Chapter 0003: Snow-Drinking Spear of Vengeance

Chapter 0003: Snow-Drinking Spear of Vengeance

Xiao Rong returned to the inn. The attendant came out with a basin of dirty water and saw Xiao Rong, surprised and delighted. "Young Master, you look so good today, really radiant."

Xiao Rong: "…"

Ah Shu glanced at Xiao Rong. Indeed, he was very radiant; his cheeks were flushed pink with anger.

Xiao Rong's face remained stiff, not saying a word. With a flick of his sleeve, he went straight upstairs. Ah Shu hurriedly followed him, closing the door behind him.

It truly was raining misfortune on an already leaky roof. His master, who valued his dignity so much, had never suffered such humiliation before.

Xiao Rong sat on the bed, sulking. After a moment of silence, Ah Shu cautiously approached him and, imitating how Xiao Rong used to comfort others, said, "Master."

"Do not be angry."

"If you get sick from anger, no one will take your place."

Xiao Rong: "…………"

He didn't move but slowly turned his head to look at Ah Shu's innocent face. Xiao Rong spoke slowly, "Ah Shu, why do I suddenly feel like something is off about you?"

Ah Shu: "…"

He closed his mouth.

In truth, Ah Shu was also worried. Ever since he joined Xiao Rong, he had heard him talk about joining the Northern Pacification Army and serving within it. Now that they had finally found it, they received such a harsh rejection.

Life on the road was tough, and their travel funds were nearly depleted. Master wasn't always so meticulous, but when he realized how quickly the money was being spent, he changed.

After the Yong Dynasty moved south, prices skyrocketed to an astonishing level. Southern Yong was now relatively stable, but as they traveled north, the prices in the north were only slightly better than during the late Northern Yong period.

A large coin could buy only two flatbreads. This large coin was not the copper coin people usually thought of; small coins were the copper coins, while large coins were thicker. One large coin was roughly equivalent to twenty small coins.

Ten coins for a plain flatbread without any filling could barely satisfy a child. These prices were exorbitant everywhere, and the main reason for the high bread prices was the high cost of grain.

During times of turmoil, high grain prices were somewhat normal. In the era Xiao Rong lived in, there was another inconceivable feature: firewood was just as expensive as grain.

People living in this era knew it was expensive but didn't understand why. Because prices had been high for many years, they had become accustomed to it. Fortunately, unlike grain, if one searched day and night, one could gather enough firewood to survive the year. However, if any unexpected event occurred, taking up their time, and they couldn't gather enough firewood or afford to buy it, they would freeze to death.

The term "firewood, rice, oil, and salt" probably originated from this era, with firewood taking precedence.

In this era, cold dishes rapidly developed, and several methods of making charcoal emerged. People did everything possible to stay warm. Thirty years ago, a snowstorm that many still remembered covered the land from Goguryeo to the Gan and Xiang rivers. The Yangtze and Han rivers froze over in winter, and large numbers of cattle and sheep in the north froze to death. In the south, where the prolonged snow disaster was unexpected, over 1.5 million people died within a month, buried under the heavy snow.

Those who froze to death didn't know that they were born during one of the three major cooling periods in history. They also didn't realize that perhaps freezing to death might have been a better outcome, as the cooling climate forced northern nomadic tribes to migrate south in search of new resources, throwing the previously temperate central plains into chaos.

The dead no longer had to worry, but the nightmare for the living had just begun.

Thirty years ago, a great snowstorm, treason, migration, invasion, and descent from the mountains—many events occurred.

Thirty years later, people still hadn't shaken off the negative effects of that snowstorm, living in fear of snow and blood.

However, they had grown accustomed to it, and once accustomed, they no longer felt the pain.

Ah Shu was young and hadn't experienced that snowstorm, but he knew that winters in the north were particularly harsh. Winter and summer rates at inns were different, and winters were especially long now. Since his master's health was poor, Ah Shu hoped Xiao Rong would return to the south.

Before the Northern Pacification Army rejected Xiao Rong, Ah Shu didn't dare suggest it. But after today, he gathered the courage to speak up.

"Master, since the Northern Pacification Army doesn't want you, should we go back?"

Xiao Rong: "…"

Just when his mood had improved a little, he heard this. Xiao Rong thought, you sure know how to talk.

He looked at Ah Shu and asked, "Do you want to go back?"

Ah Shu looked at him nervously. "I do, no, I don't. Wherever Master goes, Ah Shu will follow. But Linchuan is Master's home, and there's also…"

Seeing him almost turning red, Xiao Rong sighed and finished for him, "And Yi Er is there, right?"

Ah Shu nodded quickly.

Xiao Rong couldn't help but smile. "You miss Yi Er?"

Ah Shu shook his head quickly. "Little Master is Master's brother. Ah Shu thinks that being with family will make Master more at ease and beneficial to Master's health."

