Chapter 26: Slaughter

  Leaning against the carriage compartment, Fang Xiang was resting with his eyes closed and his legs stretched out, looking rather comfortable. The big dog sat on one side, driving the carriage, occasionally taking a piece of stewed dog meat from a paper package beside him to eat. This large package of stewed dog meat, as well as several dozen dog meat buns wrapped in the compartment, were all made by Du Honglian, the wife of Yunji's boss, especially for Fang Xiang. She had been holding them in her hand that night, intending to give them to Fang Xiang as dry rations for his journey, but who would have thought that Fang Xiang was injured and rested for several days before setting out.

  But this place's cold weather also doesn't have to worry about the food going bad, put it on the heater and warm it up, immediately fragrant.

  Fang Jie's carriage was at the end of the convoy, and in the seven carriages ahead were all beautiful young ladies with red sleeves. The first carriage was the guard of Hong Xiu, the second carriage was Xi Dainiang and Xi Chui Xin, and the driver was Old Lame Man.

  "At this speed, it will probably take four months to get to Chang'an."

  Fang Jie, who had been pretending to sleep with his eyes closed, suddenly said a sentence in a somewhat helpless tone.

  "You won't fail your exam."

  The big dog was gnawing on a piece of dried meat, which had gone cold and was quite hard to chew: "The examination at the Martial Arts Institute is at the end of June. It's only just past New Year's now, so even if we leave in five months' time, we won't be late. The Grand Marshal's Martial Arts Institute holds an examination once every three years, and they start selecting candidates one year in advance. That's because the Grand Marshal is too big - for example, candidates from Yong Prefecture in the far south have to set out a whole year in advance, and it takes them at least six or seven months to get here."

  "I'm always afraid of being delayed and having to run around to the Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Justice, I don't know if they will give me a hard time."

  Fang Jie said with some worry, "I've heard that the officials in the Imperial Capital are all so arrogant, looking down on people from outside the capital as if they're inferior. It's as if the world of Great Sui is divided into two parts: one part is the Imperial Capital, lofty and unattainable; the other part is everywhere else, equally lowly and looked down upon."

  "Listen, you're a military candidate, the Ministry of War won't make things difficult for you. The Martial Arts Academy recruits 50% from the military and 50% from civilians, the Ministry of War would be delighted if all military candidates passed smoothly, otherwise they'd lose face if civilians stole the show. Besides, it's been decades since Fang Guicheng produced someone like you, are they going to reject you without even taking the exam? And let's not forget, we have silver in our hands, at worst we can just send a 100-tael red envelope to each department."

  "Pshaw!"

  Fang Jie smiled and said: "Do you think the officials in the capital are country bumpkins who have never seen the world? You think 100 taels of silver can buy them off?"

  "How much more silver will it take?"

  Fang Jie thought for a moment and said: "It's at least three hundred taels."

  The big dog suddenly became furious and couldn't help but curse: "Do you want to drink human blood?"

  Two country bumpkins who had never seen the prosperity of the great Sui dynasty's capital, quarreled over 300 taels or 100 taels, their faces red with excitement. Mu Xiaoyao, who was sleeping in the carriage, turned over impatiently and thought to herself, "It's just silver, what's the big deal? Just stuff it all in and steal it back at night, what's the harm?"

  Never seen the world...

  "After arriving in the Imperial Capital, you must address me as Young Master."

  Fang Jie opened his eyes, looked at the floating clouds in the sky and said seriously: "I also need to think of a character with some deeper meaning. Jue Xiao, Jue Xiao... The one I thought of before is too common. I still need to think of a more elegant name. Da Quan, can you help me think... Forget it, from your name, I know you won't be able to help much."

  The big dog smiled and didn't answer.

  After thinking for a while, Fang Jie couldn't think of a good name either, so he lifted the curtain and got into the carriage. Seeing Xiao Yao sleeping, he sat down and shook her arm, asking: "Xiao Yao sister, I want a courtesy name."

  Mei Xiao Yao suddenly woke up with a start, sat up straight and stared at Fang Jie, saying: "...... You want a prostitute? I said... Can't walk together with Hongxiu's people!"

  "What's the big deal?"

  It doesn't matter if it's understood or not.

