Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Contest of Strength, Part Thirty-One

The sudden rain had at last begun to ease. It was down to a thin, steady drizzle, fine as horsehair, carrying a chill that seemed intent on seeping straight into the bones. It was as though the people of the borderlands were being reminded that autumn was nearly gone, and that the bitter, biting winter was soon to come.

Inside and outside Cloud City, the ground had become a field of mud. Last night the whole city had been mobilized in haste; several thousand Eagle-Soaring soldiers, horse and rider together, had moved back and forth in all directions, trampling the earth into ruin. Cow and horse dung, mixed with urine, lay stirred into the mire, giving off a foul stench.

When Xu Le had first arrived in Cloud City, the sun had shone bright, the ground had been dry, and the blue sky had been clear as glass. Everything then had seemed like an illusion. Only now did the true, harsh face of this little border city reveal itself: a forward bastion thrust directly against the first line of the steppe tribes.

Xu Le and the others, escorted all the way by the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring troops, came on through the rain. Old Roden and Bu Li were both utterly exhausted, their heads drooping in the saddle as if they might fall asleep at any moment. One was old, the other still young, and after all they had endured, they truly could not hold out any longer.

Xu Le himself still sat straight in the saddle, but his eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks seemed thinner than before. Though his skill had already become exceptional, he was still flesh and blood, not forged of iron. If one thought carefully about how much he had done in the last day and night, it was remarkable enough that he could still keep himself upright.

On this street beside the commandant's offices stood a number of courtyards. They were the residences of officers of the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring garrison, and Yuwen Gong was nominally assigned a home here as well. Yet the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring frontier command guarded an enormous territory, with officers constantly being dispatched north and south; many of these houses were left empty. Though Yuwen Gong had a place here in name, he preferred to mingle in the camp with the soldiers, or else drink with the bold youths in the markets and lanes. Since his lodging was close to Liu Wuzhou's and felt a bit too confining, he rarely set foot here.

Earlier, Han Yue, Song Bao, and the others had already been thrown into prison. After Xu Le seized Zhang Wansui, Liu Wuzhou gave the order, and they were all moved here to be settled in, given dry clothes, hot drinks, and companions for idle conversation, all with apologies in every word and tone. After following Xu Le through such wild turns of heaven and earth, the lot of them had already grown used to such swings from high to low and back again.

After Xu Le had settled the matter of the Lianghait tribe, he came straight here. At the moment he had no other thought in mind; he only wanted to lie down and sleep. Whatever there was to be done, he would deal with it after he woke.

Only now did Xu Le understand why his grandfather had once said that though his abilities were already quite good, he still lacked seasoning.

As a great general, one must don armor and bear sharp steel, facing the enemy in battle. At critical moments, going two or three days without closing one's eyes was nothing unusual; there were also forced marches over long distances, and charging at the head of the troops. If he truly meant to accomplish something in the future, then everything so far was only the beginning.

Just as they were nearing the place where they had been settled, several figures suddenly came pouring out from the gate. They were none other than Han Yue, Song Bao, and the others, who, heedless of the rain in the air and the mud beneath their feet, hurried toward Xu Le's horse.

Han Yue was still composed, his steps steady. Song Bao, on the other hand, was grinning so hard it looked as if his face might split open. He pushed past Han Yue and ran at full speed. In a few strides he reached Xu Le's horse, grabbed the reins from Xu Le's mount, and stood ready to help him dismount.

It was the attitude of a retainer through and through.

Those who had been brought here all understood that Xu Le had somehow turned the situation around. Then news kept arriving, first that Xu Le had personally seized Zhang Wansui and uncovered the conspiracy between Wang Rengong and the Turks, thereby earning a tremendous debt of gratitude from the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring command.

That alone would have been enough. Xu Le breaking through battle lines and storming camps was, given his abilities and reckless courage, entirely within expectations.

But then came the next piece of news: more than a thousand of the Yue tribe had already been wiped out, the internal strife within the Lianghait tribe had been suppressed, and Roden had in turn ceded the position of tribal chief to Xu Le. At this point, the young Lord Le from Shenwu County had actually become the chieftain of one of the Nine-Clan tribes.

If before this Xu Le had possessed skill but no lineage and no power, with his future still difficult to discern, then now that he held a whole tribe in his hands, both Liu Wuzhou and Wang Rengong would have to look at him with greater respect. Even if he were to lead the tribe to migrate to Hedong, the Duke of Tang, who harbored ambitions of seizing the realm, would likely go to great lengths to win him over and provide Xu Le with a true foundation.

Would not those who followed Xu Le likewise rise with the tide?

