The afternoon sun, still stubbornly asserting itself, baked all living things in the desert, even in winter.
When his warhorse finally reached the top of the mound, the scene Zheng Fan saw from above filled his heart with awe.
Before him was an oasis. At the edge of the oasis, he could see the Ganges River flowing past, regarded by the barbarian tribes as a gift from their barbaric gods. To the west lay the Yin Mountain range.
A century ago, when war raged between the barbarians and Yan State, the barbarians established their Royal Court’s Golden Tent here before each expedition. This place served as their base for launching attacks against Yan State.
However, this area had been under the Earl of North Border’s control for the past hundred years.
The first Earl of North Border chose to establish his earldom here when he was granted the land by the Yan Emperor!
The peace between the barbarians and Yan State for the past hundred years was due partly to the weakening of the Royal Court after their Great Khan had recklessly squandered their strength during the western campaign, and partly because the Earl of North Border had always maintained a hard stance against external threats.
The most direct demonstration of this strong stance was this: the Earl’s residence had no city walls!
The first Earl of North Border established this family rule. He not only situated his home and the homes of his descendants in such a perilous location but also left an injunction: Never build walls!
His purpose was to ensure his descendants lived continuously under the shadow of a potential barbarian resurgence, never allowing them to indulge in complacency. The strategic goal of the Earl’s residence and the North Border Army under its jurisdiction was always: attack, attack, and attack again!
Zheng Fan now felt as if he were visiting historical sites from his previous life. Through these architectural layouts, it seemed he could almost touch the very thoughts and pulse of the people from that era.
And now, standing here, he was truly awestruck by the first Earl of North Border.
But he had done too well, or perhaps, his descendants had also done too well in upholding his legacy.
Not only did the North Border Army continuously suppress the barbarian tribes, but the once formidable Lady Liu of Beifeng Prefecture, who had greatly alarmed the Yan Emperor, had been suppressed and divided by successive Earls of North Border to the point where she held no military power. Though she seemed to possess significant wealth and influence, she was essentially just an influential landowner on a larger scale.
No matter how much gold and silver you owned, no matter how large your clan’s power was, in the face of armed forces, it was all worthless.
Zheng Fan even mused, surely there were quite a few people like Hui Wenzu in the carriage behind him?
However, he had reached this place and still had not made a move to kill Hui Wenzu.
Did he really have to go to the Earl’s residence to find a kinsman with the surname Zheng?
A group of North Border Army cavalry had already approached. In fact, the closer one got to the Earl’s residence, the more frequent the encounters with patrol riders. However, this particular group was responsible for guiding them.
Zheng Fan stepped forward, produced his documents, and after their verification, a squadron of fifty cavalrymen began to lead the way.
The Earl of North Border’s residence held a special status among the soldiers of Yan State, and even among the armies of the four great states. Even the soldiers under Zheng Fan held their heads high, trying their utmost to project an air of courage, fearing they might be looked down upon.
The procession moved on. When they reached the riverbank, Zheng Fan signaled his men to stop. It was time to queue up.
There were too many caravans ahead—the Marquise of North Border was celebrating her birthday, and no family, big or small, from Beifeng Prefecture would miss it. Even representatives from Yan State’s royal family and prominent families, as well as from Jin State, Qian State, and Chu State, were rushing here to offer their congratulations.
"Is that a dragon?" Zheng Fan asked, pointing at a carriage in a caravan ahead.
Not only was the carriage beautifully decorated, but it was also a full twice the size of the carriage in his own train that held the Snow Wolf. Furthermore, its outer wall bore the totem of a Black Dragon.
"Yes, My lord," replied one of his men. "It seems a prince of Yan State has also come."
The dragon was a totem exclusively used by the royal family. Since Yan State revered the color black, their royal family’s totem was the Black Dragon.
Heh, even a prince has to queue for security checks when coming to offer congratulations, Zheng Fan thought with some amusement.
The current Earl of North Border had already been summoned back to the capital by multiple imperial edicts. Relations between the Earl’s residence and the Yan State royal family were nearly at a breaking point, tense enough for open conflict. Yet, today, the Yan State royal family had still dispatched a prince to celebrate the Marquise’s birthday.
This was enough to show that the Yan Emperor truly felt somewhat apprehensive.
"Everyone, rest, set up camp!"
The birthday tribute could not be left unattended before its handover. Even at the very entrance to the Earl of North Border’s residence, they couldn’t afford to relax. With the long queue of caravans ahead, Zheng Fan didn’t make his men continue standing at attention. They were to rest when they needed to rest, and eat and drink when they needed to eat and drink.
Only a select few were privileged enough to enter the Earl’s residence and participate in the Marquise’s birthday banquet. Parties like Zheng Fan’s, naturally, were not among them.
After his tent was set up, Zheng Fan had just stepped inside when he saw the unkempt man already sitting by the pot, waiting for Siniang’s dumplings to be cooked.
The dumplings had thin skins and generous fillings of pork and celery—quite a luxury, it could be said.
Zheng Fan also sat down by the pot. He looked at the unkempt man, then reached into his armor and took out a small iron box.
For a smoker, especially one who had transmigrated to a different world, this iron box and its contents were exceptionally precious.
After all, you couldn’t just walk up to a kiosk at the gate of the Earl of North Border’s residence and ask the owner how much a pack of cigarettes cost, could you?