Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 404 Western Frontier Moon

The wind in western Xinjiang, carrying sand and gravel, scrapes against the face like a knife, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

The coachman stopped the carriage in front of a teahouse.

Xue Sui lifted the heavy cotton curtain and looked at the lone mud-brick house standing in the wind and snow. On the tattered wine flag in front of the door, a blurry "tea" character was almost torn to shreds by the wind.

She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and pulled her veil down further.

"How many guests are there? Please come inside and warm up!"

A man in a sheepskin coat strode out to greet them. He had a sharp face and a steady gait. Behind him was a similarly dressed man with a broad smile.

It was much warmer inside than outside.

Xue Sui didn't drink the tea the waiter brought; instead, he warmed his hands with it and discreetly observed the man in front of him.

"Shopkeeper, could you please tell me which road is the safest to take towards Yunling?"

The man paused slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the silhouette beneath Xue Sui's veiled hat, before calmly waving his hand to send the waiter away.

Xue Sui did not move.

Once the room had quieted down, he slowly began to speak, “The Big Dipper points west, and a single spark can start a prairie fire.”

"Your subordinates respectfully welcome the imperial envoy."

A glint flashed in the man's eyes, and he immediately clasped his hands and bowed, "Your subordinate is Qin Feng, the flag bearer of the Western Frontier of the Tian Shu Sect. I have been waiting here for Your Excellency for a long time by order of the sect leader."

"Where is Li Zhao?" Xue Sui asked bluntly.

Qin Feng looked up and said, "The Crown Prince recently intercepted the remnants of the rebel army at Heishi Ferry. He was ambushed and seriously wounded after the fierce battle. He retreated with Qi Mingyang's army to the Shili Slope camp. Whether he is alive or dead... there is still no definite news."

He paused, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"The remnants of the Xiao clan's rebel army are still nearby, and the situation in Yongding is not stable. Why don't you accompany me to a safe place to settle down first, and then we can discuss this further?"

Xue Sui thought for a moment, then nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."

That night, Qin Feng settled her and Xiao Zhao in a secluded house built against the mountain.

The earthen house was low and dilapidated, and the furnishings inside were very simple. But the location was excellent, only ten miles from Yongding City. Standing on the high slope behind the house, one could even faintly hear the dull bugle calls coming from the Shilipo camp.

At midnight, several men dressed in black quietly knocked on the door.

Xiao Zhao gripped the short blade hidden in her sleeve warily and looked at Xue Sui.

Xue Sui nodded slightly.

As the door opened, a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes swept in, and three lean men dressed in short leather armor worn by hunters from the Western Frontier silently followed Qin Feng in, bringing with them a chilling and menacing aura.

"Your subordinates, along with disciples of the Tian Shu Sect Wang Meng, Zhao Qi, and Sun Shitou, pay our respects to Your Excellency the Imperial Envoy!"

The four people knelt on one knee in unison.

They are Qin Feng's most capable subordinates...

Upon learning of the imperial envoy's arrival, they came to pay their respects.

Xue Sui sat in the dim light of the oil lamp, the light veil of her veil hanging down, covering most of her face, revealing only her cold-lined jaw and tightly pursed lips, making it impossible to see her true appearance.

"Stand up and speak." She gestured with her hand. "What's the current situation? There's no need to hide anything."

"Reporting to the Imperial Envoy..." Zhao Qi spoke clearly and quickly, "Xiao Yan's remaining forces still number over 30,000, scattered and hiding in three strategic locations on the eastern slope of Yunling: Eagle's Beak Cliff, Old Bear Gully, and Wild Fox Ridge. These locations form a defensive network, easy to defend and difficult to attack. In recent days, small groups of rebels have been frequently appearing, harassing the Liang army's outer outposts, and their actions are extremely cunning..."

"At the Shili Slope camp where the Crown Prince is staying, everything is as usual. However, my subordinates have observed that the intervals between the shifts of the sentries have been slightly longer, and the patrolling soldiers are also more tense than usual. This... is somewhat unusual... perhaps it is related to the Crown Prince's injury."

"The people of Yongding City are impoverished, and rumors are rampant. From time to time, the defeated soldiers left behind by the Xiao family cause trouble, burning, killing, and looting, making the people suffer unspeakably... Although the garrison has tried its best to strengthen the city's defenses, it is unable to provide relief and is finding it difficult to conduct investigations... The people are quite restless and uneasy."

Xue Sui listened quietly to the reports from the group.

He waited until they finished speaking before speaking slowly.

"Next, we will do three things."

She raised her first finger, the tip of which shone like jade in the dim light.

"Firstly, keep a close eye on the three snake dens and rat burrows: Eagle Beak Cliff, Old Bear Gully, and Wild Fox Ridge. Don't let Xiao Yan's men slip out unnoticed... The key is to find out how much food they eat each day, how much they have left, where their water comes from, and how those scattered soldiers communicate..."

