The figure in the darkness seemed lost in brief contemplation before speaking again, "The light crossbows have been modified—their power is somewhat reduced now."
"Does that mean they can be mass-produced?" Yelü Quancang asked.
The primary issue with the previous light crossbows had been the rarity of materials for the arrows and the dangerous production process, where a single misstep could cause explosions. Over the years, countless resources had been wasted on them.
The figure gave a faint hum of affirmation, and a white-gloved hand emerged from the shadows once more, holding a token engraved with an eagle. "The Hunters are yours. Kill Chu Dingjiang and bring back An Jiu. I want her alive—this task cannot be entrusted to the Hunters."
"Understood." Yelü Quancang knew well that the Hunters under his command were only skilled in killing.
These so-called "Hunters" were peculiar—their martial arts were mediocre, yet they possessed extraordinary mental strength and uncanny archery skills. No one knew when they had come into existence, nor what brutal methods had been used to train such terrifying precision.
The State Preceptor, named Xiao Che, had held his position even before Yelü Quancang became the emperor of Liao. He was the youngest State Preceptor in Liao's history, seemingly blessed by the heavens with beauty, intellect, and power. However, he hadn't been as enigmatic back then. It was only after a great fire disfigured his face that he became so reclusive.
Yelü Quancang had once investigated the matter. Xiao Che's first twenty-odd years had been smooth sailing, but shortly after his appointment as State Preceptor, a fire broke out in his study one night. He had been reviewing documents late into the night and dozed off at his desk. An overturned oil lamp ignited a pile of papers, and with the room filled with flammable materials, the flames spread uncontrollably within moments. When he awoke, he found himself engulfed in the inferno.
The incident seemed riddled with suspicious details, but after thorough investigation, it appeared to be entirely Xiao Che's own doing—his "self-inflicted misfortune." Fresh in his role as State Preceptor, he had been brimming with zeal, poring over documents late into the night and disliking interruptions. His personal attendant had been dismissed to wait outside. At midnight, when he prepared to retire, he called for the attendant to bring him a bowl of calming soup. After drinking it, still unable to sleep, he resumed reviewing documents. It was winter, and the attendant had retreated to a side room to escape the cold, waiting there. Twice he had been summoned, only to be scolded each time. Left with no choice, the attendant returned to the side room, where the warmth of the brazier lulled him into an unintended slumber. It wasn't until he heard screams from the next room that he jolted awake.
Not long after Yelü Quancang left the secret chamber, the State Preceptor sent him a set of blueprints along with two craftsmen tasked with overseeing the light crossbow production.
To bring An Jiu back alive, the primary obstacle to eliminate was Chu Dingjiang. That cunning man was like a fox—a Transformation Realm Master at that. Even with the Hunters, killing him would be no easy feat.
Yelü Quancang stared absently at the Eagle Token.
Night fell.
At Mo Sigui's request, An Jiu led the Mei Clan assassins to capture the poison-mutated killers.
Starting from the site of yesterday's ambush, they scoured a ten-mile radius. Traces were everywhere, yet the targets remained elusive. It wasn't until nearly dawn that they found the fat man discarded in the grass.
His body was still warm, as if he hadn't been dead long.
An Jiu ordered the others to follow the trail while she transported the corpse back to Hexi County.
Late spring, early summer—the season of lush grass and abundant water, perfect for herding.The Liao people grew increasingly busy. Meanwhile, in the Great Song, after the spring sowing, there was a brief respite from labor. Wu Lingyuan mobilized all the men in the county to repair the city walls, while the women stayed home to make drunken fish.
Drunken fish was a family recipe passed down in Wu Lingyuan's household. Freshly caught fish were kept in clean water for a few days, then cleaned and placed in wine. Once the fish were thoroughly intoxicated, they were slaughtered and marinated with ingredients like ginger, garlic, and salt. If the weather wasn’t too hot, the fish could last ten to fifteen days without spoiling. Once prepared, they were immediately sent by fast horse to Hejian and Zhending for sale.
With shopkeepers personally trained by Zhu Pianxian overseeing the sales, the product quickly gained popularity.
Though the fish could only be preserved for a few days, Wu Lingyuan insisted on fast delivery, refused to buy fish from other sources, and only produced small batches of high-quality fish to sell at premium prices.
Later, a restaurant was opened in Hexi County, featuring drunken fish as its signature dish. Made fresh daily, the flavor was even more exquisite.
Everyone knew this was the season of truce, making travel safe. Soon, literati and connoisseurs from nearby areas came seeking the famed dish. Those who composed a poem could enjoy it for free.
Word then spread that Hexi County had established a free elementary school. Not only was it tuition-free, but the county government also ensured the children’s safety. Every five days, officials escorted the children home for a two-day visit, and if family members came to see them, lodging was provided at no cost. The school was personally run by Wu Lingyuan, the tanhua (third-ranked scholar in the imperial exams), who guaranteed success in the imperial examinations—those who failed could still secure a salaried position in the county office.
Initially, there were few children in the county needing elementary education, and even providing two meals a day didn’t cost much. But as more children from neighboring areas were sent over, the financial strain grew.
Wu Lingyuan’s daily priority was writing memorials pleading poverty. Every few days, he would personally visit the prefect to lament: "Our county is poor, our county has no people, our city walls are crumbling, our yamen can’t even afford uniforms for the constables…"
In short, though they hadn’t suffered natural disasters, they had endured the ravages of war, so the court ought to provide some relief.
As a mere county magistrate, Wu Lingyuan’s memorials couldn’t reach the emperor directly. But by persistently urging the prefect to also plead poverty everywhere, he achieved significant results.
The court exempted the entire Hejian Prefecture from taxes for six years, allocated funds for city defenses, and provided some disaster relief grain.
Once Wu Lingyuan learned these resources had arrived in Hejian, he was the first to rush in and demand his share. As the first magistrate to plead poverty and the one who had given the prefect many ideas, he naturally received more than the other counties.
With these resources, Hexi County’s financial woes were temporarily alleviated.
Before this, however, all expenses for the elementary school and the restaurant had been covered by Chu Dingjiang.
Wu Lingyuan assigned tasks to everyone except Chu Dingjiang, the god of wealth, whom he kept on a pedestal. Privately, he worked even harder to persuade the Privy Council to appoint An Jiu as commander of the self-defense militia.
Hua Rongtian had become the Vice Minister of the Privy Council. For a militia of two thousand, his word carried weight. Moreover, the Great Song had precedents of women leading troops, so approval was quickly granted—though the force was limited to one thousand soldiers.
Traditionally, the Privy Council held military authority in the Great Song. Generals only learned which troops they would command after deployment orders were issued. But no one wanted to be stationed in a place like Hexi County, and with the empire in dire need of talent, there was no reason to specially appoint a general for a mere thousand-strong defensive force. Thus, full authority was delegated to the prefect to handle the matter and report afterward.
Wu Lingyuan secured autonomous control from the prefect, allowing An Jiu to fully command the self-defense militia.On the day she received her appointment, An Jiu was beside herself with excitement. "Chu Dingjiang, I've become an imperial official now," she exclaimed. (To be continued...)
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