At this moment, Song Bao felt that his own choice had been incomparably wise. His only regret was that when he had been imprisoned by the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring soldiers, he had not suffered a little more, so that he might display even greater loyalty before Xu Le.

Xu Le merely shook his head and smiled wryly at Song Bao's behavior. He dismounted, called to Song Bao, and said, "Take care of Roden and Bu Li. Prepare hot food and clean bedding. They are all exhausted. Let them rest first; we can speak of everything else after that."

Song Bao answered loudly, "The Heng'an command has already sent food and firewood. The bedding was prepared long ago. The broth is hot, the beds are warm. Please rest easy, Lord Le!"

Xu Le smiled, personally helping Roden dismount. He said nothing more, merely walking side by side with Roden into the house, while Bu Li followed tightly behind. The Heng'an Eagle-Soaring soldiers on duty outside the courtyard saw Xu Le enter and promptly gave a military salute with their chests squared.

Song Bao stayed close behind, wanting to ask something, but in the end held himself back. Han Yue, however, remained as always at Xu Le's side and asked in a low voice, "Lord Le, I heard you took charge of the Lianghait tribe?"

Xu Le nodded.

Han Yue frowned and asked again, "Then are we not going back to Shenwu?"

Xu Le replied softly, "How could we not go back? Over there with Wang Rengong, he may well learn that I was involved in this matter. My grandfather is still in the Xu family hamlet."

Han Yue immediately tensed and asked in a low voice, "What should we do then?"

Xu Le shook his head. "Sleep first. We'll deal with everything after I wake up."

Han Yue nodded and followed him silently into the courtyard, but in the end could not help himself. "A Le, whatever happens in the future, don't leave me behind. This night of worry has been truly hard to bear."

Xu Le laughed, patted Han Yue on the shoulder, and on the other side Roden glanced sideways at the two of them without speaking.

Everything had been handed off. The fate of the Lianghait tribe and the Xu family hamlet were both left for Xu Le to worry over. Men like them, the old ones, had long since outlived their time and should have stepped away from this age of storm and upheaval.

No matter how difficult the road ahead might be, Roden somehow believed without reason that Xu Le would be able to handle it all.

Once they reached the courtyard, there was no more talk. Xu Le, Roden, and the others were so exhausted that they could not even bring themselves to eat. They were led separately into several rooms, still in their clothes, and as soon as they lay down, they were asleep.

Han Yue, Song Bao, the bold young men, and the retainers all kept watch in the courtyard, blades at their waists and bows on their backs, standing in the fine rain.

Such a scene already had the air of a newly risen power and its master.

Then, from beneath the corridor, came the soft sound of footsteps. Little Bu Li emerged from the room assigned to her, carrying a blanket. She looked left and right outside the rooms of Xu Le and Roden, then finally placed the blanket between the two rooms. Curling herself up with a dagger in hand, she fell into a deep sleep just like that.

Even in her dreams, Little Bu Li's ears twitched now and then, as if she remained vigilant at all times.

Watching Bu Li, Song Bao muttered to himself, This little wolf girl, when she grows up, I wonder whether Lord Le will keep her at his side. But in any case, she could never become the main wife. For Lord Le's future, he would need a daughter of some great house at the very least to match the path that lies ahead of him.

In the drizzling rain along the mountain road, a sudden burst of thunderous cheering rose from beyond a bend ahead, tearing through the dense curtain of rain.

"We've captured Jib Luoluo!"

The cheers were mixed with Yuwen Gong's loud laughter.

Jib Luoluo, the Akhian office holder with command authority over the cavalry of the Jib tribe, was the younger brother of the tribal chief and had served as the chief commander in last year's Turkic invasion. He had stirred up the armies of Yanmen, Mayi, and Hedong into action, and in the end had still been allowed to retreat in safety.

Such a figure had actually been taken alive beneath the walls of Cloud City by the Heng'an Eagle-Soaring command!

Yuan Junzhang, riding forward at a gallop, ignored the cheers rising in unison from the soldiers beside him, though his face had darkened as grimly as the weather overhead.

Capturing Jib Luoluo was easy enough, but the Turks would surely retaliate. And Wang Rengong would also march north. How was the Heng'an command supposed to respond?

He truly did not understand why Commander Liu had issued such an order. Could it be that he truly intended to become a loyal minister of the Great Sui, defending it against the Turks even at the cost of his own defeat and death?

In the Heng'an army, orders came first. Though he had carried out the command, Liu Yingji would still have to give him an explanation.

A moment later, Yuan Junzhang, whose face remained dark, let out a long sigh.

What had happened today was only the beginning of a contest between the three powers in Mayi. Indeed, one could say it was the opening act of the struggle that would involve the whole realm and determine who would finally seize the deer.