Chapter 215: Iron Finger

Hason stood in the vast wilderness, watching as the girl nearby leaped off her horse. Without even sheathing his sword, he opened his arms and caught the red figure rushing towards him.

Duo Erlan panted lightly, her red skirt swirling as she laughed brightly, "May the gods protect my eagle!"

Hason held his newly-wed wife, his face slightly flushed. Brushing away the snow for Duo Erlan, he said, "May the gods protect my Duo Erlan."

Hason had only married at the beginning of the year, a reward granted by Armul. The girl he had long admired, Duo Erlan, was from the Hu Lu tribe deep in the desert. She wore a dark red skirt, her beauty resembling the morning dew on the shores of Chi Ti Lake. She was like the wildest mare among the twelve tribes, and Hason was utterly captivated by her.

Duo Erlan studied Hason and said, "Ba Yin broke his promise to me. You've lost weight."

Hason chuckled, "He can't always be by my side."

"Then he shouldn't have promised me," Duo Erlan landed gracefully, taking Hason's hand. "I brought fresh sheep's milk."

"It's too far," Hason allowed himself to be led by Duo Erlan. Gazing at her, he suggested, "Next time, let Chagan handle these matters."

After only two days of rest following his marriage, Hason had returned to the battlefield. It was difficult for Duo Erlan to see him, so she could only come to meet Hason during supply deliveries. Eagerly, she showed Hason the food she had brought. Hason devoured it hungrily, finishing all the bread she had made with her own hands.

"I came here to see you," Duo Erlan said, sitting on the burlap sack as he watched Hason eat. "I've missed you dearly, just like the morning dew longs for the sun. Will you return when the snow melts?"

Hason took a sip of the chilled milk, meeting Duo Erlan's gaze head-on. Duo Erlan's pupils were a pale shade of blue-green, and each time Hason gazed into them, it was like beholding the crystal-clear ripples of Lake Chiti. It evoked all that was beautiful in his memory, rendering him incapable of uttering a single "no" to Duo Erlan. With tender affection, he caressed Duo Erlan's cheek and said, "If only the war could be brought to an end."

"You have avenged Gergenhaas for our father, and he is grateful to you. You are not only the Orosi of the Harsa tribe, but also the Orosi of the Huluba tribe." Duo Erlan cradled her face, "The eagle shall soar over the Hongyan Mountains, and I shall forever await you by the Crimson Tith Lake."

Duo Erlan's term "Eagle" was more like an endearing nickname, one that only she and Hason's mother were allowed to use, causing Hason to blush with modesty. Gergenhaas was Duo Erlan's brother, also the sibling that Xiao Fangxu had slain.

The wind across the vast wilderness was biting cold. After Hason finished his milk, he escorted Duo Erlan back to their encampment. Inside the military tent, a fire crackled warmly. There, Duo Erlan prepared a cup of tea for Hason, both of them enjoying the robust, unrefined brew.

"If the Yanbu Tribe still existed," Duo Erlan sipped her milk tea, "we'd have endless supplies of coarse tea in the winter."

Hason, having finished cutting her roasted meat, wiped his dagger with great solemnity and said, "They will return."

As Duo Erlan was set to depart with the escort team the following day, Hason didn't spend the night with the soldiers. They bid each other a premature farewell, retiring early. In the middle of the night, a sudden snowstorm erupted. Hason, deep in slumber, was roused by a voice outside the tent. He cautiously got up, draped himself in his robe, and stepped out.

As the tent flap lifted, Hason was embraced by a flurry of snow. Brushing the flakes off his robe, he asked the soldier before him, his red hair loose, "What's happened?"

"Ba Yin has returned!"

Hason turned his head and saw the remaining cavalry.

Ba Yin, who had been riding relentlessly for days, tumbled off his horse, collapsing onto the snowy ground with weak legs. He refused assistance, snatching the water pouch from either side instead. He tilted his head back and drank greedily, drenching the front of his clothes before he seemed to regain some composure.

"What happened?" Hason picked up Ba Yin's sword and looked at him with a slight frown, stating firmly, "Chi has been defeated."

