The Loulan treasure had originally been an absolute secret.
No matter when Song Jingzhou had acquired the treasure map, before this, not a single whisper had ever leaked out.
Now that he was dead and his son and daughter had fled with the map, they should, by all logic, have notified only the Shuntian Army to rendezvous in the Western Regions. The Emperor had subsequently caught wind of it and informed Wang Yu and Li Yunxiu.
In theory, only four parties should have known about this: the imperial court, the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor, the Shuntian Army, and the Song siblings.
Yet now, even the horse bandits of the Western Regions knew?
Li Yunxiu spat venomously, "A rabble of fools—they've been riddled with leaks like a sieve."
It was impossible to tell whether she was referring to the Shuntian Army or the imperial court.
Ma Bojun continued, "Wealth stirs men's hearts. After hearing this news, I sent men to make discreet inquiries and learned that the remaining Four Great Bandits of Mount Qi have taken their elite fighters and already ventured beyond the pass.
"The four bandits leaving their mountain stronghold to go beyond the pass is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was just preparing to head out past the frontier to make trouble for them and see if I could take down a few, when you two arrived."
At this point, Ma Bojun's eyes gleamed. "Yu-lang, you brought three hundred of the Iron Eagle Cavalry with you. Shall we find an opening and leave all four of the remaining Mount Qi bandits out in the desert for good?"
The Ma family had resided in Ganliang for generations, handing down their Fubo Spear Technique for hundreds of years. Ma Bojun had long since reached the Xiantian realm and was an expert of the current age.
However, the Mount Qi bandits hid deep within the mountains, and the great bandits among them possessed extraordinary martial arts. Though not yet at the Xiantian realm, they were not far from it, and each had their own specialty. In an actual fight, they were by no means easily bested; even against a Xiantian expert, they would not swiftly fall. By contrast, the Ma family possessed no top-tier fighters aside from Ma Bojun.
Although the old master of the Ma family was still alive, his qi and blood had inevitably waned; holding the fort at the manor was fine, but traveling far afield to confront enemies was no longer feasible.
Thus, Ma Bojun's earlier plan had merely been to give chase and kill as many as he could. He had not dreamed of wiping out all the Mount Qi bandit chiefs, for they had been renowned figures for twenty years and were hardly easy to eliminate.
Yet Wang Yu's arrival made his eyes light up. The three hundred Iron Eagle Cavalry were all elites clad in full armor; whether executing a mass cavalry charge or unleashing volleys of arrows, they were formidable to withstand.
With him tying the bandits down, they might very well succeed in burying them there.
Hearing Ma Bojun's proposal, Wang Yu was tempted as well.
Having served as Prince of Zhenxi for over half a year, he had learned quite a bit about the Great Bandits of Mount Qi, and he had even faced Poison Hand Veda head-on.
These Mount Qi bandits were not like the historical mountain brigands who merely collected tolls and maintained cordial relations with armed escort agencies. They were truly lawless, ruthless marauders who dared even to target the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor's caravans.
Against bandits who threatened the Northwest trade route and blocked the manor's path to wealth, any opportunity to crush them was one to seize without mercy.
And so, their party gained another Xiantian expert.
***
Departing from the Ma family estate and pressing westward, they reached the border between Ding'an Prefecture and Yumen Prefecture.
The further west they rode, the sparser the trees became, giving way to an expanding expanse of rocky gobi desert. No sooner had they set foot within the borders of Yumen Prefecture than a cloud of dust billowed from the north, accompanied by the thunder of hooves as a mounted troop galloped swiftly toward them.
Amid the billowing yellow sand, banners snapped in the wind—the arrivals were actually an army!
"Form ranks!"
"Draw bows!"
Although any troops operating within the heartlands were imperial forces, the relationship between the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor and the imperial court was complicated, after all. The Iron Eagle Cavalry could not afford to drop their guard.
"Is that the Prince of Zhenxi before us?"
