Chapter 185

Chapter 179: Women

When Lei Jingzhe accused Bai Cha of being a courtesan available to all in Gedale, it was a fabrication, for Bai Cha had never set foot in Gedale. Her blossoming years were fleeting, with half her life unfolding in Duanzhou.

Three decades ago, the Wolf King, Xiao Fangxu, was still tending horses with a blade of grass between his teeth at Sunset Pass, while A'muer served as an eagle slave by the Tea Stone River. Bai Cha, on the other hand, had already been sold to Duanzhou. The boys never imagined that in a few years, they would become men capable of stirring up tempestuous waves, whereas the girl was well aware of the path she was about to embark upon.

Cui Qing is White Tea's mother, a woman in her prime with an enchanting grace. When she bent, it was like a gentle snowfall, and leaning against the doorframe could captivate every passing man's gaze. She had an insightful eye for talent, selecting White Tea from a multitude of girls and nurturing her upbringing.

Back then, there was no Libei; the northern lands were ruled by the HanShe Clan. Duanzhou was surrounded on two sides by enemies, with the tribes east of Chashishui River in close proximity. Bandits found their fortune here by abducting innocent young men, forging household registers in collaboration with local authorities, and selling some of them to the pleasure houses in Duanzhou. The rest were taken across Chashishui River and sold to the various border tribes.

Cui Qing's business was challenging, squeezed by competitors, leaving her feeling frustrated. She had invested half her life's savings in nurturing these girls, hiring tutors to teach them music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, all in the hope that they would bring her pride when they debuted. Among them, she was particularly strict with Bai Cha. A few years later, Bai Cha indeed lived up to her expectations, becoming the top-ranked girl in the establishment.

"Did you know what group suffered the most casualties back then along the Tea Stone River?" Hyrigu waited for a response, but when none came, he answered his own question. "Women."

At the height of their pillaging, the bandits numbered close to ten thousand. They roamed between the two ends of the Tea Stone River, trading women for wealth. Even if a woman managed to escape, she could never return home.

"Later, the different tribes cast us aside in Gedale," Hyrigu continued, "along with some women who were... no longer needed. Occasionally, they would walk back, but it was difficult for their parents to accept them."

These women, having lost their official registration, found it almost impossible to return to the Great Zhou. If they did manage to come back, their families would refuse to welcome them, making life worse than death. If they were pregnant, it was an even greater crime; upon returning home, they faced not only beatings but also being burned alive.

Hyrigu licked his dry lips and said, "My mother was a girl from Lamps State, sold by bandits to the Qingshu Clan and made a captive of their leader. Not only did he force himself upon her, but before she died, he gave her to his own younger brother. At a banquet, that brother then presented my mother to someone else. She was passed around among the tribes on the frontier... Eventually, she escaped with me. We endured countless hardships to reach Duanzhou, but fortunately, her household registration was still valid, and the local authorities were still looking for her. She was ridiculed and insulted... but we eventually returned to Lamps State, and her younger brother took us in."

The neighboring merchants' curses had subsided, for it was now deep into the night.

Hyrigu sat under the eaves, finishing the bowl of water, and continued, "My mother was overjoyed. She did many things to support our family. We stayed there for half a month, and then one night, she was taken away again, sold back to Duanzhou."

Hyrigu's mother bore unseen wounds, the kind that came with being a woman. In Duanzhou, she was forced into prostitution, with no other path to take. Life was a torment, but Hyrigu could vouch that his mother was an innocent and kind woman.

"She met Bai Cha in Duanzhou," Hyrigu thought of Shen Zechuan but, remembering his lesson, looked at Xiao Chiye instead. "You'd never guess that Bai Cha was the guardian spirit of the Tea Stone River. Cui Qing constantly expanded the brothel, but that was actually Bai Cha's idea. She gained the power to manipulate Cui Qing, established a strong network in Duanzhou, and welcomed these women and children."

Bai Cha didn't act alone; she merely lifted the veil. They hid within the shadows of the gaudy nightlife, playing a long game against the endless night. This war was fought in silence, and Bai Cha realized that providing refuge was not enough.

