Han official!

Chapter 175: Ten Years of Drinking Ice
As the setting sun sank into the Ba River, Wang Meng's blood-stained bone flute emitted a shrill whistle.

The willow trees on the west bank rustled, and thirty crossbowmen opened up the camouflaged salt piles. The mountain with their crossbows drawn glowed coldly in the twilight.

Guo Jie kicked over the burning salt cart and used it as cover. The sparks ignited the oil hidden in the axle, and the thick smoke from the explosion temporarily obscured the crossbowman's vision.

"Cone formation!" Guo Jie roared.

Zhang Teng, the chief of the timber department, led his team to use hooks as shields and three-edged copper spikes inserted into the ground to form temporary fortifications.

This was the defensive method used by the garrison soldiers against the Xiongnu cavalry. Each hook was seven inches apart, just enough to fit the angle of the crossbow arrow.

Amid the muffled sound of the first round of crossbow arrows being nailed into the hook, Guo Jie identified the make of the crossbow. The cloud pattern on the crossbow arm matched the "Jianyuan Year 3 Bing" approval document archived in the Shaofu Kaogongshi.

He rolled to the wreckage of the salt cart, grabbed the captured Dou family crossbow, and aimed the triangular arrow at the reflective spot in the willow forest.

"The second branch of the northwest willow tree!" Guo Jie ordered.

Zhang Teng's hook suddenly opened, revealing the armory crossbow held by the rear-row material officer.

The specially made light arrows pierced through the twilight and nailed two Dou family crossbowmen who were drawing their strings to the tree trunk.

This is a city defense crossbow improved by the Shuiheng Duwei. The arrow shaft is hollow and filled with lead, and is specially designed to break leather armor.

The remnants of Zhou Fu's troops surrounded them from the flank and used their ring-handled swords to split a gap in the officer's formation.

Guo Jie abandoned his crossbow and took up his sword, using the bronze blade to block and chop accurately.

The blood groove on the spine of the knife is stuck to the opponent's blade, and the wrist is rotated to relieve the force. This is the standard disarmament technique of the Northern Army Material Officer Camp.

As the enemy soldier staggered, Zhang Teng's hook and barbs had already locked his throat.

"Leave him alive!" Guo Jie shouted.

The materials officer tied up the enemy soldier's arms with a hemp rope and found the material wrapped in oilcloth from the lining of his jacket. A cinnabar inscription that read "In the third year of Jianyuan, the iron officials of the three prefectures supplied 3,000 kilograms of wrought iron to the Dou family" was clearly visible.

The remnants of Wang Meng ignited the pre-buried ointment, and purple poisonous smoke rose from the willow roots.

Guo Jie tore off his banner and dipped it into the Ba River, covering his mouth and nose with a wet cloth. "Disperse the formation! Follow the instructions in the Yunmeng Qin Bamboo Slips for fire attacks and avoid the smoke!"

The timber officials quickly used hooks to support the ground and used the river breeze to create ventilation gaps.

When the poisonous smoke dissipated slightly, Guo Jie led his troops into the willow forest.

A pit suddenly appeared on the ground, and the barbs of the salt-wrapped bamboo sticks shone greenly. These were the torture instruments used in the Hedong Salt Pond to execute escaped slaves.

The timber officer used a hook as a stick to explore the way.

In the twilight, Wang Meng's confidants guarded the ancient locust tree with yellow birch crossbows.

Guo Jie took off his rhinoceros armor, revealing the tanned cowhide lining. This was the arrow shield improved by the Minister of Agriculture in the third year of Jianyuan.

He led three squads of officers in a snake-like charge. Amidst the muffled sound of crossbow arrows piercing into leather armor, they had already advanced within ten steps of the crossbow formation.

"Throw the hook!" Guo Jie ordered.

Ten hooks flew in the air, and the barbs caught the crossbowman's armor.

The material officer took advantage of the situation and pulled the chains, dragging the enemy soldiers into close combat.

During the close combat, Guo Jie identified the pattern on the enemy's heart-protecting mirror, which was a Xiezhi pattern specially made by the Shaofu for the Weiwei of Changle Palace.

