Chapter Twenty-Four: The Dayan Kingdom Is Doomed

The method Zhao Hengyi had taught for restraining cavalry had already been classified as top secret by Song Ying’an, and all the personal guards involved in the trials had been ordered to keep silent. Even the craftsmen who forged the iron wire and caltrops had no idea what purpose their creations would serve. Although the impact of this matter had not spread, the shift in the guards’ attitudes was real and tangible.

Previously, the guards had harbored many complaints about Zhao Hengyi. In the eyes of these hardened soldiers, Zhao Hengyi did possess some skills, but he was still an ordinary commoner. For him to act as a peer to their lord, calling him brother, was nothing short of reckless and taboo! It was tolerable only because they were tucked away in Yushu Bay, away from prying eyes. If others were to learn of it, it would surely tarnish their lord’s reputation and might even bring unnecessary trouble. Especially considering the situation in their lord’s household, the guards couldn’t help but worry that when they returned home, their lord might bring along Zhao Hengyi, this fellow ignorant of proper decorum, and unwittingly hand a weapon to those who wished him harm.

Yet, the instant Zhao Hengyi produced the cavalry-countering method, all the guards’ opinions of him changed dramatically! Even if he truly were some charlatan from the jianghu, this one means of countering cavalry would earn him their utmost respect—they would treat him as an honored elder, no less!

It was precisely this change in the guards’ attitude that allowed Zhao Hengyi to realize why Zhang Ying’an, a commander of troops, would be idle at home, even coming to the small town of Dangyang County for leisure. The military of the Yan Empire had decayed, and as one of the few effective units, the Xuan Battalion was highly valued within the court. The importance of the Xuan Battalion made it a coveted prize in the eyes of many. Quite a few pampered sons seeking military credentials believed that Song Ying’an’s rapid rise and ennoblement was solely due to his command of the Xuan Battalion—a sentiment born of jealousy, the classic “I could do it if I were in his shoes.”

Thus, not long ago, some people resorted to underhanded tactics and, under the pretext of “failing to aid in the defense,” ousted Song Ying’an from the Xuan Battalion! The old dignitaries in court declared that Song Ying’an should “rest and reflect.” The guards, capable as they were, were still mere soldiers; they could only feel aggrieved on their lord’s behalf, bemoaning the injustice of the world.

Zhao Hengyi, however, keenly sensed that the plot behind his brother’s removal and marginalization was anything but simple. By now, Zhao Hengyi knew that Song Ying’an hailed from the Marquis of Martial Valor’s household, and that Song’s father was the Marquis himself.

This Marquis, though he had rarely been on the battlefield, was an established noble with a wealth of experience in political struggle. His son’s rise to nobility through military merit had made him a rising star in the military. Having his son driven out of the army at such a time was not something the Marquis would accept lightly!

The guards had said that the Marquis of Martial Valor was utterly indifferent to his son’s dismissal, did not pull any strings, and appeared to let the matter drop entirely. Yet to Zhao Hengyi, this reeked of hidden motives. Even if the Marquis did not favor his second son, the interests of the family would never allow him to leave his son so vulnerable to attack! Besides, according to the guards, the old Marquis was not a muddle-headed man.

Furthermore, the so-called punishment handed down by the court was curious—“rest and reflect.” Zhao Hengyi had heard of “confinement to reflect,” but never “rest and reflect.” Thus, apart from being stripped of his command, Song Ying’an suffered no other losses and was free to travel to Dangyang County for leisure.

There was too much going on behind the scenes for Zhao Hengyi to fathom, but he believed that Song Ying’an’s so-called idle period would not last long. No matter how one looked at it, the court’s handling of him smacked of compromise, and his father’s calm indifference reminded Zhao Hengyi of a line from a film in his previous life: “Let the bullet fly a while.”

Though the guards now respected Zhao Hengyi, they found his speculations hard to believe. To them, Zhao Hengyi’s words were merely meant to comfort. Court intrigue was immensely complex; they’d seen much by their lord’s side. Zhao Hengyi might be clever, but what could a country bumpkin truly know of the machinations of great men?

Yet, as if to prove Zhao Hengyi’s instincts correct, five days later, a messenger from the Ministry of War arrived in Dangyang County!

The barbarians had raided the borders, and the Xuan Battalion had suffered heavy losses! The Ministry of War ordered Lord Dangyang, Song Ying’an, to return to command and retake charge of the Xuan Battalion!

A mind bordering on the uncanny!

The guards were completely convinced.

“Brother, this barbarian incursion is different from times past. The crops in the fields have yet to be harvested; even if they breach our defenses, the barbarians will find it hard to seize enough grain,” Song Ying’an said, deeply troubled. The Xuan Battalion was the elite force he had painstakingly built. The loss of even a single man pained him. Now, the messenger only spoke of heavy losses, with not even a proper battle report—the fate of his brave soldiers was unknown!

“When were you removed from duty, brother?” Zhao Hengyi, though shocked that the court would treat the safety of the border so lightly, remained clear-headed and immediately considered a possibility.

“It’s been more than two months since I was transferred from the frontier,” Song Ying’an replied. Two months ago, the cold of winter still lingered.

“The early barbarian incursion is likely linked to this year’s drought,” Zhao Hengyi offered his hypothesis. Song Ying’an, enraged, struck the tree trunk beside him with his fist. It must be so!

For the past two or three years, rainfall had steadily decreased; even within the Yan Empire, droughts had occurred. Over the last century, though the barbarians had gradually encroached on Yan’s territory, they remained nomads, never tilling the land. When drought struck, they inevitably raided ahead of schedule! In the eyes of the barbarians, the Yan Empire’s fertile lands were an inexhaustible granary.

Yet, after spring, while the grasslands suffered drought and the barbarians mobilized, the frontier army had no intelligence on these developments. They naively believed that the cavalry raiders would only invade after the people of Yan had harvested their crops...

The frontier generals—all deserved to die!

Unlike the furious Song Ying’an, Zhao Hengyi felt more shock and dismay. Once again, the ruling class of the Yan Empire had shattered his faith in their competence. To entrust the safety of the realm to such gross negligence—after two lifetimes, Zhao Hengyi found it unfathomably stupid! For such wine-sodden, gluttonous fools to sit in high office, the fate of the Yan Empire was surely sealed.

“Military affairs brook no delay. I must return at once to the Xuan Battalion. Brother, I ask for your assistance!”