Early the next morning, the fourteen-person group left Chang'an City. People leaving the city were generally not checked, so Big Dog and his group, disguised as merchants and carrying weapons, encountered no resistance when they left the city gates. The group drove away in carriages, leaving behind the ten men left in Chang'an by Prince Zhong, plus Big Dog, Qilin, Tie Nu, and Ye Xiao.
This time, Fang Jie only had Shen Qingshan by his side, and the absence of Big Dog made it feel particularly lonely. Back in the shop, Fang Jie didn't want to go out again.
"Hopefully, Big Dog and the others won't encounter any too strong opponents this time."
Fang Jie sighed, still feeling uncertain. He didn't know much about Chun Gu's ten people, so he wasn't sure if their fourteen-person strength could protect Wu Yinyu. Wu Yinyu was at the Yi Qi Temple on Qing Le Mountain, and now that he thought about it, it wasn't entirely safe. Those Taoist priests wouldn't specifically look after a young girl, and if assassins disguised themselves as tourists and went up the mountain, it would be impossible to guard against them.
"Master Cripple said those ten are very strong,"
Shen Qingshan comforted Fang Jie.
Fang Jie nodded: "That's all I can do for now. I still have too few people around me. It seems I really need to keep an eye out for useful people in secret. Having more helpers is ultimately necessary. There are a few suitable people in the Martial Arts Academy, but they can't help me much for at least two years. So, if I want to find manpower, it's better to search in the martial world. Jingji Province has the fewest martial artists, and of course, the most powerful cultivators. But which of those powerful cultivators would be willing to follow me?"
Shen Qingshan raised her chin: "I am a powerful cultivator now."
Fang Jie chuckled at her words and pulled her hand to sit on his lap. Holding Shen Qingshan's slender waist, inhaling her faint fragrance, Fang Jie buried his head in her chest and murmured, "Actually, I should be content now, shouldn't I?"
"Contentment breeds laziness."
Shen Qingshan smiled slightly, "That's what you said."
Fang Jie shook his head: "If only I didn't have to get involved in so many things, I could just get promoted and make money peacefully."
Shen Qingshan's fingers gently brushed across Fang Jie's cheek: "Getting promoted and making money peacefully is like a pipe dream. Those high-ranking officials in the court, they seem so glamorous, but who doesn't have worries behind the scenes? Sometimes they have to take sides, they have to make statements, but actually..." Some people don't want to offend anyone; they all harbor the thought of quietly getting promoted and making a fortune.
"That's certainly a bit too extravagant."
Fang Jie suddenly thought of a question: "You haven't told me yet what your sect was called, or where it was located?"
"The largest mountain range in Southern Yan is called Moshan, and my sect was on Moshan. It was called Huachi Garden, and it was entirely populated by women. It's said that the founder of the sect was a concubine from the Shang Kingdom. After being banished to the cold palace by the emperor, she spent her days reading and writing. Later, because she read so many books, she even began to ponder how great cultivators were described in these classic texts. Thus, after being confined in the cold palace for sixteen years, she remained without a teacher." "Her cultivation level is quite high."
"Sixteen years later, she escaped from the Cold Palace. Along the way, she intervened to help those in need, rescuing seven women, whom she then took as her disciples. On Mount Mo, the eight of them built a wooden house themselves. Because there was a pond not far from their dwelling, she named the place Hua Chi (Flower Pond). Later, as the number of disciples in the sect increased, the name Hua Chi Yuan gradually became well-known in Southern Yan."
"However, within Southern Yan, there is another sect, also entirely composed of women, that is more powerful than Hua Chi Yuan. Since that mysterious man severely injured my master and several elders in the sect, Hua Chi Yuan has likely lost its former glory. The other sect, entirely composed of women..." "The sect is called the Misty Palace."
"She's quite an extraordinary woman."
Fang Jie sighed, "Zhuo Buyi meditated for ten years in a fortified palace, finally understanding the concept of 'drawing a circle on the ground as a prison.' Your sect's founder studied for sixteen years in a cold palace, ultimately becoming a great cultivator. However, I'm not the type to settle down in one place. If I were confined to one place for ten years, I'm afraid I'd probably become a fool."
