The sky was high and the clouds pale, as wild geese flew south over the endless undulating desert. The golden Euphrates Poplar Forest stretched as far as the eye could see.
Autumn beyond the frontier held a grandeur and vastness unlike anything within the passes.
On this day, a group of travelers appeared along the ancient road of Ganzhou, drawing nearer with each step. Dozens of mounted guards, though dressed as ordinary travelers, were all robust and imposing, escorting several carriages in a line that stretched forward.
This party consisted of Prince Jin and his wife, along with their attendants, making their way to Suyeh City.
On the distant horizon, the faint black outline of city walls could be glimpsed—there lay the former residence of the Longyou Military Commissioner, now the Prince Jin’s residence in Suyeh City.
The border had been peaceful for over a decade. Ever since Pei You'an relocated the Military Commissioner’s office here years ago, the city’s advantageous location and strong imperial support had drawn settlers from all directions. The population grew year by year, the city became increasingly crowded, and the walls expanded multiple times. Now, Suyeh City was like a pearl set in the yellow sands of the desert, the most prosperous city beyond the frontier. Its thriving industries and bustling commerce made it indistinguishable from cities within the passes—save for the absence of desert sands beyond its gates.
Three months earlier, when the people heard that the former Military Commissioner Pei, who had moved the office here and secured their peace for over a decade, was returning—and not just returning, but doing so as Prince Jin, to establish his residence and govern the region—the entire city rejoiced, eagerly awaiting his arrival.
The journey had been leisurely. Pei You'an ensured Jiafu’s comfort, traveling by day and resting early at night. Whenever they encountered a scenic spot, they would linger for a day or two before resuming their journey. Thus, though they had set out in early summer, it was now autumn by the time they finally arrived.
Jiafu lifted the carriage curtain and gazed ahead.
They had been gone for over a decade, and much had changed. In recent years, in addition to the permanent border trade, the annual Spring Market had expanded to include an Autumn Fair as well.
By coincidence, their arrival coincided with the busiest days of the Autumn Fair. The city’s eastern and western markets could no longer contain the crowds, so the fair had spilled beyond the city gates.
As their procession drew closer to the city, the road grew crowded. Caravans of camels and travelers of various appearances and attire moved back and forth along the path. When they caught sight of this clearly inland party, they paused to stare, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Perhaps because of Pei You'an, Jiafu had always felt a special closeness to this city where she had once lived for several years. Memories surfaced one after another, stirring a quiet excitement in her heart, and all weariness from the journey vanished.
She called out to Pei You'an, who was riding alongside the carriage, and said she wanted to walk for a while.
Pei You'an had initially been concerned about her fatigue and wanted to hurry into the city so she could rest. But seeing the eager look on her face, he thought for a moment, then ordered the procession to halt by the roadside. Supporting her arm, he helped her step down from the carriage.After riding in the carriage for most of the day, Jiafu's legs were sore and swollen. She stepped down from the carriage, stretched her limbs, and put on a pointed sun hat commonly worn by local women before walking side by side with Pei You'an toward the city gate.
On either side of the road, makeshift tents had been set up on the flat ground. Women carried water pots to fetch water from the government's Water Wagons parked along the roadside to cook meals, while children laughed and played, darting in and out of the tents, their cheerful voices carried far by the wind. The market stretched endlessly in both directions, with merchants loudly hawking their wares and haggling with customers. The bustling crowd and lively atmosphere painted a thriving scene.
Ahead was an acrobatics stall where a man performed fire-eating and tightrope walking, drawing a large audience.
Jiafu paused by the roadside to watch for a while, reminded of the time years ago when she had taken Ci'er to the market for fun—a scene so similar to today. More than a decade had passed in the blink of an eye. Ci'er had grown up, yet those memories still felt as vivid as yesterday, filling her with emotion.
"What are you thinking about?" Pei You'an asked.
Jiafu snapped out of her reverie, shook her head, and smiled at him.
Pei You'an glanced around and noticed a particularly noisy crowd gathered not far ahead. Curious, he took Jiafu's hand and led her closer. Upon arrival, they found an archery challenge set up as a platform.
The challenger was a foreigner who had drawn a line on the ground and, several dozen paces away, hung a Jade Thumb Ring from a thin rope. The ring, made of precious mutton-fat jade, was of considerable value. The rules were simple: anyone could attempt the challenge with a single arrow. If the arrow passed through the ring's hole and pinned it to the target behind, the Jade Thumb Ring would be theirs.
The foreigner first demonstrated, standing behind the line, drawing his bow, and taking careful aim before releasing the arrow. His skill was extraordinary—the arrow pierced the ring cleanly, pinning it to the target.
After the applause, many onlookers, emboldened by how effortless he made it seem, stepped forward to try their luck—even those who had never held a bow before, tempted by the ring's value.
Yet what appeared simple was, in reality, extremely difficult. With only one attempt allowed, the challenge proved nearly impossible—the ring's hole was barely the size of a thumb, and the suspended ring swayed in the wind, making it incredibly hard to hit at such a distance.
The stall had been set up for three days, and in that time, over a hundred people had tried—yet not a single one had come close. As Pei You'an and Jiafu watched, a group of officers from the Regional Military Commission of Suye, hearing of the foreigner's unbeaten challenge and his boastful disdain for Wei archers, arrived in defiance. They took turns shooting, but in the end, none succeeded.
The most skilled among them fired an arrow that, perhaps affected by the wind, missed the mark slightly—instead of passing through the ring, the arrow struck it directly, shattering the Jade Thumb Ring into two pieces that fell to the ground.
