After the first month of the lunar calendar, the weather seemed to show no signs of warming up; in fact, another heavy snowfall blanketed Fangu City. However, it was still better than the situation at Wolf Milk Mountain. The grasslands were open and unobstructed, stretching for hundreds of miles without a single hill. The wind blew in from the north with nothing to block it, and given that the Mongol Empire had few large cities and the herders preferred to live in tents, the wind was particularly fierce.
The wind, mixed with snow, was called the "white-haired wind" by the grassland people. A white-haired wind was a disaster; it was a nightmare for the grassland people. But whenever they thought of this, the Han people in Fangu City were very happy. The people of Fangu City didn't farm; in this desolate place, the cold weather lasted for half the year, and the crops weren't even as tall as the weeds. They previously relied on supplies from the imperial court, but now they relied on trade. Therefore, they weren't worried about the strong winds and cold weather at all; after all, the grain in Fangu City would last for three years.
Because of the snow, Emperor Li Xiaozong exempted the border troops from their regular drills. But the border soldiers couldn't go home because of the recent horse-trading incident involving the Northern Liao; they were wary of potential trouble from the Mongol Empire. In the seventh year of the Jianye era of the Sui Dynasty, this small city could withstand 40,000 Mongol troops and even Mandulatu's father, Mandulang. Emperor Xiaozong didn't want to be unable to defend against Mandulatu during his reign.
"Fang Jie hasn't reported for half a month, has he?"
Li Gandang, who had been promoted from Deputy Lieutenant to Colonel, squatted down and lit his pipe: "I wonder who dared to do such a dirty trick. Fang Jie is supposed to be quite skilled; although he can't cultivate, he should be able to handle seven or eight ordinary strongmen without a problem. How did he get beaten so badly? Besides, who in this Fanggu City would hate him?"
The tobacco leaves were grown by the people of Fanggu City themselves, called "smoke cannons," very pungent and strong.
"How about we ask the general for leave later and go see Fang Jie?"
Fu Baobao scooped up some snow from the ground and rubbed his face. The snow was cold, but his face warmed up quickly. He was a scout by trade, and some habits were hard to break. His entire scout team had died, and he'd rather give up his position as scout captain than not be transferred to a regular unit as a squad leader. Sometimes, seeing death too often doesn't make you indifferent; it makes you more afraid of it.
"The general has strictly ordered that no one is allowed to leave the camp."
Li Gandang sighed, "I don't like that kid usually, but I really miss him after a few days."
"Captain, do you miss Fang Jie, or do you want dog meat hotpot?"
Qiu Xiaoshu leaned in and asked with a smile.
"Get the hell out of here! This is brotherly love, don't you understand?"
Li Gandang glared at Qiu Xiaoshu and said, "Look at you, you worthless wretch, you have no loyalty whatsoever. If you ask me, if it really came down to a life-or-death situation, you'd be the first to betray us. A man whose heart is only for dog meat hotpot, not for his comrades—I've seen your true nature now. If you had been there when Fang Jie was beaten, you probably would have run away too."
Qiu Xiaoshu blushed, wanting to argue but ultimately holding back.
Li Gandang took a puff of his pipe and said, "Since we're destined to be in the same camp, we must cherish it. Fang Jie is our brother; his life is tied to a sword. He's been wronged, and we can't stand idly by. I'll go and plead with the general again, and tomorrow we'll take our men to investigate!"
Fu Baobao nodded vigorously, "The squad leader is right. Having you as our squad leader is a blessing we've accumulated over many lifetimes. If Fang Jie knew, he would be grateful for your kindness."
Just then, a group of people suddenly appeared outside the camp gate in the distance. They were all wearing white cloaks, so they could only be clearly seen upon closer inspection. They rode tall horses, and there were only about thirty or fifty of them. The leader took a plaque from his waist and handed it to the border soldier guarding the gate. The soldier looked at it and immediately ran into the camp, heading straight for General Li's tent.
"Who are they? So arrogant... not even dismounting at the camp gate."
"Although we're stronger than under the late emperor, the entire Right Valiant Guard can't even muster two thousand cavalry. These men's horses look extraordinary from afar; they must be someone of great importance."
