Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop!
Beneath the afterglow of the setting sun, a dense succession of heavy hoofbeats rang out. A group of knights clad head to toe in heavy armor escorted four lavishly decorated carriages as they raced toward the city from the east.
"They mean trouble."
On the vast, ancient city wall, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a blue robe let out a long sigh. His black beard stirred in the wind.
In his line of sight were three hundred iron riders racing toward the city after the setting sun. Their gleaming armor flashed beneath the sunset, making him narrow his eyes slightly.
"My lord, I am Zheng Lun. They have only three hundred cavalry. Give me three charges with my troops, and I'll capture every last one of them!"
Beside the middle-aged man stood a coarse-looking burly fellow in his thirties. His thick facial hair grew wildly, and his wide, glaring eyes made him look even more fierce and rash.
This man was Zheng Lun. He had studied under True Man Du E and was a fellow disciple of Li Jing. He now served under Marquis of Jizhou Su Hu as the chief grain-supervising general.
If that name meant nothing to you, then surely you had heard his other title. Of the "Heng-Ha" Generals, he was General Heng.
At that moment, he gripped two Demon Subduing Pestles and was eager to act. He was only waiting for his lord, Marquis of Jizhou Su Hu, to give the order before leading troops out of the city to slaughter the intruders.
"This isn't something that can be resolved with a single battle."
Su Hu waved his hand, signaling Zheng Lun to remain calm.
The visitors had arrived with tremendous momentum, and he had naturally received intelligence about them long ago. It was precisely because of that that he was so troubled.
Fengming Qishan had declared that Western Qi would rise, yet the phoenix that had cried out had been shot down from Chaoge by a single arrow from Di Xin. On top of that, rumors had recently spread that Di Xin had gained an enormous opportunity. For a time, several hundred feudal lords forcibly suppressed their restless hearts, waiting to see how matters would develop.
But when a tree wished for stillness, the wind would not cease. Why had Di Xin's favorite minister come to his Jizhou City at this particular moment?
Was he here to intimidate Su Hu, or to win him over? Or was there some other reason?
"Zheng Lun."
"I'm here!"
"Let them in. Don't stop them."
"My lord, you mean—"
"If they ask for me, tell them I'm not in the city. Say I went hunting."
"Yes, my lord!"
After instructing Zheng Lun, Su Hu turned and descended from the city wall, heading straight back to his marquis's residence.
Zheng Lun stood atop the city wall with both pestles in his arms, quietly waiting for the unwelcome guests to arrive.
—Hee-haw!
"Whoa!"
Beneath the city wall, the leading officer dismounted and jogged to the second carriage.
"Master Fee Zhong, we've arrived at Jizhou City."
The carriage curtain lifted at once, revealing an interior of incomparable luxury. Snow-bear fur from the far north covered the floor, red bird feathers from the far south served as fuel, and white jade elephant bone from the far west formed the bed. Those three items alone kept the carriage as warm as spring throughout the year, to say nothing of the other delicate decorations. Every single one was worth a fortune, displaying the utmost extravagance.
Why had Fee Zhong spent all these years as a treacherous minister? Wasn't it so that he could indulge himself to his heart's content?
"We're here already? We've been traveling for nearly a month. My bones have gone soft."
Fee Zhong poked his head out and looked at the three weathered characters on the city wall. His gaze followed the city gate downward, only to find the area deserted, with no sign whatsoever of anyone coming to welcome him.
"I've heard that Marquis of Jizhou Su Hu has a fierce character and a fiery temper. It seems the rumors are true."
"My lord, shall I go?"
"No. It's late today. Go to the courier station and get a good rest."
Fee Zhong casually tossed out a night-luminescent pearl before returning to the carriage.
"Take the brothers out for a good meal. We're all working for the Great King. We can't make things difficult for ourselves."
"Thank you for the reward, my lord."
The officer quietly thanked him for the reward and turned to mount his warhorse.
"Enter the city!"
On the city wall, Zheng Lun tightened his grip on the Demon Subduing Pestle but did not move a muscle. Only after the three hundred iron riders had surrounded the four carriages and entered the city did he descend from the wall.
"Close the gates!"
"Yes!"
—Creak! Clang!
Inside the marquis's residence.
Su Hu sat in his study, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Father, that Fee Zhong has taken up residence at the courier station."
Su Quanzhong pushed open the door and spoke before he had even come to a stop, revealing how impatient he was by nature.
"Fee Zhong is Di Xin's most favored minister. He relied on flattery and currying favor with Di Xin to receive the title of Lower Grand Master. But we must not underestimate him because of that. People like him are often even harder to deal with, and they are more likely to return and fan the flames, damaging our Su family's reputation. Now he has brought Di Xin's personal guards to our Jizhou. I fear this is a disaster rather than a blessing."
Su Hu's expression was grave. He had assumed Fee Zhong would come directly to the marquis's residence, but instead Fee Zhong had gone straight to the courier station.
That move had indeed caught him off guard.
"Father, people like Fee Zhong are timid. Why don't I tie him up tonight and frighten him into revealing why Di Xin sent him here? Then we can decide how to respond."
Su Quanzhong slapped his forehead and offered his own "peerless brilliant plan." He was looking smug when a single look from Su Hu brought him back down to earth.
"Father, why are you looking at me like that?"
"How did I give birth to an idiot like you?"
Su Hu spoke with exasperation.
"If something happens to Fee Zhong in Jizhou City, no matter who did it, our Su family will be unable to escape responsibility. And you still want to take the initiative and tie him up? Are you afraid we don't have enough trouble already?"
"Father, then what should we do?"
Su Quanzhong shrank his head back and grumbled inwardly: My sister is so beautiful. She can't possibly be your biological child, can she?
"What should we do? Wait!"
"Wait?"
"Wait!"
Inside the courier station.
Hearing the commotion outside, Fee Zhong smiled knowingly. Spending a little money in exchange for a guarantee of his safety was well worth it.
"Daji, Su Daji. I never expected the woman the Great King dreamed of to be Su Hu's daughter. Since Su Hu is the Imperial Father-in-law, I certainly can't offend him this time.
"But, Great King, do you merely want a beauty? There are only two people in the palace who hold the title of Imperial Consort. This Su Daji is truly overflowing with noble bearing."
Just like Su Hu, Fee Zhong did not believe that Di Xin had sent him all the way here merely for a woman.
He might have believed it if it had been the old Di Xin. But the current Di Xin was decisive and forceful. He acted swiftly, planned three steps ahead with every move, and always achieved what he plotted. Fee Zhong could not help but think more deeply about it.
As a treacherous minister, if he could not guess what the ruler was thinking, then death would not be far away.
"Marquis of Jizhou Su Hu and Marquis of the West Ji Chang are close personal friends. The Great King's move is probably meant to win Su Hu over and make him turn against Ji Chang.
"Or perhaps he intends to kill two birds with one stone. Once the two of them have fought each other to mutual destruction, the Great King can strike and sweep away these two powerful marquises with the force of thunder, intimidating every direction.
"He has gathered extraordinary people and recalled Grand Tutor Wen. Is the Great King preparing to free his hands and deal with the eight hundred feudal lords?
"No wonder the Great King values this matter so highly. He likely intends to use accepting a consort as a pretext to unify the world in truth!
"Heh heh. If that is really the case, then the day I, Fee Zhong, rise to great prominence is surely just around the corner."
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