Ba Yin rubbed his frozen cheeks and exhaled a stream of warm air. He was utterly disheveled, his boots caked in mud. He tossed the water pouch back into the arms of the person next to him and, standing before Hason, appeared exceptionally haggard. "Xiao Chiye lured us onto the ice with the promise of Tashite Pit. There, he killed Chi."

As he spoke, he yanked forcefully on the left side of the saddle, causing Chi's head to roll off, landing at Hason's feet.

"Xiao Chiye let me go," Ba Yin's lips were an ashen blue. His voice trembled as he said, "He made me bring this back."

Hason's lips gradually pursed, a precursor to his anger. Looking at Chi's head, flames burned in his eyes once more. The surroundings were deathly silent, save for the howling wind. The chill Hason inhaled swiftly coursed through his limbs. He averted his gaze, looking out at the swirling snow in the distance.

"Duanzhou is occupied by the wolves. They shook hands with a Zhongbo fox there. Hyrigu is also there, enslaved to Xiao Chiye." Ba Yin's Adam's apple bobbed as he recalled the terror of being chased by the Northern Iron Riders. His voice was dry as he continued, "Xiao Chiye has obtained a new blade. The Scorpion has become wild grass beneath his iron riders, Hason. The hammer cannot stop him; these are no longer Xiao Fangxu's iron riders."

"They haven't been Xiao Fangxu's iron riders for a long time," Hason suddenly turned back, taking a step closer to Ba Yin. "The wolf pack needs a new alpha. Xiao Jiming will recall him to the north, and I'll be waiting here for him, along with his new blade."

A noise came from behind them. Duo Erlan stood at the entrance of the tent, looking at them with concern. Hason suppressed his anger and turned to look at Duo Erlan, but he couldn't force a smile.

He should have killed Xiao Chiye.

Hason thought again.

He should have done it during that autumn hunt.

* * *

In the stillness of the midnight, the courtyard was silent.

Xiao Chiye had just finished his ablutions and was sorting through a box of pearls and jade by candlelight. Shen Zechuan's folding fan lay on the side table while its owner remained immersed in the water.

"Within a few days, we'll reach Luo Mountain," Xiao Chiye picked out the agate he had placed there the previous day and said to Shen Zechuan, who was behind the screen. "Do you want to come with me?"

Shen Zechuan had been weary these past few days. Though he had not fallen ill again, he had not touched Snow on Icy Mountain either. He soaked in the water and replied, "We will have to visit Luo Mountain. It would be convenient for you to head straight back to Libei from there."

Time passed too swiftly. Shen Zechuan had only engaged in a few discussions, and it was already the end of February. He raised his head, closed his eyes, and pondered. The graceful curve of his neck was bathed in the dim light seeping through the screen, giving it a lustrous glow.

"Have you settled on a candidate for the Prefecture Governor of Duanzhou?" Xiao Chiye twirled the agate bead between his fingers and asked casually.

"Indeed," Shen Zechuan replied, "I've chosen someone with talent."

Xiao Chiye looked over and asked, "Kong Chengfeng?"

Shen Zechuan raised his hand, propping his head up with the damp cloth. Leaning sideways, he gazed at Xiao Chiye's shadow and said, "Not him. Guess again."

"Yuan Zhuo is not very mobile, so he wouldn't be suitable," Xiao Chiye pondered. "Then who else could it be?"

Shen Zechuan stood up and wiped himself with a towel by the side. Xiao Chiye didn't look over, so Shen Zechuan held up the clean blue handkerchief to his nose and took a light sniff. "Shen Lanzhou, of course."

Duanzhou was to build the thickest wall in the Central Empire, and as it was connected to Luo Mountain and the northern border, Shen Zechuan couldn't entrust this task to anyone else. He had to stay here and personally oversee the construction of this wall. Duanzhou, located to the south, could bypass the Heavenly Empress Gateway and directly reach the border regions. Shen Zechuan found this location ideal, and he planned to establish a storage hub comparable to Chazhou, enabling him to support both the northern and southern battlefields in the future.

"Do you still remember 'Steel Needles'?" Shen Zechuan put the handkerchief away, his fingertips lingering with reluctance. "Qiao Tianya is the best candidate for the position of commander, but he's currently occupied with taking care of Yuan Zhuo and can't leave Chazhou. However, if we were to assign Fei Sheng, being far from the imperial court and without anyone to keep him in check, I wouldn't feel at ease."

