While scouts from the Royal Court sent back successive intelligence reports, information from Northern Rong spies also continuously reached Wahan Khan's hands.
The judicial officer stated: "The four armies of the Royal Court have just experienced turmoil, their morale remains unstable, and the officers taking command cannot yet command full authority. With Su Dan Gu now dead and no Regent handling court affairs, the Buddha Prince is overwhelmed with governmental duties. Additionally, his birthday approaches, drawing envoys and commoners from various nations flocking to the Holy City. The Holy City is immersed in celebration and extraordinary bustle, likely keeping the Royal Court preoccupied internally and externally, leaving no attention for other matters."
After pondering briefly, Wahan Khan summoned his sons and Haidu Aling to analyze the situation.
His sons unanimously believed that the Royal Court, having just endured internal strife, was now vulnerable with weakened defenses—making it an opportune moment for a surprise attack. As for an excuse to break the treaty, they could simply capture and kill a group of herdsmen to fabricate a pretext.
Only Jin Bo showed an unusual expression.
Wahan Khan dismissed his other sons and kept Jin Bo behind, asking, "What are your thoughts?"
Seeing no one else in the tent, Jin Bo stepped forward with a forced smile and said, "Father Khan, the Royal Court saved my life... one of their merchant caravans rescued me..."
Wahan Khan rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fool! How could every member of a merchant caravan possess such skilled combat abilities? Those who saved you must have significant backgrounds. Haidu Aling's assassination plot can proceed simultaneously, undoubtedly aided by their machinations. Moreover, this winter has been exceptionally long—we must find ways to feed all our tribes, or they will rebel again!"
Jin Bo scratched his head. "But I promised to repay the Royal Court's kindness. Father Khan, as your son and a descendant of the Divine Wolf, how can I go back on my word?"
Wahan Khan's eyelids twitched. "We are a wolf tribe raised on horseback—raiding and conquest are our means of survival. Gratitude is gratitude, grievance is grievance. Facing external enemies, all alliances are merely temporary dormancy. Your promise to repay kindness doesn't mean Northern Rong won't launch a surprise attack on the Royal Court."
Jin Bo looked bewildered. "Father Khan, didn't you always teach me to keep my promises?"
Wahan Khan sneered. "Jin Bo, only when you are the strong one do you have the privilege of keeping promises. We Northern Rong people value strength, not the virtues of the dead. After you defeat the Royal Court, then fulfill your personal promise."
Jin Bo stared in astonishment: So this is what Father Khan meant by keeping promises! First defeat the opponent, then mercifully spare them.
Observing his youngest son, who had never led troops independently, Wahan Khan contemplated for a moment. "Your elder brothers will accompany me in the campaign. Haidu Aling will lead three thousand troops in a surprise attack. I grant you four thousand cavalry—guard the Sand Sea Road."
Jin Bo expressed disappointment. "I wish to join your campaign, Father Khan."
Wahan Khan shook his head. "Since you owe a debt to the Royal Court, avoid this surprise attack. Guard the Sand Sea Road diligently without negligence. If the battle turns unfavorable, I will retreat with the central army through there."
Jin Bo promptly assented respectfully, thinking to himself: I wonder if that caravan guard who saved my life will join the battle.
If I encounter my benefactor, I must still honor my promise.
...
As Northern Rong troops advanced, Bi Suo was also busy deploying forces.
Fearing intelligence leaks that might reveal their arrangements to the Northern Rong, he maintained his routine after daily military duties: visiting the training grounds to compete with warriors from other tribes, showcasing his prowess to the fullest.That day, he had just finished horse racing with Mobi Duo on the archery track when his personal guard brought a message from Yaoying, asking him to come outside the city.
Despite his exhaustion, he changed clothes and hurried beyond the city walls.
The sky was clear as a gem after the snow, and in a sheltered valley, dozens of large carts wrapped in thick felt crowded together on the snowy ground like a dark mass. Personal guards and caravan escorts in fur-lined jackets were busy unloading cloth sacks from camel backs.
Yaoying, veiled in light gauze and wearing a narrow-sleeved robe with a lamb's wool lapel, looked elegant and graceful as she stepped through the snow to greet them. Her gaze fell on the man accompanying Bi Suo, and she hesitated to speak.
This brown-eyed young man with braids draped over his shoulders was the one who had defeated Bi Suo on the training ground that day.
Bi Suo said, "His name is Mobi Duo. Don't worry, Princess. He is trusted by the King and will be joining this campaign. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought him here."
Yaoying nodded, signaling the guards to continue moving the goods. She had heard of this young prince—he had recently accomplished a great feat and was now one of Tanmoroqie's close guards.
Mobi Duo leaned forward, raising his hands flat in a gesture of greeting, which appeared somewhat comical.
Yaoying returned a Wujili Bu salute and said in their language, "I've long admired your reputation, Prince."
Mobi Duo was taken aback, surprise flashing in his eyes.
Bi Suo was also astonished. "Princess, how do you know the customs and language of Wujili Bu?"
Yaoying smiled. "To be honest, General, when I lived among the Northern Rong slaves, I learned the customs and languages of dozens of tribes, large and small."
