Chapter 47: The Alliance (Part One)

As dawn gradually broke, the surroundings of Cloud City slowly emerged from the darkness.

Today, around Cloud City, in the settlements of the nine surnamed tribes, there was a peculiar atmosphere. In each camp, among the nobles of the nine tribes, not all enjoyed the same popularity in Han lands as Luo Dun, who could come and go from Cloud City without a care. Most nobles, upon arrival, secluded themselves within their tents, avoiding contact with anyone from the Heng'an Eagle Commandery. For the Tartar tribes of the nine surnames, their shared resentment towards the Turkic oppression was a unifying force, but it did not mean they all held any affection for the Han or the Sui Dynasty. They attended the grand autumn gathering in Cloud City and preparations for the alliance out of necessity, but any dealings with the Eagle Commandery were strictly avoided.

This was precisely why Luo Dun did not wish to bring Xu Le to the alliance meeting, fearing some incident might arise.

Yet, as soon as dawn broke, these nobles—who usually kept to themselves—emerged, each dressed in their finest garments. After washing and eating, they made themselves as presentable as possible, then led out their freshly groomed steeds. Surrounded by their personal guards, they mounted their horses and, without displaying any tribal banners, rode off in a cloud of dust.

Among the nine tribes, only the Qianyu Yue's encampment was not set between the city walls and the low hills, but built against the mountains. As the largest of the nine Tartar tribes, their wariness towards the Eagle Commandery was only to be expected. The Eagle Commandery, for its part, maintained a constant patrol of cavalry near the Qianyu Yue camp, and the Qianyu Yue did not drive them away. This mutual tolerance was the tacit understanding that allowed the autumn gathering to proceed smoothly. However, if the Qianyu Yue's encampment continued to grow, the Eagle Commandery would be compelled to act.

Squad after squad of noble entourages crossed the low hills beyond Cloud City, galloping toward the distant Qianyu Yue encampment, raising plumes of dust that lingered in the dry autumn air.

The garrisons on the hills were alarmed; Eagle Commandery soldiers manned the walls with bows at the ready, watching the developments. Yet none of the nobles so much as glanced at the soldiers, riding past without a second thought.

The soldiers on the ramparts kept glancing toward Cloud City, waiting for a signal to know how to respond to this situation.

On the city walls that day, the patrol was led by Yuchi Gong. The previous day's brawl with Xu Le had left him exhilarated. After escorting Xu Le into the city, he found a familiar tavern, drank half a jar of village wine, and, with not a coin in his pocket, waved off the bill and went straight to his bunk by the wall, falling asleep with his boots still on and snoring thunderously.

At dawn, when it was his turn to patrol, Yuchi Gong awoke briskly and climbed to the ramparts, full of energy.

Inside the tower, the Eagle Commandery soldiers pointed and whispered about the events unfolding outside. Seeing Yuchi Gong appear, several squad leaders stepped forward, saluting. "Commander, look at this—something strange is happening today. The autumn gathering hasn’t even begun, yet all the nine Tartar nobles are out of their camps, heading for the Qianyu Yue encampment!"

Yuchi Gong glanced over and snorted, "What's there to panic about? The nine Tartar tribes are not the Turks. Even if it’s the Qianyu Yue, we've searched them thoroughly—blades are allowed, armor is not. There are barely two or three thousand able-bodied men among them, the rest are old, weak, or merchants. They've all suffered enough under the Turks and are here to do business. If they dare cause trouble, we’ll crush them in no time!"

Seeing the officers still hesitant, Yuchi Gong growled impatiently, "And you call yourselves soldiers of Heng'an Commandery! We have an entire battalion of cavalry stationed near the Qianyu Yue. Two or three hundred armored archers on swift horses—if anything goes wrong, word will reach us instantly. Even if the Wolf Riders of Shibi Khan himself showed up, they couldn't wipe out our battalion in a single stroke!"

Just as he finished, a soldier pointed ahead. "Commander, look!"

Yuchi Gong looked out and saw the patrol battalion, which had been circling near the Qianyu Yue, now kicking up dust as they returned toward Cloud City.

These hundreds of patrol cavalry, the elite of the Eagle Commandery, passed by the Tartar nobles, exchanging brief glances but continuing on their separate paths.

Startled, Yuchi Gong turned to descend the wall. "Damn it, what's going on? I’ll go see for myself—if anything really happens, we’ll be the laughingstock!"

At that moment, a sharp command rang out, "Jingde, stay where you are! Everyone hold your positions. The patrol’s withdrawal was my order!"

Surrounded by his personal guard, Yuan Junzhang strode up the wall, while his messengers hurried to relay orders to all points.

Yuchi Gong, clearly displeased, asked, "Chief Clerk, what’s going on here?"

Yuan Junzhang’s mind was taut with anxiety. Just last night, he and Liu Wuzhou had agreed to turn a blind eye to the Tartar alliance—even if the Turks caused trouble. He had sent urgent orders overnight to withdraw cavalry from near the Qianyu Yue camp, never expecting the Tartars to convene their alliance today!

The news had been that the alliance would take place after the autumn gathering. Its sudden advancement could only mean something had changed.

A storm was brewing. Could the Eagle Commandery withstand it? Could Liu Wuzhou truly follow his counsel? There was no room for hesitation; only by choosing a side and surviving could they hope to thrive. Reputation counted for little now.

Fortunately, Liu Yingji was an ambitious man, unwilling to be swallowed up by Wang Ren Gong.

When Yuchi Gong pressed for answers, Yuan Junzhang frowned in displeasure. This man, relying on his martial prowess, treated ranks and protocol lightly and acted with reckless abandon. If not for Liu Wuzhou’s protection, Yuan Junzhang would have long since found fault with him.

Preoccupied with the crisis, Yuan Junzhang simply replied, "This matter is not for you to question. Focus on your patrol and ensure nothing happens in Cloud City!"

Yuchi Gong snorted, turned, and headed down the wall. "Fine, Chief Clerk, you take over! If you’re going to move troops without telling today’s patrol commander, why should I bother standing here? I’ll just go back and lie down!"

He stomped away, unrestrainable, leaving Yuan Junzhang fuming.

Let this crisis pass, Yuan Junzhang thought. When I’ve helped Liu Wuzhou rise to power and dominate Mayi Commandery, then we’ll see who holds the reins!