Just as Li Gandang finished speaking, he saw Li Xiaozong emerge from his tent, glance towards the gate, straighten his clothes, and quickly walk towards it.
"I heard the court sent law enforcement officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War to inspect. Could they have arrived?"
Qiu Xiaoshu guessed.
Li Gandang glared at him: "What? Got some important figures from the court and are planning to curry favor with them?"
Qiu Xiaoshu suppressed his anger, stood up, and walked towards the camp. Li Gandang watched his retreating figure and sneered, "Fu Baobao, do you know why I never arrange for Qiu Xiaoshu to cover our retreat?"
"No, why?"
Li Gandang said, "That guy is cunning but cowardly. His eyes dart around when he talks to people, which shows he's not a good person. I wouldn't entrust our backs to someone like that. On the battlefield, our brothers' lives are already at risk at any moment; I won't do anything that leaves us without a way to protect our own rear."
"Really?"
Fu Baobao was surprised. "I think Xiaoshu is quite good," said Li Gandang.
"You think he's good?!"
Li Gandang said earnestly, "If we really encounter a crisis, I can shield you all behind me. Someone like him... can only run behind you. Fang Jie may be afraid of death, but he's loyal. If something really happens, Fang Jie won't run away. That's why I consider you brothers, and Fang Jie a brother."
Fu Baobao said emotionally, "With you here, our team is happy!"
...
...
Li Xiaozong secretly glanced at the eunuch sitting high on his seat. Although he was annoyed, he couldn't show it. After all, this eunuch's status was special; he was the Imperial Study's Chief Eunuch. This position was right next to the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty. Sometimes, a casual remark from him could change someone's future.
"Eunuch Wu, please forgive my failure to greet you properly,"
Li Xiaozong said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "General Li, you're too kind..."
Sitting in Emperor Xiaozong's chair, Wu Peisheng said with a forced smile, "I'm acting on His Majesty's orders, secretly investigating the military accounts of the four provinces with the officials of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War. Naturally, I dare not publicize it. If people find out before we even arrive, the accounts will be difficult to investigate. If we fail to complete His Majesty's mission, we'll be in deep trouble when we return to Chang'an."
Emperor Xiaozong utterly disliked the eunuch's tone, but outwardly showed no sign of it: "You're right, sir. Since you've come to investigate the accounts, I'll have them all brought up later."
"No rush."
Wu Peisheng waved his hand and smiled, "Since we're here, there's no rush. I encountered a blizzard on the way, and I'm hungry and cold... What, General Li, don't you intend to offer us a drink to warm ourselves?"
"It's my fault for being so negligent."
Emperor Xiaozong quickly turned and ordered his personal guards to prepare food and wine, then instructed others to have the accounts ready and bring them up at any time. "My husband dislikes snow the most. It looks clean and white, but it's actually the dirtiest thing. His clothes get all wrinkled and ugly in no time… General Li, would you mind taking me somewhere to change?"
Li Xiaozong said, "Please come to my study, I'll lead the way."
Wu Peisheng nodded, stood up, and said to the officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War, "Please eat first, gentlemen. Don't wait for me; I'll be back after I change."
The officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War quickly stood up, clasped their hands, and said, "Please go ahead, Your Excellency. We'll wait for you."
Wu Peisheng didn't say anything more and followed Li Xiaozong to the back. As they approached the study, Wu Peisheng suddenly smiled and said, "Before coming to Fangu, I went to Woxian Mountain and met General Tang, Li Yuanshan, the Right Valiant Guard. During our chat, General Tang specifically mentioned you, General Li. He said you are a rare military talent, and your future achievements will surely surpass his. I thought such talent shouldn't be wasted, so I will mention it to His Majesty when we return."
Li Xiaozong was somewhat puzzled by Wu Peisheng's sudden change of attitude. However, he was quick-witted and immediately clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Your Excellency. I have some fine tea from Jiangnan in my study. Would you like to have a cup to warm yourself?"
"Very well," Wu Peisheng replied, "traveling northwest from the capital, it's difficult to find tea from Jiangnan again, especially in Shandong. Even Governor Yuan Chongwu's study has very little decent tea."
