White Horse, Silver Spear, Grand Commandant Gao

Gao Huaide took off his specially made parrot-green robe, changed into a light white shirt, wrapped a mink coat around his neck to keep warm, and called Lu Qian and Fu An, excitedly preparing to go out and have some fun.

Although the position of the Commander-in-Chief of the Yamen was not fixed, it was generally between the sixth and seventh rank. According to regulations, he should wear a green robe, but he just didn't like this dark green color.

"Young master, it's getting late. Curfew will be in a little over an hour. Getting caught by the Imperial Guards on patrol will be a real problem. The capital isn't like Yanzhou, where you can just call out and get someone released."

Lu Qian poured cold water on the idea: "How about we just take a walk around the neighborhood?"

Seeing Gao Huaide's unpleasant expression, Lu Qian coaxed him gently, "The Lantern Festival is just around the corner after the New Year. The curfew will be lifted on the 14th, 15th, and 16th nights, so you'll be able to have a good stroll around, young master."

"Who knows if Father will be alive by then."

Although Gao Huaide was unhappy, he couldn't help but believe that what Lu Qian said was true. He comforted himself that there was no rush, as it was only his first day in the capital and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Let's just stroll around the neighborhood today.

The length and width of a neighborhood are both one li, hence the name. It can be quite a large area.

Gao Huaide quickly looked around and found a restaurant that looked quite exquisite.

Seeing an empty seat by the window, he naturally went to sit there, as he was used to reserving the best seats for himself.

"Sir, please sit here. That seat is reserved for Young Master Song. Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon."

The waiter was humble, but his words revealed differences in kinship and social status.

Clearly, in his eyes, Gao Huaide's status was far less important than that of some young master Song.

Gao Huaide had never been treated with such contempt in Shuozhou and Yanzhou. However, his father had just told him not to cause trouble, so he suppressed his temper as a young master, smiled, and sat back down in the seat the waiter pointed to.

"Let's see what kind of person Young Master Song is."

Speak of the devil, and he appears! The innkeeper downstairs called out, "Young Master Song is here! Hurry up and invite him to take a seat!"

Upon hearing this, the waiter, without even bothering to call Gao Huaide to order, abandoned the three of them and ran downstairs.

Before long, he led a young nobleman upstairs.

Gao Huaide stared intently at the man. He was about the same age as himself, around ten years old. His face still had a childlike innocence, but he exuded a calm temperament beyond his age, clearly indicating that he came from a prestigious family.

Young Master Song wore a brocade robe, with silver thread embroidered with delicate cloud patterns on the collar and cuffs. Three attendants followed behind him in a triangular formation, standing motionless with their hands at their sides.

"Tsk tsk, what grand rules."

Gao Huaide curled his lip, turned to Lu and Fu, and said, "As expected of people from the capital. Look, you two have been outdone."

He deliberately spoke loudly, but Young Master Song ignored him, and his attendants remained motionless, pretending not to hear.

"Crispy fried meatballs".

"Alright, one order of crispy fried meatballs!"

Just as Song Xiaolangjun started ordering, a strange shout rang out: "Give me one too!"

"Sliced ​​meat in broth."

Me too.

After ordering two dishes, Song Xiaolangjun smiled slightly when he saw someone imitating him: "Just order the rest as usual, a few dishes at random."

Now Gao Huaide couldn't follow suit and plan how to cause trouble next, preventing this pretentious guy from having a proper meal.

Before he could make up his mind, as the waiter went to serve the dishes, Young Master Song asked, "Brother, are you from another town?"

How did you know that?

Young Master Song's calm tone carried a hint of pride: "If we're talking about locals, who wouldn't recognize me, Song Yanwo?" (Note 1)

"Wow, what a prestigious title."

Gao Huaide felt looked down upon and sneered, "It's a pity I didn't know that. If you're so capable, tell me about your family background."

"How dare you!"

