Chapter 102: The Scent of Blood in the Wind

After Altan went back, he discussed with the Wala Hanzi under him for half a day, and decided to turn zero into whole. Each person with a dozen horses, using this delayed two days to quietly leave the Clearwater River pasture, so that the target is narrowed down, can be mixed in the traders in and out of the city, not easy to be detected by the defenders.

Alertan himself stayed where he was with five or six men, acting as a barricade along with the small number of horses that remained.

When the market opens two days later, if the horse collector still wants to force a low buy, he can only buy the remaining one or two dozen horses, his loss is not too big, transfer out of the horses can continue to sell in a different place, just on the way to grass and footwear to lose some more.

If we can negotiate the price then, the horses that were transferred out will just be gotten back in.

We all agreed that the method was a bit more cumbersome, but we couldn’t find anything better at the moment, so we all agreed to move in groups.

On the first day, nearly half of the men and horses left without incident. On the second day, a Wara man driving a horse accidentally knocked down a shelf at the entrance to the city, and the guards noticed something strange and reported it to the garrison camp.

At that time, Senator Huo of Lingzhou was drinking tea with Yan Chengxue, the Secretary of the Imperial Servant’s Temple of Shaanxi Row. After hearing the report from the guards, Yan Chengxue was the first to react, put his teacup down heavily, and said angrily, “This is an attempt to escape from the expedition! I have been polite and tolerant enough to these Tartars, sending people to discuss with them, but I didn’t expect that they would bully my Ming officials and move all the horses out while using a delaying tactic. It is said that barbarians are faithless, and so it is!”

Huo poured him another cup of tea and advised with a smile, “A few unenlightened barbarians are worth Lord Yan’s anger, it’s simply lifting them up. Since they are unkind, don’t blame us for being unrighteous, let me personally lead the troops to take down these barbarians and escort them over for you to dispose of as you please.”

Yan Chengxue sniffed his face a lot better, see Huo get up, and said: “Wait! Just send troops to arrest people, Warat knows, fear to come forward to ask for justice. I heard that the leader of the Warat recently with the dynasty quite a deal, the saint seems to have the intention of recruiting, then if the people cited a ‘bullying vassal’, and your reputation and career is not conducive. You have to make a name for yourself.”

When Huo heard this, the smile on his face deepened, “Your Honor Yan has thought it all through for me, which is a sign of love and care.”

Yan Chengxue glared at him, “I was afraid that you would act recklessly and implicate me!”

“Yes extremely, yes extremely! Then please also ask Lord Yan for an idea?”

Yan Chengxue slowly sipped her tea and said, “White Tiger Hall.”

Huo and his more than ten years of deep friendship, each other’s temperament and preferences are familiar with, know that he is good to read Water Margin, which is used Gao Ziangzui induced Lin Chong to carry weapons into the military machine heavy white tiger festival hall, will be asked for the crime of the allusion.

And the west city of the Qing Shui camp also has such a military important place, is the Ministry of War set up by the deliberations of the office. As the command center of the Great Wall border affairs in Hedong, the officials of the three sides of the total control of the deliberations here, if it is not related to the people with soldiers barged in, according to the law can be taken down in the courtroom to ask for beheading.

Yan Chengxue got up and dusted his sleeves, “I’ll send the horse collector to invite ‘Teacher Lin’. This person is clad in gold and jade, I think he must be a Valar nobleman, not only do I want to eat this batch of good steeds he brought, but I also want to use him as a meat ticket, so that the Valar Ministry can hand over horses for ransom – the ransom doesn’t have to be too much, handing over 8,000 10,000 horses would be enough.”

Huo laughed and praised, “Lord Yan is truly a bully.”

The two had a close relationship, and this point of flirting Yan Chengxue did not take to heart, asking rhetorically, “Do you have an opinion?”

“By no means. Nor dare there be.” Huo shook his cold fingers and said, “I’ll go and arrange for manpower, just at your command.”

–

Qing Shui River pasture, Alertan saw a group of soldiers from afar steering their horses and galloping over, then guessed that the secret transfer matter was exposed, face sullen, only pressed his hand on the hilt of the scimitar at his waist.

After the other party approached, the horse collector dismounted and his face was a bit better than before, though still smelly, it was less arrogant. He said to Altan: “It is said that a deal is not a deal, why do you have to be so embarrassed? Besides, it’s not like you’re not allowed to bargain, so why don’t you sit down and talk slowly.”

