Chapter 108: Winds Rising (Part 5)

Liu Wuzhou and Yuan Junzhang stood atop the city walls, watching a squadron of riders swiftly depart, stirring up clouds of dust as they headed south.

This squadron was sent by Liu Wuzhou to deliver a memorial to his nominal superior, Wang Rengong.

Similar detachments had been dispatched by Liu Wuzhou to the Duke of Tang in Jinyang, the Governor of Yanmen Commandery, and even to the Regent Prince Yang You in Chang’an.

The message was clear: What was the meaning of Governor Wang’s collusion with the Turks, betraying the frontier officials? If the lords believed that Yunzhong no longer belonged to the Han, then Liu Wuzhou was prepared to resign and leave, unwilling to be the last loyal minister guarding the border for the Sui.

But if they believed Liu’s actions were justified, then he implored Governor Wang to pull back from the brink, and called upon the frontier commanders, the lords, and the Regent Prince to lend him their support.

As the dust clouds raised by the riders drifted farther away, Yuan Junzhang sighed deeply. “This is like disturbing a hornet’s nest.”

Liu Wuzhou’s face remained somber as he asked, “What do you think the reactions will be?”

Yuan Junzhang shook his head. “Yanmen Commandery is broken and battered; they have no desire to get tangled up in this mess. The memorial sent there will be like a stone dropped into the sea—no ripple at all. As for the Duke of Tang, he will surely support us…”

A mocking smile crept onto his lips. “That Duke is itching for us to fight Governor Wang. He cares not who lives or dies, as long as when he embarks on his grand designs, we border soldiers don’t get in his way. You confront Governor Wang with strength, and the Duke will cheer and rally behind you.”

Liu Wuzhou smiled bitterly and murmured, “Every man looks out for himself; the heavens and the earth exact their own justice. Everyone acts out of self-interest…”

Yuan Junzhang continued, “As for the Regent in Chang’an, he’s but a naive child. What real authority does the Sui have over this realm anymore? He’s only sending people on a pointless journey… As for Governor Wang…”

When mentioning Wang Rengong, Yuan’s tone darkened, his smile turning sharper.

“Governor Wang has always been stern and contemptuous of us low-born commoners. Now that we openly expose his schemes, how could he not be furious to the point of madness? If he had any hesitation before, now there’s none left. He won’t delay matters in Mayi Commandery any longer. He wants this resolved quickly—and to our detriment!”

A faint smile appeared on Liu Wuzhou’s lips.

These envoys were deliberately stirring up trouble. Wang Rengong would undoubtedly be thunderously enraged and unleash his most decisive measures.

This was exactly what he wanted; the confines of Yunzhong were too small, and he had grown weary of his post.

Yuan Junzhang and Liu Wuzhou stood side by side in silence for a while before Yuan raised another topic: “Why did you so easily let Xu Le and his group leave?”

Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Liu Wuzhou.

That day, Xu Le was unwilling to linger in the city and planned to depart under the pretense of taking over Liang Hait’s troops. According to Yuan’s thinking, Xu Le was the most troublesome element and should have been detained to prevent further chaos.

Yet Liu Wuzhou pondered and ultimately allowed them to go.

Meeting Yuan’s gaze, Liu Wuzhou shook his head. “At this moment, keeping Xu Le inside Yunzhong City would be the most worrying option. Let him leave and stir up trouble elsewhere. This time, the disaster will not fall upon our Heng’an Eagle Guard.”

Then, patting Yuan on the shoulder, Liu said, “Don’t overestimate Xu Le. Although he is capable and by some stroke of fate handed Zhang Wansui into my hands, stirring this storm, he is still too weak. Even the conflicts within Mayi Commandery, he cannot decisively influence. Old Yuan, our true enemy is Governor Wang Rengong—and there will be other powerful clans in the future. Xu Le is far from the level that warrants such attention.”

Yuan remained silent, knowing Liu’s words were sound. Yet in his brief dealings with Xu Le in Yunzhong City, Yuan had a persistent premonition: whenever Xu Le got involved, matters would spiral beyond expectations.

He hoped this storm would not drag Xu Le in again. It would be better if he quietly took command of Liang Hait’s troops and lived out his prosperous days.

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In the village of the Xu family settlement along the Sanggan River Valley, the scene was desolate.

The autumn harvest had been completed, but over half of the grain was taken to the granary in Shenwu County, destined to be transported to Shanyang as part of Wang Rengong’s amassed wealth.

The elderly patriarch was gravely ill, and there was no word from Lord Le’s merchant caravan. The settlement, with about thirty households, showed little vitality.

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As a frontier village, there was a stockade wall, manned daily by local men.

Today’s sentinel was Du Chong, whose family had fled from Yanmen Commandery after a Turkic raid and had settled in the Xu family village nearly ten years ago. Of the two brothers, the younger traveled with Xu Le on trading missions, while the elder stayed to guard the home.

Though latecomers to the settlement, the Du family were honest and trustworthy, diligently handling village affairs and enjoying a good reputation. Otherwise, Xu Le wouldn’t have entrusted his younger brother to go on such a trip.

The autumn sun still shone but offered little warmth. Du Chong had long since donned his leather jacket and huddled in a corner of the stockade wall. When the cold became too much, he would patrol the wall, surveying the desolate, harvested fields surrounding the village.

He was the sole guard on the wall. His only weapons were a weak hunting bow, a quiver of arrows, and a spear.

Since Liu Wuzhou’s reorganization of the Heng’an Eagle Guard, the days when all able-bodied men stood vigil on the walls every night, fearing Turkic invasions from the south, had vanished.

While on duty, Du Chong never expected any alarm. His mind dwelled instead on the harsh taxes imposed by the governor’s levies. The small stores of grain at home would not last until spring. He pinned his hopes on Lord Le’s caravan returning with supplies.

His brother had gone on a long journey; he prayed nothing untoward would happen. At twenty-five or six, Du Chong himself was still unmarried. Perhaps it was time to find a match.

Lost in these tangled thoughts, he wandered aimlessly along the wall.

At that moment, a rider galloped swiftly from afar—a young, lightly clad swordsman. From a distance, the youth’s shout rang out: “Is the little gatekeeper here? Something terrible has happened!”

Startled, Du Chong shook off his daydreams and stared at the approaching youth. Only one thought filled his mind:

What could be so terrible as to reach an ordinary village like the Xu family settlement?