One of the attendants, seeing that Gao Huaide was dressed in the clothes of an ordinary person, assumed he was the son of a wealthy merchant and sternly rebuked him.

"My young master is of noble birth, the grandson of the military governor of Tiande Army, Lord Song, and the son of Princess Yining and the inspector of Sishui Pass, the imperial son-in-law. Your words are rude; you should apologize immediately!"

"Does the Tiande Army still exist?"

Lu Qian chuckled and said loudly, "It can only be the Yingtian Army under the jurisdiction of the Khitan Southwest Route Pacification Commission, right?"

The three attendants of the Song family changed color in anger. The other party was deliberately provoking them. This was a taboo topic that the princess had explicitly forbidden to mention. Song Yanwo also stood up.

Gao Huaide thought he was about to make a move, so he jumped up and rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

Just when it seemed an inevitable conflict was brewing, Song Yanwo unexpectedly clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.

"Since you are familiar with the stories of the North, I imagine you are also from an official family. If you don't mind, would you like to join me at the same table for a chat?"

Gao Huaide had already gotten into a fighting stance, but now his clenched fist couldn't be thrown, so he could only awkwardly scratch his head.

"Young master, the princess forbids you from associating with idle people..."

"My mother issued a ban after that case came to light a few months ago, so don't make a big deal out of it."

Song Yanwo raised his voice and asked, "Brother, could you please state your name?"

Gao Huaide didn't know what case he was talking about, so he just gave his name; who was afraid of whom? However, he was unwilling to use his father's name and only mentioned his own title.

"Gao Huaide, Commander of the Zhangwu Military Headquarters!"

"So he's from a military family."

Song Yanwo nodded: "Please come over and have a chat."

When the waiter brought the dishes up, he saw Gao Huaide and Song Xiaolangjun sitting at the same table, seemingly having a pleasant conversation. His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly set down the dishes and went downstairs to discuss the matter with the manager.

"A few months ago, a murderer appeared in Xing Tang Prefecture, causing quite a stir."

Song Yanwo picked up the pot and poured Gao Huaide a cup of ginger and pear soup: "It's cold in winter, have a hot drink to warm yourself up."

"Liu Yanhao, the garrison commander of Yedu, reported that Chen Yansi, a bandit, had been brought to Bianzhou. This bandit claimed that his father was the governor of Shizhou and falsely claimed to be the chief clerk."

Gao Huaide had just said that he was the commander of the yamen when Song Yanwo said that the murderer was impersonating the son of the governor. Song Yanwo felt that the words carried a hint of suspicion and sarcasm, but he was unable to find any concrete evidence and could not immediately turn against him.

"Chen Yansi and his brother-in-law Li Hantang, dressed in fine clothes and carriages, made a living by drinking and gambling. Wherever they went, they befriended those who had money and valuables. They then gradually had their wives and sisters seduce them to their residences and then murder them."

Gao Huaide thought to himself that if it were him, he wouldn't be able to seduce her with his body, but if he were tricked into gambling or watching a play, he might fall for it. But what did this case have to do with the man surnamed Song?

"My father once served as the prefect of Shizhou. I have never heard of any prefect with the surname Chen. The thief dares to impersonate him. He is truly courting death."

Song Yanwo calmly recounted the case: "This thief lived in Weizhou last winter and killed more than one person in a single day. Fearing that the news would spread, he moved his family to Bianzhou. However, his accomplice revealed the truth after drinking, and he was arrested and interrogated, only to find out that it was a massive bloodbath."

Upon hearing the words "massive bloodbath," Gao Huaide couldn't help but think of Bai Wenshen. Now that autumn had passed, Bai Wenshen should have already been executed.

"The officials exhumed the bodies in his room and found dozens of corpses. He had only been in Weizhou for a little over a month last winter, and he had killed more than forty people, bringing the total number of dead to over one hundred."

Gao Huaide never expected that Bai Wenshen's killing of more than ten people in the county was nothing compared to the murder case that Song Yanwo had described. It was completely overshadowed.

