Fish Meat – Chapter 250

The Tenth Year of Shunde

Like Snapping Dried Twigs and Pulling Up Rotten Wood (17)

Excluding Ah Qin, there were twenty-six Qingyuan Ladies. Among these twenty-six, Ah Xu and Ah Xi knew no martial arts, but the other ladies possessed some degree of skill, with Ah Zheng and Ah He being particular experts.

            

There were only a dozen or so Ming County soldiers. Relying solely on the advantage of wearing armor and wielding weapons, they scuffled inconclusively with the Qingyuan Ladies for quite some time, neither side managing to subdue the other.

Ah He, noticing the soldiers weren’t using their full strength and seemed somewhat distracted, seized the opportunity to kick the soldier in front of her down. She then spun around and leaped onto Ah Qin’s horse, engaging her in relentless back-and-forth combat.

Ah Qin herself was not weak, but hindered by her broken left ankle, the unbearable pain limited her movement. Ah He, moreover, was an external style expert​¹. In less than ten exchanges, Ah Qin took a blow to the shoulder. The strike was vicious, knocking her clean off the horse.

            

Ah He leaped down from the horse, aiming a pair of curved sabers​² straight at her neck. Ah Qin twisted, something new appearing in her hand, and thrust it towards Ah He’s face. It looked like Ah Qin was desperately trying to catch the blades bare-handed​³, but that wasn’t the case. Ah Zheng, watching clearly from the side, shouted, “Careful!” But it was too late. The object in Ah Qin’s hand, crushed by her fingers, sprayed out a thick red mist, hitting Ah He squarely in the face.

This mist was Ah Liao’s creation, the “Majiao Bomb,”​⁴ made from the most potent numbing peppers ground and prepared, shipped from Huaiyang. Crushed in a crisis, it could effectively disable an enemy; upon inhalation, their eyes would burn and go numb, tears streaming uncontrollably, rendering them basically unable to see and causing fits of sneezing.

Ah Zheng hadn’t expected Ah Qin to actually possess one of Ah Liao’s devices. Now, Ah He was clutching her eyes, completely disoriented​⁵. A soldier’s dropped long spear lay right beside Ah Qin. If she picked it up and thrust, Ah He’s life would be forfeit.

            

Ah Qin picked up the long spear.

Ah Zheng’s heart leaped into her throat, thinking Ah He’s life was about to end right there.

Unexpectedly, the spear wasn’t used to harm anyone. Ah Qin used it to prop herself up, enduring the pain to stand unsteadily. She pointed at Ah He: “Tie her up!”

            

Soldiers came forward, bound Ah He, and threw her onto a carriage. The remaining ladies were about to surge forward and seize Ah Qin, but Ah Zheng stepped in front of Ah Qin, calling out clearly:

“Sisters, calm down!”

The ladies were bewildered: “Ah Zheng? Why are you helping this woman?”

            

“Ah Zheng-jie, don’t help her. We all know Ah Liao favors her, and killing her will surely sadden Ah Liao. But not killing her means endless future trouble! It’s because of this woman of unknown origin that Ah Xu got pregnant, that Ah Liao dotes on her alone, throwing Qingyuan off balance! Killing her to restore peace to Qingyuan, isn’t that what we’ve wanted to do all along? Why are you going back on your word​⁶ at this critical moment?!”

Hearing this, Ah Qin let out an “Oh?” Barely able to stand, her face covered in cold sweat, she still had the strength for a cold laugh: “So that’s what you think. Putting on airs day after day, claiming to support all of Ah Liao’s decisions, but secretly wearing the faces of jealous women, only daring to act when Ah Liao isn’t around. Fine. You’d best kill Gunainai​⁷ today, otherwise, once Gunainai’s injury heals, none of you will escape.”

Ah Zheng turned back to her. “There’s no need for such cruel words. They are all people Ah Liao loves dearly; how could you bring yourself to harm them? Besides, if you truly intended to kill, you would have killed Ah He just now.”

            

Ah Qin snorted coldly, turning her head towards the profusely weeping Ah He. “Stop rubbing your eyes. The more you rub, the more pepper powder gets in. Go rinse them thoroughly with lots of clean water. If you don’t rinse promptly and develop some condition, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

Only then did one of the ladies help Ah He go rinse her eyes.