Xiao Rong was silent.

If only it were that simple.

If he could, he wouldn't want to stay here either. It was still freezing even in spring, and Qu Yunmie, that big fool, only knew how to fight, not govern. Pingyang's order was entirely due to the capable governor. When the Yong Dynasty moved south, almost all the noble families left, leaving behind ruined cities and fortresses, causing the region to struggle for a long time.

But he couldn't leave… He had barely survived, how could he give up now?

Moreover, the south was currently peaceful, but it wouldn't last. Once Chenliu's king rebelled next year, even the farthest regions like Zhuyazhou wouldn't escape the chaos.

Xiao Rong sighed again and gently patted Ah Shu's thigh. "Ah Shu."

Ah Shu looked at him, puzzled.

Xiao Rong smiled tiredly yet contentedly. "Your master can't find true peace anywhere else. Only the Northern Pacification King, only Qu Yunmie, only by staying by his side, can I heal without medicine and feel what it means to have a home wherever my heart is at peace."

Ah Shu's eyes widened in shock. He had always heard Xiao Rong curse the Northern Pacification King, assuming he hated him and perhaps wanted to replace him. But…

Could it be…?!

At such a young age, Ah Shu's worldview had been shaken. Xiao Rong, however, didn't notice and continued, "Once I settle down, I'll write a letter to bring Yi Er and the others here. Don't worry, it won't be long before you're reunited."

Ah Shu was stunned. After a moment, he asked, "Master, are you really going to stay in Pingyang?"

Xiao Rong: "No, why would I stay here? I'm naturally leaving with the Northern Pacification Army."

Ah Shu bluntly said, "But they don't want you, do they?"

Xiao Rong: "…………"

Dead kid, why bring up such sore subjects?

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong decided to go all out: "If they don't want me, wouldn't that make me lose face? I'll stick to them like glue. If they don't take me, no one will have an easy time."

Ah Shu: "…………"

Why make it so hard on yourself, Master.

Later, Xiao Rong took out a stack of precious white paper, which he used sparingly, and carefully wrote a line of words.

In this era where wood is incredibly expensive, paper was worth its weight in gold. This small stack was a gift from his cheap brother; if Xiao Rong had to buy it himself, he wouldn't be able to afford it.

After writing, he didn't bother with an envelope but rolled it up into a small scroll and tied it with a thin string. He then handed it to Ah Shu, instructing him to deliver it to the general they met today.

Before Ah Shu left, Xiao Rong remembered something.

"Which general came to recruit in Pingyang?"

Xiao Rong usually didn't remember such details; he was too busy recalling historical books he had read. Such trivial matters were always handled by Ah Shu.

Ah Shu replied, "They say his name is Jian Qiao."

With that, Ah Shu ran off, leaving Xiao Rong staring wide-eyed in shock.

That young general with problematic eyesight was actually Jian Qiao?

Jian Qiao, the only one among Qu Yunmie's subordinates who wasn't purged and lived to a ripe old age?

For some reason, Xiao Rong suddenly felt a sense of frustration. The one person who offended him turned out to be the only one with a good ending...*

On the other side, Jian Qiao was dispirited.

North of the Huai River, there was a severe lack of talent. The region had been ravaged by the Hu people, and the noble families had all migrated south with the emperor. Even those who stayed were second-rate nobles or commoners. Finding a capable advisor required someone literate, but most commoners couldn't read, so the pool of candidates was drastically reduced.

Initially, Jian Qiao followed the list compiled by local scholars and visited each candidate, at least getting a cup of tea. But after news spread that the Northern Pacification King had personally killed a would-be advisor, he faced more rejections than he could count.

Not finding anyone in Yanmen County, he went to Dai County and Zhongshan County. These places were close together, and within two or three days, he had visited them all.

It wasn't because these places were small, but because historically, they were places of exile for disgraced princes and officials who had offended the powerful. ...

Only the Northern Pacification Army didn't mind. Anyone with ambition dreamed of moving to larger cities.

As the saying goes, a child doesn't despise their mother's ugliness—cough, not the best analogy, but the principle holds. The Northern Pacification Army started here, and Jian Qiao grew up in Yanmen Pass. He hoped these places would improve.

Thus, Jian Qiao took the recruitment seriously, not just as a troublesome task assigned by Gao Xunzhi. He even came to Pingyang City, an ancient city near them with a rich history of noble families.

And then... nothing happened.

Everyone who heard about the Northern Pacification King's heroic deeds refused to meet him. After posting the notice, only three people came forward in a day—one specialized in cooking, another looked shifty, and the third amazed him, proving that there were indeed all kinds of birds in the world...

How could he be so precise, ticking off every box? Even now, as night fell, Jian Qiao still marveled when he recalled Xiao Rong.