Wang Meng flashed out from behind a tree with a hacking knife in his hand. His knife skills vaguely showed traces of the drill manual of the Northern Army's material officer camp.

Guo Jie blocked with his ring-handled sword, and sparks flew when bronze and wrought iron collided.

After seven rounds, Guo Jie struck his wrist with the back of his knife, and the knife fell to the ground. This was a disarming technique he learned when he was suppressing the mob at the Hedong Salt Field.

"Tie him up!" Guo Jie tore open Wang Meng's robe, and the tattoo on his chest was the same as the "Five Vermin" tattooed by Han Lu.

The materials officer pried open its mouth and took out the hidden poison sac. The aconitine tribute from Jiaodong County matched the batch number of the tribute that disappeared from the Bingjingtai in Weiyang Palace.

By dusk, the officers had already wiped out the remaining enemies.

Guo Jie examined the seized items and found thirty crossbows with the inscription "Kaogong" (Kaogong) engraved on the arms of the crossbows, one hundred ring-handled swords cast privately by the Dou family, the iron quality of which matched the samples archived by the Sanfu Iron Officials, twenty volumes of certificates of authenticity with seals of the Pingyang Marquis's Mansion, the Dou family's villa, and the Xiongnu King Ruju, and three hundred kilograms of poisonous salt in pottery jars fired in the same kiln as the items unearthed from the Hedong salt cellar.

"Escort him to the Supreme Court Prison!" Guo Jie cut off the flag and wrapped it around the evidence.

Under the waning moon at Ba Bridge, Wang Meng's hoarse curses were drowned out by the horns of the grain transport ships. The water transport commander's shipbuilders had blocked the river, and the pass from the Pingyang Marquis's mansion was turning to ashes in the flames.

On the west bank of the Ba River, the Mengchong warship of the Shuiheng Duwei broke through the waves.

The ship's soldiers, armed with specially made hooks and spears, forced Dou's smuggled salt ship into the shallows.

Guo Jie stood at the bridgehead, his sword pointed at the canal dock: "According to the Second Year's Law, Customs and Market Law, those who smuggle salt and iron shall be tattooed and sentenced to hard labor in the city!"

Li Gan, the captain of the tower ship, led his team ashore and locked the salt ship's gangway with a bronze hook.

When the secret compartment in the cabin was pried open, bundles of "Wei"-style ring-handled swords rolled onto the deck.

Guo Jie grabbed one and examined it. The cloud pattern on the blade matched perfectly with the approval document "Jianyuan Year 2, Bing" filed by the Shaofu.

"Report!" Li Gan presented the confiscated hostages. "In the third year of the Jianyuan reign, we surrendered a thousand war horses to the Xiongnu, and stamped them with the red seal of the Marquis of Pingyang!"

Guo Jie unfolded the scroll, and when it came into contact with water, dark bloody patterns appeared. It turned out to be a letter of conspiracy to rebel imitating Princess Pingyang's handwriting!

The remaining members of the Dou family ignited the pre-buried ointment, and purple poisonous smoke rose from the bottom of the salt ship.

Guo Jie ordered the soldiers on the tower ships to cover their faces with wet cloths, imitating the fire attack chapter in Chao Cuo's "On Military Affairs" to avoid the smoke.

Li Gan led his team into the cabin, and the hooks with barbs accurately caught the enemy soldiers' armor.

Suddenly, the sound of drums and horns from a ship came from the opposite bank.

Guo Jie's pupils suddenly shrank. The Mengchong warship of the Shuiheng Commandant actually broke through the Dou family's canal transport blockade!

He roared and cut the bridge ropes, and the thousand-jin gate stone fell down with a loud bang, but the ring-handled knife thrown by Guo Jie got stuck in the mechanism.

The blade bent into an arc under the huge force, and black sand fell from the salt-eroded blood groove.

"Kill!" Guo Jie leaped into the air and tapped the suspended gate stone with his toes for leverage.