Shen Qingshan shook her head: "No one can be certain about things they haven't experienced. Besides, I've always believed that even if everyone in the world lived in hardship, you would definitely be the one who finds a way to thrive."
"My wife values me so much; I'm deeply grateful."
Fang Jie teased.
"It's because you're shameless enough, shameless enough."
Shen Qingshan explained seriously. Fang Jie curled his lip and patted her on the bottom: "Tell me, if something really happens to Marquis Sanjin, and I go to Crippled Master for help, will he lend a hand? You two ninth-rank masters, who knows how much of a chance he has of rescuing him from Chang'an? As long as he doesn't die, that's fine. As for the trade that circulates throughout the world… nine times out of ten, it's hopeless."
"Fang Jie, don't you think the Emperor is a very obsessive person?"
Shen Qingshan asked.
"I think so."
Fang Jie nodded: "From the beginning, I felt he was a terrifyingly obsessive person, especially later, knowing what he did for this campaign in the Northwest, I found him even more terrifying. The responsibility of expanding the territory that every emperor of the Sui Dynasty had is his obsession. This is a good thing, and a bad thing. Fortunately, the Emperor isn't someone who acts recklessly for his own desires. He's been preparing for this war for over a decade, and who knows how many years this war will last?"
"You don't think the Sui Dynasty can win?"
Shen Qingshan asked, frowning. "Victory?"
Fang Jie slowly shook his head. "If I were a true Sui citizen, if I hadn't spent those three years in Fangu, perhaps I would have been as certain as the common people that the Sui Dynasty would win. But because I know a bit about the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and about Buddhism, I always feel that this war won't be won so easily. Even if we win, perhaps... it will be a Pyrrhic victory."
Shen Qingshan remained silent, wondering if becoming emperor, expanding territory, and leaving a mark on history was really that important.
...
...
Northwest Grasslands.
General Li Yuanshan personally led nearly 20,000 cavalry in pursuit of the remnants of the Mandu Banner army. The Mandu Banner forces retreated in disarray, all the way to Tumu Fortress. This was the second largest city in the Mandu Banner, second only to Zhicheng. However, it wasn't actually very large, because the Mongol Yuan Dynasty never had the habit of building large cities. Tumu Fortress was right next to the Keqin Banner, and less than twenty li to the west was the camp of nearly 60,000 iron cavalry personally led by the Keqin Banner chief, Keqin Lelang.
Perhaps Keqin Lelang is now regretting not sending troops to help Mandulatu. He truly hasn't expected the Sui army's offensive to be so fierce, and the warlike Mandulatu to be defeated so easily. The Mandu Banner is finished; its leader, Mandulatu, and his son, Mandutele, are both dead. The eldest son in the royal court is now as lonely as a wild goose separated from its flock.
The struggles on the grasslands are inherently cruel. While the extermination of a clan is a disgrace to the Mongol Yuan dynasty, no one is willing to help the Mandu Banner rise again.
Manduyong may have returned with the royal army, but by the time he arrived, his clan's pastures had become enemy territory.
The reinforcements sent by the royal court camped about thirty li from the Keqin Banner forces. This time, they were led by Tegin Koktai Monglie, the younger brother of Möngke Khan, who led 200,000 troops from the royal court to arrive first. When they left the royal court, the second batch of reinforcements was already gathering, arriving at the easternmost edge of the grasslands no later than them, probably no later than a month later.
The Sui army swept through Manduqi, occupying most of its territory. After a westward advance of 1,700 li (approximately 850 kilometers), the 700,000-strong Sui army began constructing a defensive line. Before the Emperor's decree arrived, the primary task of the western expeditionary army was to hold onto the nearly 2,000 li (approximately 1,300 kilometers) of newly conquered grasslands.
For the Sui Dynasty, this was more than just a number.