Would bringing this man before the King set a new record for the fastest execution or push the King's patience to the limit? The King usually didn't torture people, but perhaps he might make an exception for Xiao Rong.

Well, it's a matter of fate. Hopefully, Xiao Rong will understand that not keeping him was for his own good—a kind deed indeed!

Shaking his head, Jian Qiao tried to forget Xiao Rong's face, which was highly likely to cause mental pollution, and continued to ponder where else he could go.

Just then, a guard entered with the letter Ah Shu had delivered.

"General, this is what Xiao Rong sent today. He insisted that the General must dismiss everyone before reading it."

Curious, Jian Qiao took it. He initially wanted to open it right away but decided to err on the side of caution. He walked into an inner room and then unfolded it to read.

Seeing the handwriting, Jian Qiao's lips twitched. It was barely better than when he first learned to write.

Was this person really a scholar?

Fortunately, Xiao Rong wasn't here. If he were, he'd surely mock, "Be grateful; he can write traditional characters already. If he wrote simplified ones, you'd have to guess for a while."

Regardless, Xiao Rong's handwriting was legible. Jian Qiao read it aloud and then stood up abruptly.

The message read: "Feint east, attack west, lure the tiger away from the mountain, traitors in the army, trouble in Chang'an."

Jian Qiao wasn't highly educated, but he was one of Qu Yunmie's four top generals and had a keen military sense.

After the unrest in Yizhou, the King immediately abandoned the pursuit of the Xiongnu and instead ventured deep into Yizhou. Last year, the King conquered Yizhou, the farthest city from Yanmen Pass. The Northern Pacification Army was not adept at governance, making it difficult to manage the area.

But before leaving, the King had nearly bloodied the place to intimidate the barbarians. When he first heard about the unrest in Yizhou, Jian Qiao thought it was the barbarians returning.

Later, upon learning it was a peasant uprising led by commoners, he felt slightly relieved.

Rebellions were common, and peasants were easier to handle. The barbarians, however, were wild and fearless, causing significant headaches.

But what if... this was just a facade, and the real threat was the barbarians trying to distract the King...

Yizhou was deep inland. Even if the King realized the problem, it would be too late to return. The barbarians didn't know the King's whereabouts, so the third sentence about traitors in the army made sense. Someone must have discovered that the King had taken 20,000 troops away from the main force and informed the barbarians.

And specifically, which barbarians... it was easy to deduce. Only the Xianbei had the strength to challenge the Northern Pacification Army, constantly eyeing the Central Plains and having the opportunity to bypass Yanmen Pass and enter Chang'an.

Jian Qiao burned with anger. The Xianbei again!

He didn't act immediately or blindly believe Xiao Rong's intelligence. Instead, he pretended everything was normal, went out, and found a trusted scout, instructing him to ride quickly to Liangzhou. If the Xianbei had indeed invaded, they would be detected.

The Northern Pacification Army is terrifying, and the Northern Pacification King is even more so. The reason the Xianbei took such a wide detour was to lure the Northern Pacification King away before acting, showing just how much they feared Qu Yunmie. Before he truly delved deep into their territory, they definitely wouldn't dare to emerge.

This means that they must have just started their operation. If the scouts hurry back, it's still not too late.

Jian Qiao didn't dare sleep all night. He dispatched the scouts shortly before midnight, and when dawn broke, the messenger arrived.

Of course, it wasn't the scout; the scout was still on his way back. But he had used the unique signals of the army to send the intelligence.

Upon hearing that a large force was moving in the Liangzhou area, Jian Qiao sprang up.

He was prepared. While ordering his personal soldiers to dispatch several letters, he hurriedly galloped toward Yanmen County.

The main forces were there, and he only had fifty thousand men under his command. He needed to call others to join him.

Amidst the chaos, Xiao Rong in the inn was still sound asleep.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that he finally got up, first yawning, then stretching. After stretching, he suddenly realized something was off.

Hmm, why do I feel particularly refreshed and light today?

His body no longer felt heavy, and the faint sense of weakness was gone.

He quickly went to the mirror. The reflection showed he wasn't as pale anymore.

Good heavens—such good fortune?!

Xiao Rong felt elated. He thought his intelligence had taken effect. In the original history, although the Xianbei didn't reach Chang'an and control the key points, they ravaged the people in Hezhou and Qinzhou, causing great harm. Since this was under the Northern Pacification King's jurisdiction, the common folk naturally blamed Qu Yunmie.

With some incitement, Qu Yunmie instantly transformed from a hero to a villain in the eyes of the people. ...

Xiao Rong couldn't help but laugh out loud. See, Qu Yunmie, now you know how powerful I am. *

However, Qu Yunmie hadn't received Jian Qiao's intelligence yet.