  "Do you want a prostitute? Can't you go to the front carriage yourself? What are you coming in here to tell me? You have at least several tens of thousands of taels of silver in your package. Even if the most expensive courtesan is worth that much, spending tens of thousands of taels can't even buy one prostitute! Don't bother me! I want to sleep!"

  Fang Jie Yun said with a puzzled expression: "I just want a courtesy name, why are you so angry?"

  "Go wherever you want! Stop bothering me!"

  "Let me go spend money on buying a watch... how tacky?"

  Fang Jie muttered to himself and turned around to leave. Behind him, Xiao Yao's waist was angry: "You don't even pay for the prostitute, do you still want to get it for free?!"

  He was always thinking about the courtesy name and style name in his mind, but he didn't expect that Mu Xiaoyao would misunderstand. Thinking about it later, even when he arrived at the Imperial Capital, he couldn't appear too rustic, so these courtesy names and style names had to be more elegant. Although he had memories of two lifetimes, he was completely unfamiliar with this strange world. He didn't even know that the courtesy name in this world was different from what he knew in history. In this world, only fathers could give their children courtesy names, not even teachers had this qualification.

  "Never mind, it seems like you've already enlisted, and even if you want to change your mind, it's too late."

  He sighed and asked the big dog beside him: "How is my self-proclaimed title 'West Slope Hermit'?"

  "Why is it called Xipo?"

  "There's a famous person named Dongpo. Moreover, we indeed came from the west, didn't we? The Wolf's Milk Mountain Range to the west of Fan'er City, in my opinion, is just an earthen slope. Coming from the earthen slope on the west side of Great Sui, being called 'West Slope Hermit' also fits."

  "You're suspected of plagiarism!"

  "Plagiarism...... He's East Slope and I'm West Slope, so it's plagiarism?"

  "What if not?"

  ……

  ……

  Fan Gu

  On the fourth day after Fang Xian's departure, a team of about 200 elite cavalrymen rushed to the east gate of Fan Gufu along the official road. Although the armor on these cavalrymen was covered with dust, it could still be seen that they were made extremely fine. They were not leather armor, but real chain armor. Not only chain armor, but also a layer of iron armor that was not too thick but extremely strong inside the chain armor. This set of armor weighed at least 60-70 kilograms.

  The knights on horseback were mostly sturdy and robust, which can be seen that the war horses under them were not ordinary objects. Those knights were strong and tall, with a weight of no less than 150 kilograms each. Adding such heavy armor, weapons, luggage, clothing, if it weren't for good horses, they couldn't run at all with such a heavy load!

  Heavy armor, broadsword, iron helmet, red cloak.

  Under the golden yellow embroidered dragon war flag that shone in the sunlight, this cavalry team looked particularly majestic and solemn. Although there were not many people, they had a kind of magnificent atmosphere like thousands of troops and horses.

  It's already not easy to see a purely cavalry corps in the Great Sui, and it's even more difficult to see such an elite heavy cavalry. Due to the Mongol Empire's blockade, not only are the tribes on the grasslands not allowed to sell warhorses to the Great Sui, but even the small countries in the Western Regions cannot have a single warhorse flow into the Great Sui. And although the Great Sui is vast and rich, it just so happens that it lacks horses, lacking them to the point where all the emperors of the Great Sui throughout history want to curse their mothers.

  So since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, cavalry has always been the dream of all generals.

  The 16 guards of the Sui Dynasty had about 500,000 soldiers. Even if we count the six armies in Chang'an City, known as the Left and Right Imperial Guards, the Left and Right Warrior Guards, and the Left and Right Vanguard Guards, which have a total of several hundred thousand elite soldiers, they still can't gather two million cavalrymen.

  Light cavalry is already like this, let alone heavy cavalry which is extremely difficult to build.

  The entire Great Sui, except for the six armies of the Son of Heaven, only had one branch of heavy cavalry with 500 men in the Right Valiant Guard. Even this small number of 500 was established by Li Yuanshan, the great general of the Right Valiant Guard, after nearly five years. The Great Sui did not lack money or grain, and forging heavy armor was not a difficult task. The difficulty lay in finding 500 warhorses that could carry heavy cavalry into battle.