Seeing that he had changed his attitude, Altan was a little suspicious in his heart and said, “The market price is one hundred pounds of tea per horse, and I didn’t buy it expensively. If you still offer a price of seventy or eighty pounds, there is no need to talk any more, and it will be difficult for me to explain to the clan.”

The horse collector sighed: “It’s hard for you and it’s hard for me too. Every year, the imperial court has the target of buying and collecting horses, but the silver allocated is just a little bit, so I hate to break a copper plate into two halves. Besides, these errand boys have to eat, don’t they? It’s better to take a step back and discuss everything.”

A han beside Altan said in Warat language, “Public silver is not enough to buy horses, but enough for them to embezzle and take kickbacks? These Ming people are all so hypocritical, not a word of truth comes out of their mouths, they can’t be trusted, why don’t you let me just cut them down!”

Alertan stopped him with a look and turned to the lector, “Then please sit in the tent.”

The horse levy officer smiled bitterly: ”This time I can’t make the decision. The authority in my hands is only sixty pounds, if you want to raise the price further, you will have to talk to my superior officer. Follow me into the city to see my superior.”

“It’s so troublesome to acquire public horses, so can’t I just sell them to merchants instead of the public?”

“No way. Before the horse levy target is completed, all the horse markets around this Lingzhou area must be prioritized to supply the court.”

Altan frowned and thought about it, nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll talk to your superior officer again. If we can’t come to an agreement this time, forget it and we’ll just leave Spirit State.”

The Horse Collector breathed a sigh of relief and for the first time saluted him with an arch of his hand, “Life is not easy, so let’s be more considerate of each other.”

Alertan settled horses and guards, with seven Wala Hanzi, along with the horse levy officer into the Qingshui camp, to the western city of a camp fort door. He saw this camp fort grand and strong, tightly guarded, like a garrison, the heart of the suspicion is more dense, stopped the horse and asked: “your superior officer is which lord?”

The horse-recruiting officer replied, “It is the Lord Temple Chancellor of the Shaanxi line of the Taishu Temple.”

Alertan on the Ming State official position a little hunting, know the line of the Imperial Servant Temple Temple Prime Minister is the sixth grade, for a civilian horse trader, the official rank is not low, if not for his identity of the Warat clan, the other side may not be willing to come out to meet.

And the place of reception was chosen in the garrison camp fort, about also worrying about the identity of their northern desert people, fearing that their personal safety is not guaranteed.

— simply treating them like flood beasts. Alertan’s heart was unhappy, but in order to fulfill the mission of the adventure, he held back his anger and said, “Please also lead the way.”

The horse-recruiting official led them through several corridors in seven turns, passed through a triple door, stopped under the eaves in front of the hall, and said, “The superior officer is in the hall, please come in.”

Altan looked around and saw that the layout of the premises was precise. Along the way, on the corridor, there are many soldiers on duty, so it is reasonable to say that near the inner hall should be more tightly guarded, but why there are no guards?

Although he is usually straightforward, but is a rough and careful person, this vaguely ominous premonition, they intend to wait outside the hall, to figure out the situation before saying.

The horse-recruiting officer again urged, “Go in, don’t keep the superior officer waiting.”

Alertan was about to open his mouth, when a chorus of curses suddenly burst out from within the hall, speaking in Warwickian: “Deceiving people too much, I’ll fight you all!”

The people outside the hall heard at once that it was the voice of one of the companions, who an hour ago was taking his turn to leave the city with his horse, and thought that he had been seized by the guards and escorted here.

The northern desert tribes are naturally brave, not afraid to die, but also very important to the same tribe. Walar people immediately rage, have drawn their swords: “Stop! Who dares to touch our brothers?”

Before Altan could give an order to stop them, two of them, the quick-tempered Waratahs, split the curtain and rushed into the hall.

Things have come to this point, he can’t disregard the lives of his people, even if the mountain of swords and the sea of fire must be broken through, so he took a big step into the hall, said to the hall official: “Since we are invited to talk business, why do you have to use swords and guns? Your country is known as a state of etiquette, is this your etiquette?”

The official in the hall was first surprised, then shouted angrily, “Who invited! What business is being talked about! Nonsense! I am the guardian of Ling Zhou, this is the council place under the Ministry of War, you barbarians are trespassing with arms, do you want to assassinate the military officials and provoke a war between the two countries? Men, take them down, if they resist, kill them on sight!”

The guard heavily slammed a teacup, and from outside the hall many elite soldiers in armor poured in to disarm them.