Perhaps sensing the Iron Eagle Cavalry's maneuvers, or perhaps never harboring any hostility in the first place, the mounted troop halted an arrow's flight away, and three riders galloped forward.
"Who goes there?"
"Wang Bin, garrison commander of Ding'an Prefecture!"
Wang Yu parted the carriage curtains and asked curiously, "Have you come to stand up for your nephew and niece?"
As the words fell, the three riders arrived before the vanguard. The man in the lead wore light armor, his face weathered by the elements, but his sword-straight brows swept up toward his temples and his eyes shone with sharp vitality, radiating a heroic, martial demeanor.
Wang Yu asked, "What brings General Wang here?"
Wang Bin dismounted, clasped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Prince of Zhenxi. May I have a word in private?"
Minister of Rites Song Jingzhou's entire family had been put to death, leaving only Song Chengyue and Song Qingchuan to escape. It was impossible for Wang Bin not to know this news. What remained unclear was whether he knew that they had fled to the Western Regions carrying the Loulan treasure map and had contacted the Shuntian Army.
As it happened, Wang Yu also wished to speak with him to gauge his reactions and stance.
Then Wang Bin watched as two guards from the manor carried a low table and several folding campstools from a carriage, setting them down beneath a roadside tree, followed by brewing a pot of tea and arranging four plates of pastries.
Once everything was in order, he saw Wang Yu accompanied by two young women, leisurely taking their seats on one side of the square table, while two men in their fifties or sixties stood flanked behind him to the left and right.
"Please, General Wang!" Wang Yu gestured hospitably, while Qianqian poured tea for everyone.
Wang Bin was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Wang Yu to display such pageantry or make the discussion so formal. But he quickly recovered his wits, gathered his armored skirts, sat down across from Wang Yu, and lifted his teacup to drink.
"Has Your Highness come for the Loulan treasure, and for my nephew and niece?" Wang Bin cut straight to the chase.
Li Yunxiu touched her forehead with a sigh, while Qianqian giggled softly.
"Indeed," Wang Yu nodded. "Is the general interested in the Loulan treasure as well?"
Wang Bin shook his head. "Your Highness need not test me. Countless eyes are watching that treasure, and I have no such capability. Besides, even if I got my hands on it, I could never defend it."
Wang Yu understood. "Then your concern is the siblings, Song Chengyue and Song Qingchuan?"
"Correct." Wang Bin sighed. "My younger sister married into a family in the capital far away, and I haven't seen her in ten years. Who would have thought that when news of her finally reached me, it would be the permanent parting of yin and yang?"
Wang Bin looked up. "May I ask Your Highness, what did His Majesty's decree instruct you to do? Are the siblings to be executed on the spot, or escorted to the capital?"
Wang Yu smiled faintly. "His Majesty does not wish to see them ever again."
"As I expected!" Wang Bin's eyes flashed, his gaze burning as he looked at Wang Yu. "Your Highness, I have one plea to make: please show mercy and spare their lives."
Wang Yu chuckled. "Since General Wang knows about the Loulan treasure, you surely know the siblings have contacted the Shuntian Army. I might not even be able to find them, let alone kill them."
Wang Bin shook his head. "Whether the Shuntian Army can achieve anything remains uncertain. Besides, their main host is far away in Henan Circuit. How could they contest the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor here in the Northwest?"
"The general certainly thinks highly of me." Wang Yu raised a brow. "Yet while you have the heart to worry about them, why not spare some thought for yourself?"
Hearing this, Wang Bin smiled. "The commanders of all forces in Anxi Circuit hail from the Northwest, and the soldiers are locals too. Aside from our stipends, even our provisions and grain are levied locally."
Wang Bin did not say more, because the court did not dare withhold their stipends.
By comparison, the Northwestern Army's situation was even better than the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor's, as they didn't have to worry about earning their own coin.
Furthermore, Wang Bin's words were crystal clear: the Emperor could not touch him.