  You Xiuwei has been operating in the northwest for so many years, and he finally gathered these 500 fine war horses from various channels. He even risked being blamed by the imperial court and triggering a war, and four years ago, he ambushed the envoy group of the Western Regions' Tusi country who came to pay homage to Emperor Yang of Sui, and his elite soldiers disguised as horse thieves tied up the people in the envoy group and threw them on the side of the official road, taking away hundreds of war horses without leaving a single hair.

  This was done by Li Yuanshan, and he knew it was impossible to deceive the emperor. In fact, when the emperor heard the complaint of the King of Tusi, he understood what had happened. He comforted him kindly and rewarded him with many silk fabrics and porcelain utensils. Then the Emperor wrote a handwritten letter scolding Li Xiaozong, but after reading it, Li Xiaozong not only didn't show any fear, but instead burst out laughing.

  "Fool! I've finally managed to deceive a few envoys from the small Western Regions countries into coming to pay homage, and as soon as they enter, you rob the first one. How will the ones behind dare to come in? You foolish thing, can't you even wait until they leave before robbing them?"

  These five hundred heavy cavalry are the personal troops of General Li Yuanshan of the Right Swift Guard.

  So, when the defenders of Fan'er Castle recognized these heavy cavalrymen, they immediately opened the gate and let them pass, without even needing to see the token presented by the leading jiangjun. Because the Mongol Empire lacked ironware, but couldn't bear to abandon its heavy cavalry. Besides, the nomads had always thought that cavalry was supposed to be fast; although heavily armored cavalrymen were incredibly powerful, they couldn't compare with light cavalry in terms of speed.

  The leading cavalry captain didn't even bother to talk to the defending troops and went straight into the city towards the general's mansion.

  When he arrived at the gate of General Li Xiang's mansion, the soldiers guarding the gate immediately stepped forward to block his way. The lieutenant was too lazy to respond and casually tossed his waist card to the soldier guarding the gate, dismounted and strode into the general's mansion with big steps. A heavy cavalry lieutenant was so arrogant and domineering, it seemed that the rumors about the people of You Xue Wei being unruly were not false.

  Li Xiangzong heard the voice coming from the study and gave the lieutenant a cold glance: "Even if you are a lieutenant under the command of the great general, have you forgotten the military law of the Great Sui? When you saw me, the general, why didn't you salute? Before the imperial punishment comes down, this Fanggu Castle is still mine."

  The camp lieutenant was taken aback for a moment, then coldly snorted and casually saluted: "Withdraw the guards, General has arrived in person."

  Li Xiaozong was shocked and lost his composure, his heart suddenly tightened.

  ……

  ……

  The stove in the study was removed because General Li Yuanshan disliked the floating coal ash the most. His nose had some problems, and smelling this smell would make him uncomfortable. This problem didn't occur often when he was in the capital, but after moving to the northwest, it occurred more frequently due to the cold weather. However, he couldn't stand the smell of coal ash either, which put everyone in a difficult position.

  Li Yuanshan, dressed in ordinary heavy cavalry armor, looked around the study's furnishings with a hint of dissatisfaction between his eyebrows.

  As a Right Vanguard General, leaving the imperial court without permission is also accountable. Although he was arrogant, he was not reckless.

  "Do you know why I'm here?"

  He looked at a painting of a fierce tiger coming down the mountain on the wall and asked in a calm tone.

  Because Wu Peisheng is dead.

  Li Xiaozong, who was kneeling on the ground, answered very simply, but this sentence already represents all the trouble. What's the point of talking about corruption or the military opening casinos when compared to Wu Peisheng's death?

  "Not true."

  Li Yuanshan turned around and looked at Li Xiaozong, his tone with a few more parts of anger: "Is it because you didn't do things cleanly? Since Wu Peisheng must die, then he should be killed thoroughly! In the army, so many people know about this matter, why didn't you kill them? And that Fang Jie, why didn't you eliminate such a troublemaker?"

  Li Xiaozong bitterly smiled: "I have already lost the hearts of my soldiers."

  "The hearts of 800 men, nothing can be done!"

  Li Yuanshan hummed and asked: "Do the people in the city know the truth?"

  "I don't know."

  "That's good... slaughtering a city is still somewhat troublesome."