But what happened next was even more shocking.

"Chen Yansi, Li Hantang, and their mother, wife, and sister were all sentenced to be executed in the marketplace."

Song Yanwo shook his head repeatedly: "The mother of the thief was captured in Shizhou. On the day of his execution, his mother spat in his face and scolded Chen Yansi, not cursing him for his many evil deeds that led to the execution of his entire family."

Gao Huaide's curiosity was piqued, and he asked Chen's mother what she had scolded her son for.

"Chen's mother scolded: 'Your father killed hundreds of people and died peacefully under the window; your unworthy son has only killed a little over a hundred people, yet he has brought ruin to the family.'"

At this moment, Gao Huaide truly felt that what was happening now was not a peaceful world, but a chaotic world where human life was as worthless as grass.

……

"Have you become acquainted with Princess Yining's son?"

When his son told him about it, Gao Xingzhou wasn't too surprised: "We live in the same neighborhood, so it's fate that we met by chance."

"The Tiande Army and the Zhenwu Army have a close relationship, both having split off from the Shuofang Army. The Tiande Army is stationed in the western Shoujiang City, while the Zhenwu Army is stationed in the eastern Shoujiang City, guarding the two locations at the top of the Yellow River."

Gao Huaide was puzzled. He had lived in Shuozhou when he was a child. How did the Zhenwu Army end up in Dongshoujiang City, which was hundreds of miles away?

"About twenty years ago, Yelü Abaoji of the Khitan mobilized the entire nation, leading an army of 300,000 to launch a fierce attack on Zhenwu Army. Li Siben, the military governor, was one of Li Keyong's thirteen protectors, and he defended the city for days. The Khitan used a railway tunnel system to launch a rapid attack day and night. The city had few soldiers and its defenses were exhausted. The city fell, and Li Siben and his entire clan surrendered to the Khitan. Of his eight sons, four were captured by the Khitan. Later, Zhenwu Army was re-established, and its headquarters were set up in Shuozhou." (Note 2)

"Years later, the Khitans launched another attack on Tiande Army. Song Yanwo's grandfather, Song Yao, knowing that his troops were outnumbered, feigned surrender and planned to rebel after the enemy withdrew. Unfortunately..."

Gao Xingzhou sighed, "Unexpectedly, the Khitan launched a counterattack, capturing the city in a single day. Song Yao was captured, his family was taken prisoner, and his people were all exiled south of the Yin Mountains." (Note 3)

"The Khitan took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to gradually erode our territory, eventually becoming the great threat we face today. It wasn't until the late emperor ascended the throne, our nation's strength gradually increased, and Yelü Abaoji died, that the momentum of their invasion was halted, and we had a few years of relative peace. Now..."

Gao Xingzhou did not continue speaking.

After seven years of rule by Li Siyuan, a semblance of peace was restored. However, the rise of the nation was interrupted by the conflict between his adopted son and his biological son, and signs of decline began to emerge.

"Hopefully, India can stabilize the situation. He's not that old, and with Feng Dao's assistance, another five years—no, just three—would be enough to resolve most of the problems. After all, people crave stability."

Gao Xingzhou remained optimistic, believing that nothing should happen in the next year or two.

Upon hearing Gao Huaide mention the major murder case, his hand, which was stroking his beard, immediately froze in mid-air.

"No wonder the imperial court issued an edict at the end of June: theft will be punished regardless of the amount of stolen goods, and arson and robbery will be punished with the most severe penalties."

Gao Xingzhou muttered to himself, "The people are not afraid of death, so why threaten them with death? Once the struggle for survival becomes a luxury, harsh laws and severe punishments lose their deterrent effect. Ah San, you're getting a little impatient."

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Place Name Comparison

Shizhou: present-day Lishi District, Lüliang City, Shanxi Province

Xishoujiang City: present-day Hangjinhou Banner, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Dongshoujiang City: South of present-day Tuoketuo County, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region