The ring-handled knife pierced into the crack of Wang Meng's rhinoceros armor like a meteor, and the blade deliberately deflected when it penetrated the shoulder blade. He wanted to let this Dou family henchman live to witness the exposure of his conspiracy!

Guo Jie held Princess Pingyang's imperial seal and knocked on the door of the Tingwei prison. The bronze scabbard left a thin mark on the stone steps.

When the jailer was checking the talisman, he caught a glimpse of the cracks in the salt bricks in the corner of the wall, and it was the poisonous salt from Hedong that was seized at Baqiao last night.

"Wei Sima is in prison."

As the warden led the way, Guo Jie quickly caught the jade bracelet that slipped out of his sleeve. It was the same one as the one on Wang Meng's waist.

Guo Jie remained calm and touched the inscription on the inside of the jade pendant with his fingertips: 'Bingyin Day, Bingjingtai'.

Deep in the Bing Prison, Wei Guang was hung by iron chains on the salt brick wall.

The malachite poison had corroded through his leather armor, and the festering wounds were glowing blue.

Guo Jie tore off his robe, soaked it in fish fat, and applied the wet cloth to Wei Guang's wound: "According to the 'Second Year Law - Prisoner Law', those who have not been convicted shall not be tortured!"

The jailer stepped back with a wry smile, but in his sleeve he hid a poisoned bamboo stick.

Guo Jie suddenly unsheathed his ring-handled sword, and the back of the blade knocked the bamboo stick flying, nailing it into the wall bricks. "Are these poison sticks made from the same batch as the ones used by the ambush troops at Baqiao?"

Prince Wenzhi, the Chief Justice, rushed in holding a military flag, followed by twelve imperial guards.

He unfolded the bloodstained silk cloth and said, "Wei Guang's crime of collaborating with the enemy is proven to be irrefutable. He must be taken to the city jail immediately!"

Guo Jie sneered and pulled out the hostages seized at Baqiao from his bosom: "In the third year of Jianyuan, we donated a thousand war horses to the Xiongnu, and they were stamped with the red seal of the Marquis of Pingyang!"

He dipped the poisonous blood from Wei Guang's wound and drew cloud patterns on the plain silk to ward off evil spirits. When the blood came into contact with the silk, it turned out to be a letter of conspiracy to rebel that imitated Princess Pingyang's handwriting!

When the morning bell rang in Weiyang Palace, Guo Jie knocked on the palace gate, holding Princess Pingyang's imperial seal. He presented the evidence seized at Baqiao, and the secret code revealed by the water pointed directly to the ice well in Changle Palace.

Wei Guang was carried into the Imperial Medical Bureau for treatment. The malachite poison had corroded through his leather armor, and the festering wounds were glowing blue.

"According to the Prison Law of the Second Year's Law, those who falsely accuse others will be held responsible!" Guo Jie pointed his ring-handled sword at Wang Wenzhi. "Were these poison sticks made from the same batch as the ones used by the ambush troops at Baqiao?"

The blue bricks of the Ice Well Terrace were soaked with water, and Guo Jie walked down the stone steps holding a fire stick.
Guang Fuqiang gasped, the burning pain from the malachite poison making his fingertips tremble: "The third brick in the southeast corner"

He dipped the pus and blood from his wound and drew a talisman on the wall. When the salt met the blood, the outline of a secret door was revealed.

Guo Jie used a ring-handled knife to pry open the cracks between the bricks, and the sound of the mechanism startled all the bats in the room.

Twenty camphorwood boxes were neatly stacked in the secret compartment, and the copper edges on the corners of the boxes were engraved with the inscription "The First Year of Jianyuan" from the Shaofu Kaogongshi.

When he opened the box, Wei Guang's pupils suddenly shrank. On the bundles of plain silk, the inscription "Salt and iron to the Xiongnu in the third year of Jianyuan" was clearly visible. Each roll was stamped with the Xiezhi seal of the Changle Palace Weiwei.

"This is the handwriting of Empress Dou!"

Wei Guang tore open the bottom compartment of the box, and the sheepskin map of the Baqiao secret passage gave off a fishy smell.