Instead of continuing toward Yizhou, after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly turned his horse around and galloped back to Anding City at an even faster speed.

His subordinates didn't understand why he changed his mind again and could only follow silently.

Originally, he should have encountered the sneaky Xianbei outside Anding City and engaged in a fierce battle. However, by the time he arrived, the battle had already erupted.

And it wasn't six thousand Xianbei cavalry against his two thousand infantry, but six thousand Xianbei cavalry against five thousand Northern Pacification cavalry and seven thousand infantry.

The Xianbei were formidable fighters; otherwise, they wouldn't have nearly destroyed North Yong, making them cry for their parents. But how could the scum of Yong Dynasty compare to the Northern Pacification Army?

Even one-on-one, the Xianbei couldn't match the Northern Pacification Army, let alone now, where it was one-to-two. With Qu Yunmie's arrival and the sight of The King, morale doubled, turning it into a one-to-four advantage.

Now these raiding Xianbei could experience what it felt like to be beaten to tears.

The Xianbei were despicable. Seeing they couldn't win, they tried to attack the city, set fires in Anding City, loot, and flee. Without these twelve thousand troops, Qu Yunmie alone might not have been able to stop them.

But who could resist the presence of an army of 120,000 here?

In just a single day, the Xianbei were routed, abandoning their armor and helmets. The intelligence was flawed; they had come for a surprise attack, not to fight to the death. Naturally, upon realizing the situation was unfavorable, they immediately retreated. Qu Yunmie was at the forefront, ceaselessly urging his steed forward. He usually wielded a sword, but on the battlefield, he used a spear, a spear unique to him known as the Snow-Drinking Vengeance Spear. The spearhead was sharp enough to cut hair with a mere breath, and it featured a trident design. The entire spear weighed eighty pounds, yet only Qu Yunmie could wield it as if it were weightless.

With each swing he made, at least three enemies' lives were taken away.

The Xianbei are the mortal enemies of Qu Yunmie and also the archenemies of the Northern Pacification Army. Upon encountering Xianbei, they must be slain.

After chasing for more than a hundred miles, Qu Yunmie, with bloodshot eyes, finally regained his composure. Fortunately, his horse was strong enough; otherwise, it would have been exhausted to the point of coughing up blood.

Upon returning to the main force, Qu Yunmie finally thought to inquire why the army had arrived faster than he had.

He returned abruptly at that time, uncertain whether his guess was correct, merely wanting to probe the situation. Who could be so capable, so certain that something had happened here, that they directly led out a third of the Yanmen Pass's forces.

Jian Qiao had already returned, and it was his other subordinate, also his childhood friend, who answered his question.

General Jian received intelligence, and subsequently dispatched scouts to Liangzhou to investigate the truth, which is when they discovered the tracks of the Xianbei people. I sent a messenger to inform The King, but I did not expect The King to arrive so swiftly; it seems there might have been a miss with the messenger.

The speaker is named Yuan Baifu, a name that exudes celebration and joy. His demeanor is also very amiable, which sets him apart from other generals.

Qu Yunmie dislikes those with beautiful appearances. Yuan Baifu is not exceptionally beautiful, but she does possess a certain charm. Fortunately, her relationship with Qu Yunmie allows her to stay under his watchful eye for a long time.

Qu Yunmie let out an "Oh," and asked, "Where is Jian Qiao?"

Yuan Baifu chuckled, "He said he's going back to Pingyang to handle an urgent matter that can't wait."

Qu Yunmie's head was adorned with a question mark, wondering if there was anything more urgent than tallying up military merits.

Unable to think of anything more, he simply shook his head, casually tossing the Snow-Quenching Spear to a soldier, and then he went to rest in the tent.

After a relentless pursuit of two hundred miles, feeling somewhat exhausted, he decided against going to Yizhou. Fortunately, Yuan Baifu was nearby, so he assigned him to go instead. ……

After another day passed, the unshaven General Jian finally returned to Pingyang.

He rushed to the inn where Xiao Rong was staying, and shouted up to the upper floor with great excitement: "Sir! Mr. Xiao, please forgive my previous blindness, your talents are immense, your talents are immense indeed!!!"

Inside the room, Xiao Rong was holding a teacup, leisurely sipping from it as if he hadn't heard a word, and he instructed Ah Shu, "Add more dates."

Ah Shu: "……"

He silently added a handful of red dates to the teapot in front of him.

The noise outside was really irritating, and with no one opening the door for him, Ah Shu could hear that the general seemed almost on the verge of tears. He couldn't help but ask, "Master, shall we not open the door for him?"

Xiao Rong gave a faint smile and replied with a grudge, "Just don't open it, let him wait."

Author's Note:

Jian Qiao: I am innocent. Qu Yunmie: If you plead guilty for me, I will take good care of your family. Jian Qiao: ...