The Sui Dynasty was desperately short of warhorses, while the Mongol Yuan Dynasty possessed the world's largest stock of warhorses. With these 2,000 li of grasslands, the Sui Dynasty could establish its own horse farms and train its own cavalry. If it could hold Manduqi, within ten years, the Sui Dynasty would possess a powerful cavalry force. At that time, in terms of strength, the Sui Dynasty would hold the advantage over the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.
The reason why neither the Sui Dynasty nor the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was willing to easily go to war before was because neither monarch was confident of winning. The Sui infantry could not possibly penetrate thousands of li (approximately 1,600 kilometers) into the grasslands, and the Mongol Yuan cavalry could not possibly conquer the Sui Dynasty's numerous, densely packed cities.
But now, the balance seemed to be tilting.
If the Sui Dynasty could hold onto its gains, its cavalry would grow stronger, giving them the power to further conquer westward.
Tumu Fortress was a small city built on an earthen hill, originally home to fewer than four thousand herders and a thousand or so cavalry. With the arrival of Mandulang's defeated troops, the already small city became even more crowded. Approximately eight thousand men were crammed into this earthen fortress, and food and weapons were their primary concerns.
Because the western side of Tumu Fortress bordered the territory of the Keqin Banner, the Sui army only surrounded it on the south, northeast, and southwest sides. The Sui army was unwilling to easily place a force caught between the Mongols and Yuan forces; the terrain was unsuitable for a four-sided encirclement.
Mandulang stood on the western side of the earthen fortress, his brow furrowed as he looked at the distant, faintly visible Keqin Banner army camp. Keqin Lelang, that old fox, refused to advance any further, fearing a Sui surprise attack and wanting to preserve his strength. But if no reinforcements arrived, this small Tumu Fortress certainly wouldn't hold out for long. He killed Mandulatu to avenge his father and reclaim what was rightfully his. But he hadn't expected the royal reinforcements to remain stationary forty or fifty miles away. That despicable fellow, Koktai Menglie, certainly had no good intentions.
Just as he was pondering this, a troop of men suddenly galloped towards him from the west. They appeared to be few in number, perhaps seventy or eighty riders. Upon closer inspection, it became clear they were carrying the banners of the Mandu Banner.
The seventy or eighty riders reached the outside of Tumu Fortress, and the leader shouted, "I am Mandu Yong! The Mandu Banner warriors guarding the city, open the gates and welcome your new banner lord into the city!"
Hearing this, Mandu Lang's brow furrowed even deeper.
"General, please open the gates! It really is the young banner lord who has returned!"
A centurion shouted excitedly.
Mandulang's eyes sharpened, and he nodded to Agudamu. Agudamu understood and led his personal guards down from the earthen city wall.
"Welcome back, my banner lord!"
Mandulang shouted from the city wall.
The city gate creaked open, and Manduyong, with seventy or eighty personal guards, surged through. Looking at the herdsmen and soldiers surrounding him, Manduyong felt a pang of sorrow, almost to the point of tears. Just as he was about to speak, a wolf-tooth arrow pierced his mouth, the bloody arrowhead emerging from the back of his head, speckled with white brain matter.
In an instant, hundreds of wolf-tooth arrows rained down, felling the seventy or eighty personal guards before they could react.
This sudden turn of events startled everyone. They looked at Mandulang standing on the city wall, their eyes filled with fear and anger. Mandu Wolf laughed loudly, scanning the crowd below and shouting, "Now, is there anyone who objects to my succession as the banner chief of the Mandu Banner? If so, you may step forward and speak."
Agudam stood there with hundreds of his personal guards, bows and arrows in hand. The previously angry crowd began to shrink back. Mandu Yong was dead; what could they do? Avenge Mandu Yong? They didn't have the courage. The herdsmen dared not, and the soldiers dared not. The strict hierarchy filled them with fear of the Mandu family, and now… only Mandu Wolf remained of the Mandu family.
"Children, bury him. Now we should think about how to repel the Sui people."
Mandu Wolf smiled, his expression as calm as if he had just slaughtered a flock of sheep.