In the Gobi Desert, one could ride a hundred li without seeing a soul. Every oasis deep in the wilderness might be a small state, with complex tribal influences. Each tribe had its own language. While learning the Hu language, she also studied the customs of different tribes—partly to blend in with locals if she needed to escape, and partly to avoid accidentally offending any tribe.
Mobi Duo stared intently at Yaoying and said, "The Princess has learned well."
Yaoying chuckled. "I only know a few simple greetings. Please don't laugh at my efforts, Prince."
Bi Suo laughed. "How is your Brahmi studies going?"
The mention made Yaoying's head ache. A few days ago, when Tanmoroqie asked about her progress, Bore became so enthusiastic he seemed determined to teach her hundreds of Brahmi Buddhist scriptures in just a few days.
"The Dharma Master wants to guide me toward monastic life. Bore chases me with stacks of scrolls every day, pushing me to study diligently. Lately, I've been avoiding him whenever I see him."
Bi Suo paused mid-step, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. "The King wants you to become a monastic?"
"The Dharma Master mentioned it once..."
Yaoying nodded, noticing Bi Suo's odd expression and fixing her gaze on his face.
"Is there something wrong?"
Bi Suo's expression quickly returned to normal. He shook his head and said, "The King has always been like this—when he sees someone with spiritual potential, he wishes to guide them toward monastic life."
As they spoke, the guards uncovered one of the large carts. Bi Suo and Mobi Duo stepped forward and found it packed full with black longbows and bundles of arrows.
Mobi Duo picked up a longbow, testing its draw strength with a full pull. Frowning slightly, he grabbed a handful of arrows and walked to an open area. Drawing the bow, he shot several arrows in rapid succession—each shot fierce as a shooting star, every arrow hitting an empty cart dead center.The soldier ran forward and, after much effort, pulled out the arrow, eliciting a chorus of cheers.
Mobi Duo showed no hint of pride on his face as he handed the longbow to Bi Suo, saying, "This bow has a draw weight close to two dan—it's very sturdy."
Bi Suo’s eyes flickered as he looked toward Yaoying.
For military campaigns, a bow with a draw weight of one dan was considered a strong bow. Typically, during sieges, one-dan bows were used to shoot at enemy city walls and battlements, while lighter seven-dou bows were preferred for mounted archery.
A bow with nearly two dan of draw power had a range comparable to the Royal Court’s ballistae.
Meeting Bi Suo’s serious gaze, Yaoying explained, "The Royal Court’s ballistae are powerful and effective in defending cities against Northern Rong cavalry, but they are cumbersome and difficult to move during campaigns, making them mostly suited for static defense. Although these longbows don’t match the range of ballistae, their strong draw force, when used in coordinated battle formations, can pierce through three layers of armor."
Bi Suo glanced around, his heart stirring. If dozens of carts were filled with arrows, the total could number in the tens of thousands!
"Where did these weapons come from?"
Yaoying replied, "From the Northern Rong."
Bi Suo’s jaw dropped.
Yaoying elaborated, "In recent years, the Northern Rong have conquered many tribes. Some who refused to surrender have become fugitives, wandering as outlaws. A chieftain named Ale gathered remnants and exiled warriors to form a mercenary force—they will fight for you if paid enough in gold and valuables."
"I previously hired Ale to guard my merchant caravans. On the way back from Gaochang, I tasked him with disrupting Haidu Aling’s supply lines during the Northern Rong’s internal strife. These weapons were seized from a lightly defended Northern Rong camp."
One reason Haidu Aling had no chance of victory and chose to confess outright was that Ale’s constant harassment had exhausted his covert forces.
Finally, Yaoying added, "General, rest assured—Chieftain Ale is efficient and discreet. The Northern Rong are unaware of the whereabouts of these bows. His men disguised themselves as a cloth merchant convoy and did not leak any information along the way. Even if discovered, no one would know I gave the order, so it will not bring trouble to the Royal Court."
Bi Suo stared at Yaoying, his mouth agape for a long moment.
On their return from Gaochang, they had faced an ambush—yet Princess Wenzhao had still managed to hire exiled tribes to weaken Haidu Aling?
Yaoying remained composed and continued, "The Northern Rong’s mounted archers are highly trained, each equipped with three warhorses and skilled with both short and longbows. Their shortbows are suited for long-range combat, while their longbows are versatile for both close and distant engagements, with some capable of reaching up to four hundred paces."
Snapping out of his shock, Bi Suo said, "True. The Northern Rong grow up on horseback, and everyone learns archery from childhood, developing formidable arm strength. Their mounted archers can shoot accurately at full gallop—a few hundred of them can overrun an entire camp."
He weighed the longbow in his hand. "The Northern Rong’s bows may look ordinary, but they are durable and reliable."
Yaoying added, "I’ve seen how they craft their bows. They also make double-curved bows with improved cores—the inner layer is boiled horn, wrapped with boiled sinew, making the bow flexible and powerful. The bowstrings are tanned from cattle or sheep tendons, capable of withstanding heavy draw weights. Most arrows use birch wood. These bows aren’t difficult to make; as long as the materials are gathered, both men and women can skillfully produce them."Bi Suo frowned slightly. "The production isn't difficult... so all their mounted archers can be equipped with such weapons, and every one of them can use them skillfully. They're all proficient mounted archers."