The crowd fell utterly silent.The Hu man said, "I've heard that in Great Wei, there are specialized Infantry Archer Armies and Cavalry Archer Armies, renowned for their precision and invincibility in battle. Filled with admiration, I came here during the Autumn Fair to set up this challenge platform, hoping to witness their skills firsthand. But never did I expect..."
He shook his head and ordered a servant beside him to tie another identical Jade Thumb Ring to the empty rope. Laughing heartily, he continued, "Broken is broken. Our Zhamu tribe lacks nothing—how could we begrudge a mere Jade Thumb Ring? No need for compensation. Just bring someone else who can nail the ring into the target as I did, and I'll immediately gift the ring, pack up, and return to Zhamu, never setting foot in Wei territory again!"
Twelve years ago, Pei You'an led the army to a crushing defeat of the Hu people, breaching their royal court and forcing them to submit to Great Wei. The late emperor, to facilitate governance, divided the Hu lands into over twenty khanates based on tribal affiliations, each with its own khan, on the condition of trade relations with Wei, ensuring mutual restraint.
This strategy proved effective. The northern deserts now teem with khanates, each suspicious of the others, preventing any single tribe from unifying the north as before to establish a grand khanate. However, after more than a decade, some tribes have begun to rise in power, and the Zhamu tribe is one of them. Their newly enthroned khan, ambitious and dreaming of reunifying the northern deserts, seeks to restore the glory of the former khanate.
Three months ago, many khanates in the northern deserts received an edict from the Great Wei court: Prince Jin would establish his residence in Suyeh City, commanding the khanates to send envoys for an audience. From then on, the Prince Jin's residence would replace the court in receiving tributes and performing pacification duties. Now, numerous envoys have gathered in the city, housed in post stations, awaiting Prince Jin's arrival for the audience.
Naturally, the Zhamu tribe came as well.
The onlookers, seeing the Hu man's arrogant demeanor and his humiliation of the Wei people, grew indignant, booing loudly. The dozen or so officers flushed with anger, and the more hot-tempered among them stepped forward, only for the Hu man's attendants to immediately surround them.
"This man is the Divine Archer of the Zhamu tribe, never missing his mark. He arrived a few days ago with the Zhamu envoy," Yang Yun reported to Pei You'an after gathering information.
Pei You'an asked Jiafu to wait and stepped forward, patting the officers' arms to signal them to retreat. He then stopped at the line, picked up a bow hanging nearby, nocked an arrow, drew the string to full tension, aimed at the Jade Thumb Ring suspended in the air, and suddenly released the arrow.
The moment he appeared, the crowd fell silent, countless eyes fixed intently on his every move.
Jiafu knew that in his youth, to strengthen his body, Pei You'an had trained under a master archer and possessed remarkable skill. Yet, in such a setting, she couldn't help but feel nervous, her eyes wide as she watched the arrow shoot straight forward. Before she could blink, it had already struck the target.
On the arrow shaft was unmistakably the Jade Thumb Ring.
She exhaled in relief. After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into cheers, their faces beaming with joy as if they themselves had hit the mark.
The Hu man, initially dismissive of the middle-aged scholar emerging from the crowd, was stunned by his extraordinary archery. After a long pause, he barely suppressed his frustration and was about to order someone to retrieve the ring when Pei You'an nocked another arrow. Two shots later, the thin rope holding the Jade Thumb Ring snapped in the middle, swaying endlessly in the wind.The crowd erupted in cheers once more, with people turning to look at the archer and murmuring incessantly.
The barbarian flushed red with embarrassment, his heart secretly trembling as he stared at the man. "Who are you?"
Pei You'an did not answer. Instead, he returned the bow and arrows to their place and addressed the officer who had missed his shot earlier: "In archery, the highest mastery lies not in relentless practice of technique, but in the unity of mind and eye. With your skill and precision, hitting the Jade Thumb Ring on the target should not have been difficult. Your failure stemmed from impatience under the public gaze. If you train your mind more upon returning, surpassing this barbarian would be no challenge at all."
The officer had already been humbled. Now, hearing him speak in such a tone—almost like a superior—he stared at Pei You'an in astonishment, momentarily speechless.
"Lord Pei! You are Lord Pei!"
At that moment, another officer finally recognized Pei You'an and exclaimed in excitement, still addressing him by his former title.
Pei You'an smiled faintly and nodded slightly. "Indeed, it is I."
The officers immediately knelt before him, and nearby civilians, gradually recognizing him as well, followed suit in paying their respects.
Pei You'an gestured for the crowd to rise and walked past the stunned barbarians, returning to Jiafu's side.
Jiafu glanced behind him and whispered with a laugh, "It's all your fault, Lord Pei. You had to make a grand entrance the moment you arrived, and now everyone recognizes you. We can't stroll the market anymore—let's hurry into the city."
Pei You'an chuckled and led her back to the carriage before mounting his horse. The entourage then passed through the city gates.
Soon, the Regional Military Commission of Suyeh City, having heard the news, rushed over to greet them.
Amid the throng of people escorting them along the way, the group finally arrived before the gates of what had once been the Military Commissioner's residence—now transformed into a princely estate.
Jiafu stepped down from the carriage and paused for a moment, gazing up at the freshly painted lintel.
Pei You'an came up behind her and gently took her hand beneath her sleeve, murmuring softly, "Let's go in."
Jiafu turned to look at the man beside her. Seeing him lower his head slightly, smiling at her, she slowly curled her fingers around his within her sleeve and nodded. Together, they stepped through the gate and proceeded inside.
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