As he spoke, Wu Peisheng entered Li Xiaozong's study and sat down by the stove. He held his hands to the stove to warm them, and soon, wisps of steam rose from his body. Emperor Li Xiaozong personally brewed tea and placed it beside Wu Peisheng, saying, "You've come from afar, Your Excellency; the journey must have been extremely arduous."
"It's all for His Majesty's sake; it's nothing to speak of hardship."
Wu Peisheng took the teacup, pondered for a moment, and said, "Since I've met you privately beforehand, General, let's be frank… I went to Woxian Mountain first because I have a very good personal relationship with Lord Tang. Lord Tang specifically mentioned you… but not as I just said, something invaluable… As for what he meant, I think General Li surely understands perfectly well. We won't waste any more words; I only ask… has General Li prepared everything?"
"I don't know… what does Your Excellency need me to prepare?"
Emperor Li Xiaozong's heart tightened, and his face showed some pain.
"Since Fang Jie is a spy sent by the Mongol Empire to bribe the Sui border generals to extract intelligence, this matter cannot be delayed. If General Li is ready, I will have the Dali Temple's law enforcement officer arrest him. Once he's captured, I'll leave. You write a memorial, and I'll take it back to Chang'an to present to His Majesty when I leave."
"This… could you think of another way?"
Li Xiaozong couldn't help but ask.
"General Li… do you think… that what I'm telling you is easy? If things get serious, I'll lose my head too!"
"I know…"
Li Xiaozong's face grew increasingly grim, as if a knife was twisting inside his heart. ...
"Clearly, the taxes collected by Fangu City are enough for self-sufficiency, yet you still ask the Ministry of War for money and provisions every year. His Majesty will not forgive you for this alone. To be frank, if it weren't for my good personal relationship with Tang Gong, I wouldn't bother with your affairs. Instead, you hesitate; do you expect me to report the truth? The military... running brothels and casinos—If His Majesty knew about these things, he would probably be furious and overturn his desk!"
"Tang Gong helps you because you are his nephew; are you not grateful?"
"I understand."
Emperor Li Xiaozong deeply... He took a breath and said with a bitter smile, "It's all my own greed, and now I have to blame others... Fine... I'll send someone to arrest Fang Jie in a bit."
"Arresting just Fang Jie isn't enough."
Wu Peisheng smiled and said, "Since he's a spy sent by the Mongol Yuan, there must have been a process for you to find him, right? How did you find him? Who are his accomplices? Who did you bribe? You need to prepare all of this. Once you've prepared it, just tell me. I'll arrest them one by one; none of them will escape."
"Arresting just Fang Jie isn't enough?!"
Li Xiaozong suddenly stood up, his face growing even paler. "Take one? Do you think the people in the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of War are easy to bribe? Or... do you think His Majesty is muddle-headed and can't see through it?"
Wu Peisheng chuckled coldly: "Judging from your lack of interest, let me give you a suggestion... Since that Fang Jie holds a military rank, naturally you need to bribe his comrades. Among those comrades, there are his associates, and there are those who betrayed court secrets. A comrade has fifty men... half of them need to die to be enough. If General Li can't bring himself to do it, you can gather the men in a bit." "Get up, I'll have someone take action."
"Find the spy, and earn another military merit."
Wu Peisheng smiled and said, "I'd like to congratulate General Li first. Perhaps after I return to the capital, His Majesty will be pleased, and General Li, from a fifth-rank military officer, will leap two ranks to a fourth-rank general. Even if you don't become a fierce and imposing warrior, becoming a decisive and resolute general shouldn't be a problem."
"General Li, why haven't you written the list yet?"
His voice was icy as he asked.
Li Xiaozong, slightly hunched over, slowly walked to his desk, picked up a brush, dissolved thick ink, and slowly wrote four characters on a piece of white paper: "The main culprit is Fang Jie..."
After writing these four characters, his expression was already terrifyingly ferocious. His hand trembled more and more violently, so much so that much of the ink on the brush spilled. It was unclear how long it took before he finally put the brush down on the white paper, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, and continued writing. Accomplices: Li Gandang, Captain of the Jiazi Squad, a brave and resolute captain... Liu Sansheng, Deputy Captain and accompanying officer, Qiu Xiaoshu, Squad Leader...
A long list of names, a total of twenty-five.