"Steel Needles" referred to light cavalry that would serve as spies along the Tea Stone River and also function as a vital connection between the two regions stationed in Duanzhou. Whoever held the position of commander here would wield significant power over military and administrative affairs. Once the spring arrived and Yan Heru's business expanded, with money flowing in and out, one couldn't expect Yan Heru to be an honest man.

Shen Zechuan didn't have any major complaints about Fei Sheng, but he needed to consider how long Fei Sheng's loyalty would last. He couldn't rely solely on the bond forged through shared trials and tribulations. A year or two might pass, and once Fei Sheng grew accustomed to the benefits of the strategic location and had the Steel Needles under his command, with Yan Heru constantly catering to his desires, how much of their current master-servant relationship built on life and death would remain? On that day, Shen Zechuan wouldn't be Fei Sheng's only source of support. With just a hint of ambition, Fei Sheng could become a danger.

Power was something that couldn't be bestowed solely upon one person. Qi Huilian had warned Shen Zechuan in the Temple of Expiation long ago that the foundation of "Tactics" lay in balance. Governing a group of powerful figures was akin to overlooking a game, never allowing personal biases to prevail.

Why did Huo Lingyun place himself in the Imperial Guards? It was to fill the gap left by Qiao Tianya. By posing a threat to Fei Sheng, he could prompt Fei Sheng to reflect on himself. Similarly, why did Yao Wenyu make such a suggestion? It was to push Qiao Tianya back into the game, letting Shen Zechuan, who had an empty position under him, realize that Qiao Tianya was indispensable. As long as Fei Sheng aspired to advance, Shen Zechuan would have to carefully consider his moves with Qiao Tianya in mind. In other words, with each promotion Fei Sheng received, Qiao Tianya would secretly rise alongside him, acting as the chain that bound Fei Sheng, ensuring Shen Zechuan would never allow Fei Sheng to surpass Qiao Tianya and stand "alone."

Fei Sheng told Qiao Tianya that he was the most suitable candidate in Shen Zechuan's eyes to lead the Light Cavalry in Duanzhou because they all knew each other well, and Qiao Tianya was a man of loyalty and friendship. This was both Qiao Tianya's strength and his weakness.

Shen Zechuan donned a loose robe and stepped out from behind a screen.

Xiao Chiye sat on the edge of the table with his legs stretched out. Hearing footsteps, he clenched his hand, hiding the agate beads, and looked at Shen Zechuan, saying, "I happen to have something to discuss with you."

Shen Zechuan's belt hung loosely around his waist, and his feet tingled slightly as he stepped on the luxurious carpet. He sipped his tea with his collarbone exposed, nodding at Xiao Chiye, inviting him to speak.

Xiao Chiye remarked, "The border sands ponies captured this time will also be placed in Luo Mountain. If you want light cavalry, try these horses. They run faster than the horses of Libei and have great endurance on the desert."

Holding his teacup, Shen Zechuan pondered for a moment.

"I doubt Libei would have use for these horses. Our warhorses are bred beneath Hongyanshan, born to serve as iron cavalry. It took generations to cultivate the excellent steeds we have today that can bear heavy armor," Xiao Chiye spread his legs, allowing Shen Zechuan to stand before him. He propped himself up with one arm and gazed at Shen Zechuan as he deliberated.

"Let Fei Sheng inspect the border sands ponies here first," Shen Zechuan suggested. "Use Chi's stable that's still here."

"These are my stables," Xiao Chiye pinched Shen Zechuan's chin. "When will you give me Shen Lanzhou?"

In Shen Zechuan's grasp, he recalled Xiao Chiye's iron fingers from that day and the firm sensation of them stroking the nape of his neck. Shen Zechuan's breath hitched. He tried to avert his gaze, but Xiao Chiye held him in place. The room was warm, and beads of sweat had started to form at the corners of the Marquis's damp hair.

Xiao Chiye gazed intently at Shen Zechuan, leaning in closer as he asked, "Marquis, were you excited when I touched you that day?"