Guo Jie used the tip of his knife to pry open the leather surface, revealing half of the Xiongnu Zuoxian King's golden quiver, which matched perfectly with the one in Wang Meng's arms.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the darkroom.

Guo Jie kicked over the camphorwood box and used it as cover, and rolls of reagents flew like snow.

Twelve Dou family assassins rushed in with horse-slaying swords. The poisonous blue light from the swords reflected the gold ingots in the box. It turned out to be the missing zhujin from the Shaofu!
"According to the 'Second Year Laws and Regulations - Theft Law', anyone who steals the wine money will be beheaded!" Guo Jie shouted and threw a fire stick, igniting the white silk soaked in fish fat.

In the thick smoke, Wei Guang gritted his teeth and pulled the crossbow, and the poisonous arrow pierced the throats of the two assassins.

The whistle sound from the hollow arrow shaft alarmed the guards at Bingjingtai, and the military flag of the Supreme Court had already flown to the palace gate.

In the front hall of the Weiyang Palace, Imperial Censor Han Anguo unfolded the hostages seized from the Bingjing Terrace.

Empress Dou's phoenix-patterned gown fluttered in the wind. "I've lived in Changle Palace for so long, how could I have known such filthy things were hidden in the Ice Well Terrace!"

The jade bracelet on her wrist suddenly fell to the ground, and a wax ball rolled out from the fragments. It was the letter of rebellion imitating Princess Pingyang's handwriting!

Guo Jie stepped out of the ranks and slammed his scabbard onto the ground. "Your Majesty, the beeswax sealing this wax ball comes from the same furnace as the one stored in the salt carts at Baqiao!"

He split open the broken pieces of the camphorwood box, revealing the inscription of the character "Dou" on the inside. "According to the records of the Shaofu's inspection of the third year of the Jianyuan reign, this box was specially used as an annual gift for the Changle Palace!"

Chief Justice Zhang Tang presented the autopsy slips: "Undigested aconitine was found in the stomach of Wang Meng's body, which matched the batch number of the poison that disappeared from the medicine storehouse of Changle Palace." He unfolded the map of the Baqiao secret passage, and the exit of Bingjingtai marked with cinnabar was facing the Dou family villa.

Wei Guang tore open his prisoner's clothes, revealing the tattoo on his chest, which shone blue in the sunlight. "The cinnabar used in this tattoo was this year's tribute from the Hejian Kingdom."

He pointed at the Pingyang Marquis's housekeeper who was being escorted outside the palace, "The pass talisman found in his sleeve had saltpeter, a unique kind found on the Bingjingtai, on its edge!"

Amid the sound of evening drums, the palace guards' black flags surrounded Changle Palace.

Empress Dowager Dou sat slumped on the jade steps, with the rhinoceros-armored guard's sword resting at her neck.

Guo Jie sheathed his sword, the fifty-ninth cut soaked in blood and salt. It was the last day of autumn in the third year of Jianyuan.

Wei Guang took the detoxification soup ordered by the imperial physician, and there were undissolved salt crystals on the edge of the medicine bowl.

As the setting sun of Baqiao sank into the Wei River, news came from the Tingwei Prison.

The thirty-seven followers of the Dou family involved in the case were all beheaded in the market in accordance with the "Two-Year Law".

In the winter of the third year of Jianyuan, Guo Jie was transferred to be the prefect of Hedong County, in charge of salt and iron affairs.

After Wei Guang recovered from his injury, he took charge of the garrison of Weiyang Palace.

On the day when the secret passage of Bingjingtai was sealed forever, the craftsmen of the Shaofu discovered half a jade scepter in the interlayer of blue bricks. The inside was engraved with the "Five Vermin" pattern. It was broken by the spring thunder in the third year of Jianyuan and shattered by the first rain in Weiyang Palace.

The first day of the first lunar month.

Empress Dowager Dou knelt in the east wing, her fingertips tracing the pattern of her newly made phoenix robe. "Guo Jie has been in Hedong for a long time and is familiar with border affairs. He should be sent as an envoy with imperial seals to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu." She pushed the jade tablet toward Imperial Censor Han Anguo, "We should resume the marriage this year."