Truth be told, if the realm were at peace and the imperial court held supreme authority, Wang Bin, with merely several thousand troops under his command, would never dare rebel. A single imperial decree would seal his fate beyond his control.
Yet now, the Xianbei in the northeast raided the borders incessantly, the various ethnic tribes in the southwest stirred in unrest, and beacons of rebellion blazed across the Central Plains. No matter how reckless the Emperor might be, he would never dare set fire to the Northwest.
Li Yunxiu remained silent by the side, harboring silent grievances.
In truth, there had long been an implicit understanding between the court and the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor. The court had never feared the manor rebelling precisely because to the west of the manor lay the imperial border troops stationed along the western frontier, posing a constant threat to the manor's flank and rear.
Now that the court and the Northwestern Army were estranged and at odds, this was practically driving the Northwestern Army into an alliance with the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor!
Wang Bin paused, then continued, "If possible, should Your Highness encounter them, please advise them not to draw too close to the Shuntian Army, and have them come to the General's Manor in Ding'an to seek me out."
Wang Yu arched a brow. "They didn't seek you out before?"
Wang Bin gave a wry, bitter smile and shook his head. "Those two are quite stubborn. I sent men to look for them, but fearing that His Majesty would pin blame on me, they left a letter behind and ran off again. The garrison commander at Yumen Pass informed me they had already crossed beyond the pass into the Western Regions.
"I originally intended to give chase, but not long ago, the Black Qiang stirred again. Bearing the duty to defend the realm, I could not easily abandon my post. Thus, upon learning the Prince of Zhenxi was traveling west, I waited here for you."
Although Wang Bin had developed friction with the imperial court, the distinction between civilized land and barbarian invaders remained paramount; he would never allow the Black Qiang to breach the pass and plunder his own kinsmen and compatriots.
Wang Yu nodded. "So all the general asks is for this prince to show mercy?"
"Precisely!" Wang Bin nodded. "This defies His Majesty's decree, after all. If Your Highness has any request, I will not refuse."
Wang Yu laughed out loud. "Does the general truly not know how I managed to return to Longshan Prefecture?"
Wang Bin couldn't help smiling. "That is precisely why I dared come to meet Your Highness."
Wang Yu tapped his fingers on the table. "I have heard that Song Chengyue is a disciple of the Great Vajra Monastery."
"A lay disciple," Wang Bin emphasized, well aware that the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor and the Great Vajra Monastery were not on good terms.
Wang Yu nodded. "I hear the Great Vajra Monastery has a branch monastery, Baolun Monastery, located right here in Yumen Prefecture?"
Wang Bin's eyes flickered. "Please speak plainly, Your Highness."
Wang Yu smiled faintly. "I've heard that the monks of Baolun Monastery discovered a Tianshan snow lotus at Mount Tianshan in the Western Regions and refined two Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pills. One was sent to the Great Vajra Monastery, while they kept the other for themselves."
Wang Bin understood. "If Your Highness would stay briefly at Yumen Pass, then within three days, I shall personally travel there to present the pill."
Wang Bin had initially feared Wang Yu would demand he wipe out Baolun Monastery, a feat he lacked the ability to accomplish. First, Baolun Monastery had no record of wrongdoing in Yumen Pass; on the contrary, they cured ailments, saved lives, and bestowed widespread goodwill upon the locals. Second, there were formidable martial artists within the monastery; even if he could raze the temple, he could not ward off their retaliation.
However, when it came to a single pill, Wang Bin was confident he could secure it.
Wang Bin knew that Wang Yu's demand was meant to force him to prove he was not in league with the Great Vajra Monastery. But Wang Bin had a clear conscience; he held no ties to the Great Vajra Monastery to begin with, and securing a single pill would hardly forge an irreconcilable feud between them.
In fact, Wang Bin felt Wang Yu acted with considerable restraint.
Then he saw Wang Yu nod, an unfathomable smile playing across his lips. "Very well!"
Chapter 51