“Now that the army is besieging the city, staying here will only distract Ah Liao. Let’s leave this place for now. Trust in Ah Liao’s abilities; she will definitely get through this safely.”

            

Only after Ah Zheng’s repeated persuasion did the Qingyuan Ladies hastily board the carriages. They fought their way out of the encirclement through the back gate, shook off their pursuers, and hid in a mountain hollow.

Meanwhile, the messengers, also under heavy guard, had left the city, carrying the news of Ming County’s crisis towards Xiao County and the Wei River.

Wei Tingxu and the others received the news just after capturing Da County.

            

Yao Lin and Ge Sheng had abandoned the city and fled with their remnant forces. All three of the Yao family’s di sons​⁸ had died in Da County.

After several months of major battles, nearly 400,000 people had died on the banks of the Wei River. The remnant forces Yao Lin led away numbered less than 10,000. Zhen Wenjun and Xiao Xiao led troops in pursuit for over two hundred li​⁹, vowing to cut the grass and pull out the roots​¹⁰ of the Yao family, eliminating future trouble forever. Wei Tingxu and Zhangsun Wu stayed behind to tally their numbers. Their own vast army now numbered just over 80,000 – a Pyrrhic victory​¹¹, to say the least.

Fortunately, they still had forces stationed in Huaiyang and Runing, and private soldiers deployed in Pingcang and Dongchun. Wei Tingxu wasn’t worried about lacking manpower going forward. The Yao family was the greatest formidable rival; as long as they were destroyed, she didn’t take others seriously.

            

Until she received Ah Liao’s letter.

The soldier delivering the letter collapsed and died the moment he reached the Wei River. Examining his body, Wei Tingxu and the others found three fatal arrows already lodged deep in his back. He had relied entirely on astonishing willpower to reach the Wei River and complete his mission.

Wei Tingxu ordered him buried with honors and sent money and goods to his family back home. Even before unfolding the letter, she already had an idea​¹² of its contents.

            

Someone would certainly covet Ming County. When mobilizing against the Yao family, Wei Tingxu had left 100,000 troops garrisoned there. Ming County was easy to defend and hard to attack, with two high generals guarding it. Why would it fall into dire straits? Were the attacking forces too numerous? Or had Ah Liao fallen into a trap? Looking at the letter itself, the handwriting was indeed Ah Liao’s, and it was a secret letter written using their agreed-upon cipher – not easily forged.

Currently, Wenjun and Xiao Xiao were leading 20,000 troops in pursuit. If they caught up, they could certainly annihilate the entire Yao family. If the pursuit dragged on too long and consumed too many resources, Wenjun, with her cautious nature, wouldn’t risk pursuing a desperate foe further; she would definitely return within ten days.

However, given the urgency in Ming County, ten days was far too long. Ming County probably couldn’t hold out.

            

Send troops to rescue them? What if the attackers’ goal was precisely to make her divide her forces, thereby weakening her strength? If they were ambushed en route, the losses would be devastating.

Wei Tingxu discussed the matter with her Second Brother, Wei Jing’an, and Zhangsun Wu. Wei Jing’an had always been the vanguard, invincible​¹³ on the battlefield, but when it came to military strategy and deception, he wasn’t entirely confident​¹⁴. Zhangsun Wu’s ability to command forces was even less than Wei Jing’an’s.

Zhen Wenjun wasn’t here. Sending a letter to ask her opinion would take several days for the round trip.

            

The situation in Yu was currently changing by the second​¹⁵. The slightest hesitation could alter the entire course of the war and thus affect the final outcome. This was a moment where one move could decide everything​¹⁶.

Wei Tingxu had the painful experience of failure caused by blind self-confidence in the past. Today, she once again faced such a pivotal decision.

Ever since Wei Lun passed away, all important decisions for the Wei family had been made by Wei Tingxu. Any tiny decision she made could have enormous consequences.

            

She carried the fate of the entire Wei clan, and perhaps even the Zhangsun clan, on her shoulders. The three most important words in her life were “cannot be wrong.”

Wei Jing’an looked at his silent younger sister. He had always witnessed how she endured her somber youth. Sometimes he didn’t feel Zizhuo was his younger sister; Zizhuo seemed like an elder of the Wei family, the pillar supporting the Wei clan.

Wei Jing’an wanted to comfort her, to say that whatever decision she made, the whole family would bear the consequences with her. So don’t hesitate, just tell us your thoughts, we…

            

“Reinforce Ming County.”