The court was in dead silence.

Wei Guang stepped out, holding his sword: "Your Majesty, Guo Jie is the Prince's official, how can this be allowed?"

"Sima Wei is wrong!" Tian Fen, a retainer of the Dou family, interrupted. "Mr. Guo once destroyed the Xiongnu horse market. He is the best person to persuade the Chanyu to stop the war."

A half-roll of silk book slipped out of his sleeve, and it turned out to be a forged marriage letter from the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu.

Yanmen.

Guo Jie stood on the chariot holding the imperial staff, and the bronze talisman shone coldly in the morning light.

Wei Guang rode his horse to Wei Bridge and said: "This is dangerous. The Dou family will definitely collude with the Xiongnu."

"I have my own plans." Guo Jie tossed over the ring-handled scabbard, the sixtieth notch still fresh. "If you haven't returned in ten months, you can open the secret compartment of this scabbard."

After saying this, he whipped the horse and rode westward, and the ruts of his wheel crushed the remaining snow on Baqiao.

Dragon Boat Festival in May.

In the Xiongnu Dragon City tent, Guo Jie presented a lacquer box.

Junchen Shanyu lifted the lid and sneered: "The imperial edict wrapped in salt bricks, the Han family has a good plan!"

Inside the box was a poisoned gold cake, which was exactly the stolen goods hidden by Bingjingtai!
The warriors on both sides rushed forward, and the cowhide ropes cut deep into the bones.

"Han envoy Guo Jie, who smuggled poisoned gold, has been imprisoned in Beihai!"

The Chanyu's golden sword cut the talisman in half, and a wax ball rolled out from the broken end. The secret letter from the Dou family that was intended to treason the enemy had long been replaced with the "Salt and Iron Discussions" written by Wei Guang.

In the autumn of the first year of Yuanshuo, there was frost and snow for ten years.

On the shore of the Beihai Salt Lake, Guo Jie waved a broken talisman to drive away the flock of sheep.

Ten years of wind and frost have corroded the rhinoceros armor, leaving only the "five pests" marks on the jade axe around the waist.

He dipped the brush in brine and wrote "The Customs of the Xiongnu" on his fur coat. The words were then reproduced as the frost and snow melted away.

"Han envoy!" Attila, the herdsman, grabbed him. "King Zuoguli's tribe is making unusual moves and intends to attack Dai County!"

Guo Jie reached for the hidden bone knife, which was made from the bones of animals in the Shanyu Courtyard, and over the past ten years, it had been engraved with the stars outside the Great Wall.

Wei Qing led his army out of Yunzhong, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the sky south of the desert.

Guo Jie burned the sheep pen at night, and the fire illuminated the Beihai Salt Road.

Attila took advantage of the chaos to steal horses: "The Han army has reached Gaoque!"

Guo Jie broke the shackles and grasped the bone knife for the first time in ten years: "Take the Yinshan Ancient Road!"

Clothes are given in September.

Wei Guang was guarding the pass with a crossbow in his hand, and saw the ragged figure in the dust.

Guo Jie raised the mottled talisman, and out of the secret compartment popped a bloody note: "Dou's collusion with the Xiongnu is all in this book!"

"Ten years have passed." Wei Guang tore open Guo Jie's torn fur coat. The tattoo on his back had festered into the Chinese character "Han." "Your Majesty is investigating the remaining members of the Dou clan. Tian Fen was imprisoned yesterday!"

Torches flickered in the court's prison, and Tian Fen's shackles clanged. "Guo Jie has been collaborating with the enemy for ten years. How can his words be trusted?"

Before he finished speaking, the bronze scabbard was thrown into the air, and the sixtieth mark was soaked into the North Sea salt crystal.

"This sheath has been hidden for ten years in the Xiongnu defense."

Guo Jie stepped into the prison gate and traced the bone carvings with his fingertips. "The grazing areas of the twelve tribes of Yinshan are all on this map."

He split open the scabbard, and the parchment map, when heated, revealed a bloody fortress.

(End of this chapter)