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Fei Qian swayed on horseback, reading Jia Qu's letter.
After days of chafing by day and applying medicinal oil by night, the skin on his thighs had toughened, and his body had adapted to the rhythm of the saddle. Long rides were no longer a major issue. Though not yet a peerless warrior capable of charging through armies, his riding skills were now comparable to an average cavalryman.
If in Luoyang he had looked unmistakably like a scholar, he was now shedding that bookish air, leaning toward the demeanor of a military man. Like a blade forged through countless refinements, he was finally taking shape, tempered and sharpened.
The human body is remarkably adaptable. Fei Qian's exposed skin, weathered by days of wind and rain, was turning a bronzed hue. He had grown accustomed to the nearly fifty-jin weight of his armor. Though he still felt exhausted when removing it after setting camp, it was a vast improvement from when he first left Luoyang.
The letter was long, written in small characters across several pages.
Fei Qian nodded as he read—not in agreement or approval, but because the horse's motion made him bob up and down. Han dynasty writing, vertical from top to bottom, seemed suited for reading on horseback. If it were horizontal, one's neck would have to twist side to side while bouncing, demanding far too much coordination.
Jia Qu's letter detailed the events in Anyi, including his collaboration with Deputy Governor Lu Chang, culminating in the extermination of the Zhang family. His tone was calm, neither exaggerating nor concealing, noting that seventy-three members of the Zhang family and three hundred twenty-seven guards were killed. They confiscated 215,000 shi of grain, 1.3 million coins, and various gold and silver items, with half going to Hedong Commandery and half to be transported to Fei Qian starting immediately.
The numbers were meticulous, almost tedious, but they carried a thick stench of blood, lingering in the ink like congealed stains.
This was likely the wealth accumulated by the Zhang family over generations, perhaps dozens, now split in two—one half swallowed by Hedong, the other falling into Fei Qian's hands.
Fei Qian sighed and called over Huang Cheng and Ma Yan, handing them the letter. Making decisions alone might seem cool, like pulling out a strategic brocade pouch, but it did little to develop his subordinates' abilities. Fei Qian hoped his small team would think more, so he could think less.
Huang Cheng wasn't particularly interested in the letter's descriptions. He skimmed it, flipping to the numbers at the end, smacking his lips. "Didn't expect Liangdao to pull this off—quite a haul, and nicely done." Huang Cheng valued results over process. When Fei Qian chose not to return and instead sent a letter entrusting Jia Qu with full authority, Huang Cheng hadn't opposed but had some concerns—after all, Jia Qu was only sixteen. This outcome satisfied him, earning Jia Qu some approval in his eyes.
Fei Qian gave a faint smile.
Nicely done?
Sure, it was nicely done. Later eras would call it a fine job…
The ancients really didn't put much value on human lives…
Ma Yan, however, read carefully, studying the letter thoroughly but still not fully grasping it. Closing the pages and returning them to their envelope, he handed it back to Fei Qian. "My lord, why did Deputy Governor Lu help us?" The Zhang family's wealth was substantial, but for a deputy governor of a large commandery, it was negligible compared to the billions that had passed through his hands. Greed seemed an unlikely motive for Lu Chang's cooperation.
"The Zhang family isn't a major power, yet they dared to step forward…" Fei Qian swayed with the horse's rhythm, as if trying to shake off the blood-soaked words. "If their patriarch was so foolish, they'd have been wiped out long ago…"
"But the Zhang family stepping forward was foolish in itself," Huang Cheng interjected.
Ma Yan was silent for a moment before saying, "Zhang Lu, the Zhang heir, is close with Wei Feng of the Wei family."
Fei Qian nodded. Even without Ma Yan's mention, he'd guessed as much. "…The Zhang family thought they had backing, but in the end, they likely realized they had none…"
"Could it still be Deputy Governor Lu?" Huang Cheng asked.
Fei Qian hummed in acknowledgment. "Liangdao wrote that an Anyi junhou led soldiers with kindling, likely to burn our grain stores. Those soldiers were probably the Wei family's doing, likely without Governor Wang or Deputy Lu's consent. This touched a nerve for Wang and Lu. Lu's ruthless action against the Zhang family was likely their way of expressing displeasure with the Wei family…"
Under Han law, governors couldn't serve in their native regions to prevent local magnates from dominating. Thus, governors and local elites used and opposed each other. If the Wei family used their own guards, it would border on rebellion. Using county soldiers suggested a setup to frame others…
"So, Governor Wang and Deputy Lu lean toward us?" Ma Yan asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. Hedong was a major commandery with ample population and grain. Their support could boost the chances of reclaiming Shangjun, naturally delighting Ma Yan, who longed to return there.
"Perhaps," Fei Qian replied vaguely, unwilling to elaborate.
After all, major players weren't simple. Talk of taking sides was naive. Wang and Lu's cooperation with Jia Qu against the Zhang family wasn't due to favoring Fei Qian but because the Wei family had crossed their interests. The harsh extermination of the Zhang family hit the Wei family just hard enough—not too painfully. Conversely, if the Wei family offered greater benefits someday, Wang and Lu might turn against Fei Qian…
It also showed that Wang and Lu didn't yet dare confront the Wei family directly.
But one question lingered: why was the Wei family so persistent in this matter?
Did they stand to gain something?
"I've always wondered why the Wei family opposed us from the start, even using the Zhang family and soldiers to destroy our grain stores and supply lines," Fei Qian mused, as if asking himself and Huang Cheng and Ma Yan.
Neither could provide an answer, as they didn't fully understand either.
But questions, like journeys, eventually find their end.
As the long convoy rounded a mountain pass, the Xinshui River came into view. The front soldiers let out low cheers, which reached Fei Qian, Huang Cheng, and Ma Yan. Their destination, the Beiqu camp built by Du Yuan, was finally in sight…