Before Wei Jing’an’s comforting thoughts had even fully formed, Wei Tingxu had already made her decision.

“Reinforce Ming County via two routes. One group will go through Yunbo Mountain​¹⁷, the other will advance along the main road. They must reach Ming County within fifteen days,” Wei Tingxu declared. “Sending reinforcements risks falling into a trap, but not sending them means Ming County will definitely be lost. If we lose Ming County, we’ll become the second Yao clan, forced into absolute passivity. That absolutely cannot happen. This battle must be fought, no matter what.”

            

So, her earlier silence hadn’t been hesitation about whether to send aid, but planning how to rescue them. Wei Tingxu had already decided.

Wei Tingxu’s decisiveness brought a sigh of relief to everyone in the tent. In truth, everyone leaned towards supporting Ming County, but they knew the potential consequences of saying so aloud.

Most people lacked the capacity to bear the pressure of potential failure. Wei Tingxu could.

            

“She has failed before, but she still isn’t afraid of failure.”

Outside the tent, Zhangsun Wu and Wei Jing’an grabbed two jugs of wine and stood drinking heartily on the banks of the Wei River.

Zhangsun Wu’s words stirred Wei Jing’an’s heart deeply.

            

“That’s why she is who she is,” Wei Jing’an said. “She is worthy.”

Qingyuan had been stopped in the mountain hollow for two days already. Ah Liao still hadn’t returned.

The fierce fighting within Ming County continued unabated, the shouts of the attackers echoing ceaselessly throughout the day.

            

The Qingyuan Ladies were extremely worried and all wanted to go back into the city to find Ah Liao. Ah Zheng stopped them all:

“It’s the same as before, if we all go, we’ll only distract Ah Liao,” Ah Zheng said. “I’ll go alone.”

“But…” Ah Xi said, “It’s so chaotic in the city. If you go alone and something happens, how will we answer to Ah Liao?”

            

“No need to answer. We’ve shared trials and tribulations for so many years; she will naturally understand me.”

Just as Ah Zheng was preparing to set off back to Ming County, Ah Liao appeared, having fought a bloody path out with the remaining soldiers and civilians from the city. As their column of carts and horses rumbled past the mountain hollow, the sharp-eyed Ah Xi spotted them instantly. She shouted Ah Liao’s name, standing up in the Qingyuan vehicle and waving, only to be yanked back down by Ah Qin. Just as the carriage curtain fell, several arrows struck the spot where Ah Xi had been standing.

Ah Liao was in the lead, with pursuers close behind.

            

Seeing that the fall of Ming County was a foregone conclusion, Ah Liao knew that continued stubborn resistance would only mean all her soldiers and the civilians would die with her. Retreat was the best decision.

Every fortress had a secret exit for escape. Under the cover of night, Ah Liao had everyone evacuate through the secret passage. Among these Hu bandits, there must have been someone extremely familiar with the construction of Yu cities, as they quickly discovered the tracks of Ah Liao’s carriages and pursued them in force.

Countless carts and horses galloped wildly across the dawn wilderness, kicking up clouds of dust.

            

Seeing this, Ah Zheng immediately leaped onto the head of the lead Qingyuan horse, taking the lead to guide the way. The team of horses tethered behind pulled the massive Qingyuan vehicle out from the mountain hollow, following Ah Liao’s carriage.

After Ah Liao’s modifications, Qingyuan was structured with one lead horse guiding four others pulling the vehicle together. This structure was more stable, allowing effective control by managing the lead horse, but the four horses behind also needed someone to manage them.

Outside the carriage, countless arrows swept past; their lives were in constant peril. Ah Qin ignored her leg injury to control one of the horses. Seeing this, Ah Xu handed Xing’er to someone else and also went outside the carriage to drive a horse.

            

Ah Liao quickly spotted them and looked back. The pursuers were not far behind Qingyuan. She was burning with anxiety.

“Ah Liao!” Ah Zheng shouted, then waved desperately towards the south.

Ah Liao immediately understood her meaning.

            

The mountains to the south were perpetually shrouded in thick fog. Once they saw the fog, the pursuers behind them would surely become more alert and wouldn’t dare to rashly enter the mountains. There was a small village within the mountains with grain and rice, enough for them to make a temporary camp. They could figure things out after reaching the village; after all, competing purely on horsepower right now, their only likely outcome was being overtaken and slaughtered where they stood.