"Secondly," she slowly raised her second finger, "to ascertain the true state of Yongding City. Are the fleeing soldiers daring to cause trouble in the city because the people are genuinely panicked and have lost their sense of direction, or are there traitors within their ranks, stabbing them in the back?"

"Thirdly," she held up her third finger, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, her tone suddenly becoming more serious, "find out the true situation at the Shili Slope camp. What's the condition of the wounded soldiers' camp? Are there enough medicines? How long can the food and supplies last?"

She was articulate and her words carried immense weight. "I need an answer within three days."

After speaking, his gaze swept over the solemn faces in front of him.

"Can it be done?"

"Yes! I take my orders."

The three men clasped their hands in a fist salute, accepted the order, and departed.

Qin Feng brought in an old woman and her daughter-in-law, and settled Xue Sui and Xiao Zhao in the tidiest room in the house.

A charcoal brazier was burning inside, and the kang (a heated brick bed) was warm. A coarse cloth quilt that had been washed until it was faded was laid on the kang. The old woman had also prepared hot water for them to use.

For a war-torn region, this is already considered quite comprehensive.

After quickly dressing up, Xue Sui lay down on the bed, but felt no sleepiness whatsoever.

The hard, earthen bed allowed her anxieties to fester silently in the darkness. She had several bizarre nightmares. One moment, Li Zhao was covered in blood, falling from a steep cliff… the next, her mother, Xue Ji, sat before a bronze mirror, stroking its surface blankly, murmuring over and over, “Sui Sui… where is my Sui Sui?”

When I woke up, my inner clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

She instinctively touched the jade pendant hanging around her neck, and found her heart pounding wildly in her chest...

I couldn't fall asleep anymore.

She simply put on her coat, got up, walked to the dilapidated wooden window, and pushed it open a crack.

Outside, there was only endless darkness, and the wind and snow seemed to have intensified.

"Girl, it's still early, why don't you sleep a little longer?" Xiao Zhao's sleepy voice came from behind.

She rubbed her eyes, fumbled for an outer cloak, and quickly walked over to put it on Xue Sui.

"The wind here is really strong, be careful not to catch a cold..."

Xue Sui didn't turn around, his voice somewhat ethereal: "Xiao Zhao, are you afraid?"

Xiao Zhao was taken aback, then straightened her back.

"Following you, I fear neither mountains of knives nor seas of fire..."

Xue Sui then slowly turned around.

In the dim light, her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

“Alright. Tomorrow at dawn, you will come with me into the city to see what’s going on… Then, at nightfall, we will go to the Shili Slope camp to request an audience with the Crown Prince.”

"Yes!" Xiao Zhao answered without hesitation, her eyes no longer showing any sleepiness.
-
As dawn broke, Qin Feng brought over a simple breakfast.

A few relatively soft white flour buns and two bowls of steaming millet porridge.

Xue Sui silently and quickly finished using the items, then asked Qin Feng for two sets of coarse cloth jackets and headscarves commonly worn by village women in the area…

She quickly changed, wrapped her short hair in a headscarf, and smeared some soot on her cheeks, neck, and other exposed areas to disguise herself as being covered in soot.

Xiao Zhao followed suit...

The two women, master and servant, quickly became two inconspicuous country women.

Qin Feng frowned. "Imperial Envoy, this is too risky! The rebels are elusive, and there are many spies. What if our identities are exposed..."

“Instead of waiting here for news, you should see for yourself,” Xue Sui interrupted him, her tone calm but firm. “Besides, I’m only going to Yongding City, not to storm the rebel camp…”

Qin Feng couldn't refuse, but he was still worried, so he had to call over two honest-looking subordinates to disguise themselves as cart shop assistants. They drove a creaking, dilapidated oxcart, piled with some dry grass, carrying Xue Sui and his servants, creaking and groaning as they headed towards Yongding City.
-
Yongding City had undergone a fierce battle that lasted for months and was completely unrecognizable.

The once relatively intact city walls are now covered with traces of smoke and fire, and huge gaps. Broken stones and bricks are scattered at the base of the walls, and even the heavy snow cannot hide the ferocity of the war.

The city gates were heavily guarded, and the soldiers on guard were very vigilant.

Upon entering the city, the houses on both sides of the street were dilapidated, and the broken walls and ruins covered by white snow occasionally revealed charred marks that had not been cleaned up. The people on the street were emaciated and had numb eyes. Every family had lost a loved one, and it seemed that a sense of decay and heavy death permeated the air.

Xue Sui and Xiao Zhao blended into the crowd entering the city, completely inconspicuous.

After wandering aimlessly for half a day, they caught up with all the gossip circulating in the streets and alleys. However, apart from the news that the Crown Prince was "seriously injured and on the verge of death" spreading like wildfire among the common people, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

Before the city gates closed, they quietly left the city and returned to their homes.

After a quick dinner, the two boarded the oxcart again and slowly made their way along the rugged dirt road covered in snow towards the Shilipo camp...

(End of this chapter)