Altan knew that he had been tricked, but he thought that if the soldiers came to stop him, a man’s step is a step, there is nothing to be hesitant about, even if he faced these hundreds of elite soldiers alone, he was also fearless. So he drew his long and narrow scimitar, straight to the hall official: “to fight, make what plotting and scheming, it is disgraceful! Let’s take you down first, and then we’ll settle the score with the one who lied to us!”

Not far away, on the outer corridor of the second floor, Yan Chengxue was wearing a scarlet round-necked shirt with embroidered peacock patches from the third rank, standing side by side with Huo, who was wearing a silver panther’s head patterned and decorated with iron za armors, two unspoken literary birds and martial beasts.

Hissing and fighting sounds constantly emanated from the council chamber, the sound of blades striking resounded like cracking stones, Yan Chengxue lifted his jaw, “A few barbarians, a quarter of an hour and still haven’t taken them down, the soldiers under your command should be practicing.”

Huo was slightly embarrassed: “I didn’t think this leading Tartar was so skilled, this person is definitely not an ordinary horse trader.”

Yan Chengxue said, “A northern desert nobleman, disguised as a horse trader to enter the border town, also harboring such a skill, must have ulterior motives, whether or not it is from the Varrar tribe, it is still a matter of opinion. It seems that we have made a mistake this time and uncovered a spy.”

As he spoke, the earthen wall of the council hall was actually smashed through a large hole, from which two soldiers spitting blood flew out and smashed down on the school ground in front of the hall.

Altan stepped out on the bricks, his hair braid covered in woodchip dust. He shook his head like a lion, shook off the debris, and looked up in the direction of the two men. His sharp gaze pierced through the void, as if it were an iron whip covered with thorns and spines, and lashed at the two men’s doorsteps.

Huo felt a murderous aura with anger, and subconsciously stepped forward to block Yan Chengxue’s figure, calling out towards the bottom, “Good stance! I’ll meet you!” Saying so, he beckoned for a few of his own soldiers to protect Yan Chengxue to the back, and stepped on the railing himself, leaping down from the second floor.

The proctor threw a lance, which he copied in mid-air, and the tip of the lance cut through a fan of biting cold light, slicing straight at Alertan’s waist and ribs.

–

A small gray and white speckled kestrel flew down from the air and came to rest on the man’s finger wearing a sheepskin finger cuff.

The man’s figure under the black cloth robe was thin and tall, like a withered and branched poplar tree trunk. The robe covered his feet, and his sleeves and chest and back were adorned with many cloth bands with brass buttons, which hung down in a long way, just like countless ceremonial silks wrapped around the trunk of a tree to sacrifice to the gods.

His brow was also hidden in the shadow of his hood, and only the tip of a bit of his hawkish nose was vaguely visible.

After a few moments of intently looking at each other with Hayabusa’s pupils, he let out a hoarse laugh as if he had gotten a spiritual transmission from the underworld.

A short, round-faced teenager standing behind him asked, “What do you see, Grand Wizard?”

The man’s throat seemed to be scalded with copper juice, and he made an extremely hoarse sound, “The prince is in trouble.”

“Ah!” The valet exclaimed with a small gasp, “Shall we …… then?”

Without answering, the man pulled out a strip of raw meat and fed it to the falcon. He curled his withered fingers to caress the falcon’s feathers, and after it finished eating, he raised his hand to let it lift its wings and rush into the sky. Looking at the falcon that flew away, he murmured, “There is the smell of blood in the wind, and the wrath of the gods is accumulating …… The opportunity that I have waited for a long time is coming.”

–

The twilight was deep, and on the desolate official road, a large group of cavalry soared northward, the smoke and dust rolled up by the horses’ hooves for a long time.

Before the light of day was about to disappear, the city gates of Qing Shui Camp finally appeared before the eyes of the cavalry. Chu Yuan wiped the dust and sweat stains on his face and called out towards the defenders who were closing the gates, “Wait to close the gates, we want to enter the city!”

He stepped forward on his horse and showed the guards the Jinyiwei’s belt tag that proved his identity, along with the troop mobilization document stamped with the seal of the Shaanxi Commanding General’s Department. One of the guards’ generals heard the news and after checking the seals, he stood up with respect: “Lord Jinyiwei personally led the troops to our Qingshui camp, is there any decree from the court? I wonder if you can give us a few pointers so that we can be prepared?”

Chu Yuan said, “We are here to find someone. This lord was traveling with us, but he was attacked by Tartar cavalry halfway and lost his trail. I guessed that he might come to the Qing Shui camp, so I rushed over to look for him.”

