Huaiyazi was long gone, but the academy he founded was still thriving. In those days, the literary culture of the Yan State was at its most vibrant in Yinlang, a tradition that began with Huaiyazi.
Outside the academy, there was a small village, resembling a slightly larger post station, complete with guesthouses and eateries.
As the four hundred barbarian cavalrymen assembled, they seemed to bring with them the howling gales of the northern lands.
Dujuan had been curiously observing the barbarian soldiers under Zheng Fan’s command throughout their journey. She was intrigued by the caliber of these barbarian soldiers, the exceptional quality of their armor, and even their warhorses, which would be considered top-tier even in the Yan region, renowned for its numerous horse farms! Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꞁire.net
In Dujuan’s eyes, even the cavalry of the Jingnan Army were outmatched by these barbarians in terms of equipment.
Typically, the soldiers of such fortresses were essentially no different from the city guards in Beifeng Prefecture, akin to local security forces. However, this Green Willow Fortress was markedly different.
But her curiosity remained just that—curiosity. She kept her questions to herself, unvoiced.
The midday sun beat down, warming their bodies and heating their armor until it was almost too hot to touch.
The scenery here was so picturesque, with clear waters and lush mountains, that Zheng Fan felt a sudden urge to set up camp and take a nap.
"Miss Du, what should we do next?"
Zheng Fan yawned and looked at Dujuan beside him.
Lord Jingnan had made it perfectly clear the day before: Zheng Fan was only responsible for cooperating and... taking the fall.
The actual execution of the plan was to be determined by the Spy Bureau personnel.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Zheng."
Dujuan passed a document to the man following behind her. He dismounted and took the papers from her hand.
"Go, tell the academy to hand over the people themselves."
The man headed towards the mountain gate.
Qingming Mountain was indeed not very high, but its forests were dense. After the Spy Bureau agent entered the mountain gate, his figure quickly vanished into the thick woods.
Dujuan looked at Zheng Fan and smiled.
"Lord Zheng, you may order your subordinates to rest."
With that, Dujuan turned to the troop of barbarian soldiers behind her and, surprisingly, spoke in their native tongue, "Dismount and rest!"
However, all nearly four hundred barbarian cavalrymen remained bolt upright in their saddles. Not a single one dismounted.
Save for their warhorses occasionally pawing the ground or snorting, the four hundred riders were utterly silent.
With Liang Cheng overseeing their military drills and Blind Bei handling their ideological indoctrination, if these barbarians still didn’t know whose orders to obey, then Zheng Fan, who had poured so much blood and treasure into them, might as well find a block of tofu and bash his head against it to end it all.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Dujuan’s face. She lowered her head to Zheng Fan. "Lord Zheng, it was I who was presumptuous."
Zheng Fan smiled freely. "It’s nothing, it’s nothing. The sun is just right; if they dismounted, they’d inevitably grow drowsy. Most importantly, since we’re here to apprehend people, we can’t let our imposing presence falter."
"This young lady has learned her lesson." Dujuan was a clever woman; she knew when to refer to herself as ’your humble subordinate’ and when as ’this young lady.’
"Miss Du, have you spent time in the North before?"
"Yes, I was transferred to Yinlang County just two years ago."
"Then I suppose we share some fate."
"Indeed. Lord Zheng, your methods of training soldiers are truly remarkable. They have been a real eye-opener for this young lady."
"It’s merely a clumsy imitation of the Northern Command’s methods, nothing more. By the way, Miss Du, this academy seems perfectly respectable. How could it be harboring rebels?"
"The academy often hosts great Confucian scholars from the Qian State to give lectures, and it also receives travelers from Qian State. Some individuals genuinely come for scholarly pursuits, but others harbor different intentions. The academy provides them with the perfect cover for their activities and a place to conceal themselves."
"Oh." Zheng Fan understood. It’s somewhat like embassies in later times, he thought.
The Yan State’s Spy Bureau must have been aware of the situation here for a long time. It was much like the issue with Xiao Dahai’s faction and the neglected state of the fortress system; the imperial court had previously been turning a blind eye, content to maintain the status quo.
Now that Xiao Dahai’s group has been purged, and all the dilapidated fortresses have received newly appointed Commanders to oversee their reactivation, it was also time to eradicate the spy stronghold within this academy.
Just then, a clamor arose from the direction of the mountain gate. Zheng Fan saw the Spy Bureau agent—the one who had gone in earlier to deliver the list—stumbling back down. His head was bleeding, his clothes were torn, and trailing behind him was an incensed crowd of academy students dressed in white robes. Some of these students were older, others younger, but right now, every single one of them looked extremely agitated.
The young agent from the Spy Bureau walked at the head of the procession, enduring a hail of bricks and stones flung at him from behind. Whenever he was struck, he would merely sway, never looking back or uttering a word, silently continuing his descent. Anyone could see that presenting the arrest list had been futile.
Finally, the young Spy Bureau agent reached Zheng Fan and Dujuan. He saluted them respectfully and pleaded for forgiveness, "This subordinate has failed."
With those words, the young agent fainted and collapsed to the ground.
Dujuan probably brought this subordinate along specifically to deliver the message and, incidentally, take a beating, Zheng Fan mused. Otherwise, with several hundred of my barbarian cavalry present, would she even have needed to bring her own men? Could it be that this unfortunate fellow was caught peeking at his female superior while she bathed and is now being made to pay the price?
Zheng Fan waved his hand. Two barbarian cavalrymen dismounted, stepped forward, and carried the unfortunate Spy Bureau agent to the rear.