"Duanzhou's household registration system was difficult to navigate, and there were no garrisons outside the city. Bai Cha's protection couldn't cross those mountains; she was a bird trapped in a cage. Heaven refused to aid her, but some sacrifices had to be made," Hyrigu raised his gaze and spoke slowly, "Bai Cha set her sights on the bandits. She wanted them to face punishment first."

"At that time, the Zhu family was deeply entangled with the bandits. They were the lawless bandits' backbone in Duanzhou. Lei Jingzhe's mother was called Little Yin Lei. She married into the Zhu family of Duanzhou. She once tried to persuade the Zhu family to launch a military campaign against the bandits, but to no avail. The year Shen Wei left Qudu, the Zhongbo governor retreated, and Shen Wei was granted the title of Jiansheng King. Bai Cha decided to marry him."

When Shen Wei met Bai Cha, he spent many years unsure whether their encounter was deliberate or accidental. Yet, he was captivated, even going so far as to spend lavishly, ultimately winning her hand.

"After Bai Cha married Shen Wei, Little Yin Lei gave birth to Lei Jingzhe. Bai Cha visited Little Yin Lei during Lei Jingzhe's full moon celebration, and as a result, Little Yin Lei urged the Zhu family to act once more. This time, she told the Zhu family that Shen Wei would soon initiate a thorough investigation in Zhongbo. If they wished to keep their hats of office, they must sever ties with the bandits and strike first. Not long after, the Zhu family submitted a report to Dunzhou, detailing the bandits' actions in Duanzhou and blaming everything on them. They then requested that Shen Wei dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits."

Shen Wei consented; he needed to prove his worth to Quduo. Thus, Tan Tailong marched out, joining forces with the garrison of Duanzhou, and in one fell swoop crossed the Tea Stone River, dismantling the trade hub between the bandits and the tribes of Biansha.

"But as I mentioned earlier, the bandits pledged allegiance to the Lofty Eagle Tribe. The remainder retreated temporarily into the desert. The spies the bandits left behind in Duanzhou's government office tried to uncover the reason for the Zhu family's betrayal. After several attempts, they took notice of Little Yin Lei, and subsequently, Little Yin Lei lost favor. Not long after, Little Yin Lei fell ill and died in the Zhu family's courtyard, causing Lei Jingzhe to lose his own favor," Hyrigu said, pointing at his neck. "That's why I say Lei Jingzhe is like a brother. The first time he came to Jeddah seeking us, it was for help. He might have known what Little Yin Lei was up to, but he still wanted to be a bandit. He told me he hoped we'd join forces, return to Zhongbo, and establish new troops to become the Wild King of Dun and Duan provinces. I refused him, thinking he had given up, but then he went to Amur."

Shen Zechuan repeated the question, "Why do you say Bai Cha split Gedale?"

"After Amur rose to power, he wanted to make full use of us, asking us to follow him as the hammer against the Iron Riders of Libei. That's when Bai Cha changed her mind, wanting to reclaim all of Gedale for the Great Zhou. Under her directive, we rebelled against the recruitment of the Viper Tribe, no longer willing to be their slaves. Some of us retreated to this side of the Tea Stone River, standing with our mother. Amur wouldn't give up, but by then, Gedale was already divided in two." Hyrigu pointed at himself. "The Zhongbo faction led by me, and the Border Sands faction led by Jeddah. Jeddah believed that relying on a woman's strength couldn't secure land, that we needed a place where we could settle permanently. I thought the Border Sands people wouldn't reason, that following Amur would only mean remaining slaves, that they wouldn't give any cattle or sheep to mongrels. Eventually, we separated."

But Bai Cha was dead.

Shen Zechuan recalled that dream, the trembling beads hiding Shen Wei's terrified face. He clenched his right hand again, the hand that had killed Jeddah and Lei Jingzhe. His mind quickly weaved connections, piecing together what he hadn't fully understood.

"By killing Bai Cha, Gedale became Amur's prize."

Shen Zechuan traced back to the beginning in Quduo.

"That was the start of the Zhongbo military defeat."