Saying that, he opened a newly painted portrait, on which was Su Yan’s appearance. The drawing of the small portrait was good, and it was seven or eight points similar to myself.

The garrison general said offhandedly, “This lord is truly young.”

Gao Shuo picked up, “Don’t look young, but your status is first class. The higher-ups have given strict orders that they must find someone, and they must be alive, or else–” He made a gesture of wiping his neck with a hand knife, dry and sharp.

The garrison general was startled, “How big an official must this be! How ‘upper’ is ‘upper’?”

“Not much of an official, a seventh rank imperial historian. As for the ‘higher-ups’,” Gao Shuo arched his hand toward the sky, “you’d better not ask. All you need to know is that if you find him at the Qing Shui camp and he is safe and sound, the higher-ups will be happy and everyone will be rewarded. If they can’t be found, or if they are found wounded, maimed, or even dead – all the places that have been involved in this matter, from top to bottom, from officer to soldier, will have no good fruit to eat!”

The garrison general was so frightened by him that he hurriedly gathered all the gate guards together, lit torches, and one by one circulated the portraits, asking them if they had seen the young man on the paintings in their scrutinizing in and out of the city.

Some of the guards muttered after hearing the order, “There are so many people coming in and out of the city gates in a day, who still remembers what one of them looks like, and they don’t have the ability to forget everything!”

Only when he received the portrait and took a closer look did he shut his mouth – looking like this, even if it was not unforgettable, it was enough to leave a deep impression. At least if he had seen him within a few days, he would still be able to recall it today.

He shook his head at the memory and passed the portrait to the next person.

The next man squinted for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh: “Hey I remember this face! I’ve seen it before!”

Chu Yuan and Gao Shuo were overjoyed, seven or eight brocade guards hooted and hollered around and asked, “When?” “Where?” “Is it into the city or out of the city?” “Where are the people?”

For the first time, that guard was the center of attention, and said in a hasty voice, “I I I, I …… don’t remember when, but I’ve certainly seen …… it.”

“Think fast!” “Think hard!” “Tell the truth or I’ll hold you responsible!”

That guard was sweating, trying to remember while puffing and puffing, “It was at the east city gate where I was on duty, I forgot whether it was into the city, or out of the city …… Time, time, two or three days ago, I think, or three or four days, I really can t remember.”

“Then what else do you remember!” One of the brocade guards asked, disgruntled.

The guard laughed nervously, “That person really zun. bucket hat a take off, I was looking dumbfounded. I still remember that scene clearly.”

The crowd of jinxes: “……”

“Well, at least Lord Su had been in and out of Qing Shui Camp a few days ago, as for whether he is still in the city right now, rake the ground and find out.” Chu Yuan finally clapped his hands.

The garrison general said, ”I will have to report this matter to Lord Seneschal. The cavalry led by you all need to find a place to settle down, so why don’t you follow me to the West City Garrison Fort. Let’s wait for the adults to confer with the Senator before making plans?”

Chu Yuan also knows that a strong dragon does not suppress a snake, if you want to find people in the Qing Shui camp, you must also use the power of local officials and generals, so he nodded his head and agreed.

At the same time, inside the White Cloud Inn, Su Yan pushed open the window, looked at the sky rushing fire in the west, and said to himself, “Look at the direction and nearness, it should be the garrison barracks and fortresses …… Is it possible that something has happened?”

He knocked on the ledge between him and the neighboring guest room and called out “Chase” twice.

Jing Hong chased after him and pushed his way in a few seconds later, asking, “What are your orders, my lord?”

“Come and watch, I always feel that something is not right. And with the opening of the horse market at the Qing Shui camp tomorrow, which is the most extensive and complex event involving the widest range of people at the border this year, as well as the largest amount of materials and currency in circulation, I’m worried that someone is taking advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble.”

Jing Hong chased with Su Yan for a long time, has learned to understand the meaning from the slightly odd use of words, and knows that Lord Su gave birth to the worry of saving for a rainy day.

He carefully scrutinized the firelight, and closed his eyes and ears, and with more than normal ear power, he heard the sound of the gold and gold gobbles faintly coming from the wind, and it sounded like the number of people fighting was very large.

“I heard the sounds of belligerence. My lord is right, I fear something is really wrong, and it has happened now.”

Su Yan patted the back of his hand that was pressed on the window ledge, “Let’s go, let’s follow the sound and go over to take a look.”