Le recalled a saying from his grandfather:

“…Liu Wu Zhou, he watches like an eagle and glances like a wolf—a hero forged in the piles of the dead. Anyone who underestimates him is a fool!”