As expected, the southern mountains were filled with thick fog. After they charged in, the pursuers behind them halted their steps.

Ah Liao led the civilians into the small village. Counting her soldiers, fewer than two thousand remained.

            

However, they had one major advantage: they could set traps on the mountain paths. When leaving the city, Ah Liao had brought her entire weapons cache. They could set up defenses while the fog was thick. When the fog lifted and the pursuers came up the mountain, they would ensure it was a one-way trip.

Ah Liao buried over a thousand “Kuangfeng”​¹⁸ devices along the mountain path that attackers would have to take. Modified from metal spheres, the Kuangfeng were buried in the earth. As soon as they detected the force of being stepped on, they would instantly shoot upwards, spraying over a thousand iron nails in all directions within a radius of three zhang​¹⁹, with astonishing lethality. If buried densely enough, taking hundreds or thousands of lives in an instant was not impossible.

Ah Liao knew the Kuangfeng could hold them off temporarily but couldn’t completely block the Hu bandits. They might soon figure out a way to counter them. Before that happened, they had to find a way to retreat secretly.

            

Working day and night developing new weapons, numerous matters weighed on Ah Liao’s mind.

So many days had passed. The letter sent to Xiao County should have arrived long ago. There was still no news back, suggesting that the main force dispatched earlier and the messengers were likely already dead.

Who exactly was the informant? Ah Liao couldn’t bring herself to question anyone. Every lady in Qingyuan had shared trials and tribulations with her, their affection profound as the sea; they were all her Hongyan Zhiji​²⁰. She couldn’t bear to blame any of them.

            

Where should they go after leaving the mountains?

Tingxu would definitely send reinforcements, but when would they arrive? The Wei River wasn’t close to here.

The village’s grain and water were very limited. If the Hu bandits blockaded the roads, they could very well starve to death in the village.

            

She had to find a solution quickly, quickly…

Just as Ah Liao felt like tearing her hair out, Ah Qin disappeared.

Ah Zheng ran to the small wooden hut where Ah Liao was developing weapons, saying she had just gone to deliver medicine to Ah Qin but couldn’t find her. She had searched the entire village but still found no trace of her.

            

Ah Liao cried out, “Damn it!” and immediately rushed out to search.

It was already dark, and the village was small. Soon, Ah Liao had turned the village upside down but couldn’t find Ah Qin.

Ah Liao was frantic with anxiety.

            

Ah Zheng comforted her, “Ah Qin-jie injured her foot; she definitely couldn’t have gone far. We’ll surely find her. Don’t worry just yet.”

Ah Liao shook her head. “If she truly intended to leave, I definitely won’t be able to find her.”

One of the Qingyuan Ladies said, “The attack on Ming County this time, with the main force lured away… someone must have been working mischief behind the scenes. Could Ah Qin have fled to escape punishment?”

            

“Very possible. Why else would she run away?”

“Really, Ah Liao, don’t worry. Since she dared to leave, she must have a way to get away safely.”

“No… it’s not that.” Ah Liao shook her head, tears welling in her red, swollen eyes. She looked utterly devastated​²¹. It seemed she had a thousand words to say, but for some reason, she didn’t actually say them. She just covered her face and sat down to the side.

            

“Ah Liao, you don’t need to be upset over someone like her.” Ah He stepped forward to console her. “Don’t you still have us? Ah Qin’s background is suspicious, and she did that to Ah Xu. What does it matter if someone like her leaves?”

The ladies kept trying to comfort Ah Liao, but Ah Liao just cried, saying nothing.

Ah Zheng glanced at Ah Xu, who had been standing silently nearby with her head down, and also hesitated to speak. Finally, she crouched down in front of Ah Liao, took her hand, and gently rubbed it, trying to soothe her emotions.

            

Everyone was saying Ah Qin harbored ill intentions, that Ah Qin wasn’t worth it. Only Ah Xu stood at the very edge of the group, picking at the corner of her clothes with her fingers, almost drawing blood.

“It wasn’t.”

When Ah Xu spoke these two words, her throat tightened, making her voice sound dry and hoarse.

            

Everyone looked at Ah Xu.

“It was me…” Ah Xu trembled all over, forcing out the words with difficulty. “It was me. The one who betrayed Ah Liao was me. Not Ah Qin.”

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