The Northern Rong were barbaric, but this savage tribe possessed formidable strength.
Mobi Duo chimed in nearby, "Since the princess says their improved double-curved bows aren't difficult to make, can we find craftsmen to produce them?"
Catapults and crossbow carts were complicated to manufacture, required expensive materials, needed several soldiers to operate cooperatively, and were troublesome to repair when damaged. The Royal Court only equipped major fortified cities with such artillery. Bows were simpler to make, didn't rely heavily on specialized craftsmen, and could be issued to all soldiers in the army. If improvements could be made, it would achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Bi Suo shook his head. "We've long known the Northern Rong improved their double-curved bows, but replicating them exactly isn't that straightforward..."
Even if they obtained the Northern Rong's weapons now, they couldn't imitate them in a short time.
Yaoying interrupted him. "My craftsmen can make them."
Bi Suo started in surprise, nearly choking on his own saliva.
Yaoying signaled her guards to bring over a stack of papers wrapped in silk cloth and handed them to Bi Suo. "I previously discussed improved double-curved bows with my craftsmen. They've been experimenting with improvements for some time. After many attempts that fell short of the Northern Rong's bows, they finally succeeded recently. Coincidentally, with this batch of weapons delivered, they've compared and verified that the performance is similar to the Northern Rong's double-curved bows, though the resilience isn't quite as strong. The advantage is that the materials are easily obtainable, allowing for mass production."
"These are the blueprints."
Bi Suo could hardly contain his excitement. "Mass production would be ideal!"
For military use, stronger bow power wasn't necessarily better. The best bows were those that met soldiers' needs while being cheap, durable, and capable of large-scale deployment.
He hesitated momentarily. "These weapons and manufacturing blueprints were obtained through the princess's considerable efforts. Are you simply giving them to the Royal Court like this?"
Yaoying smiled. "As allies facing a powerful enemy, of course we should contribute to the Royal Court's strength."
These double-curved bows weren't particularly rare or extraordinary weapons. Facing the formidable Northern Rong threat, allies should stand united. Moreover, the Royal Court had long maintained trade relations with the former Central Plains dynasty, and there were no conflicts of interest between the two nations.
Bi Suo gazed at her for a long moment before accepting the silk-wrapped papers, instructing his subordinates to arrange for the weapon transfer.
After the soldiers finished unloading all the goods, Yaoying stepped aside with her guards for discussion, issuing several instructions before mounting her horse.
Bi Suo and Mobi Duo waited for her on the mountain path.
The three rode abreast for half a li when Yaoying turned back, watching the long caravan disappearing into the distance. She sighed thoughtfully. "The Northern Rong cavalry are not only superb at mounted archery and coordinated maneuvers, capable of launching rapid attacks anywhere, but each soldier is also equipped with multiple warhorses. Their horses are all excellent specimens with great endurance. If only A'le could help me seize a batch of those warhorses..."
Bi Suo's mouth twitched. After a moment of silence, he shook his head with a light laugh.
Mobi Duo glanced at him. "What's so amusing, General?"
Bi Suo looked toward Yaoying, moving slightly farther away before murmuring, "I was thinking that if Haidu Aling knew what Princess Wenzhao has been doing these past two years, he'd be green with regret."
Mobi Duo followed his gaze.Princess Wenzhao wore a veil over her face, making her features indistinct, but her bright eyes and graceful figure alone confirmed the rumors—she was radiantly beautiful, luminous as the moon.
The people of the Holy City looked down upon Wujili Bu, yet in recent days, Princess Wenzhao was the first woman who hadn’t laughed aloud when he bowed in greeting.
Mobi Duo suddenly asked, "General, are the rumors about Princess Wenzhao and the King true or false?"
Bi Suo laughed. "How can rumors be taken seriously?"
As he spoke, his heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Mobi Duo.
Mobi Duo met his gaze calmly, his youthful face revealing a sharp, resolute edge.
Bi Suo frowned.
The three of them returned to Wang Temple together, where Yuanjue happened to be walking out from the direction of the Pagoda Forest. Seeing Yaoying, his expression changed, and he coughed a few times before saying, "Didn’t the Princess leave the city today? Why are you back so early?"
Yaoying looked up—the sky was filled with sunset glow, the slanting rays of the evening sun casting a golden shimmer over the high pagodas.
Was she back too early?
Yuanjue’s face flushed slightly, his gaze evasive.
Yaoying thought for a moment and guessed that someone must have arrived at the temple whom she needed to avoid. She said, "I’ll return via the direction of the Punishment Hall."
That way, she wouldn’t run into outsiders.
Yuanjue remained silent, his face growing even redder.
After Yaoying and her guards turned to leave, Bi Suo glanced at Yuanjue and asked, "Who’s here?"
Yuanjue let out a long, stifled sigh and whispered, "Princess Manda from the Land of Brahma is here! She’s in the main hall and hasn’t left yet."
Bi Suo’s frown deepened.
OpenNovel