There was only one source for secret letters from the Ningxi Xu family: the current patriarch, Xu Jingfeng.
In the letter, Xu Jingfeng stated that both merchant caravans had reached Hanyang Pass and received the reserved grain. However, just as they were about to exit the pass, an unexpected ban fell upon them: without permission from the garrison commander's office, no bulk grain could be privately transported out of the pass under any circumstances. Only caravans escorted by government troops were permitted to haul grain, while private caravans were strictly forbidden.
Wei Yuan knew that Garrison Commander Xu Zhongxing was a member of the Xu family, and not particularly distant by blood from Xu Jingfeng. Originally, the Ningxi Xu family could freely transport all manner of contraband, so routine supplies like grain were never an issue at all.
Ever since Ningxi became the Shattered Lands, the human boundary stones had either been uprooted or destroyed. The region had long ceased to be a protected domain, and could no longer produce enough food to be self-sufficient. The mortals still living in the Shattered Lands depended on grain shipped from beyond the pass to survive.
Thus, the two caravans Wei Yuan had Xu Jingfeng arrange appeared completely ordinary on the surface; it was only that the quantity of grain being hauled this time was slightly larger—a total purchase of three million jin.
The eighty thousand people from Quliu Town had just arrived in the domain, exactly when food was in dire shortage, yet of all times, trouble had to strike now.
The letter also mentioned that Commandery Governor Yuan Qingyan had sent word to the three eastern counties, ordering them to blockade all east-west grain routes, while simultaneously deploying the government troops under his own command to block the north-south routes, declaring that not a single grain would be permitted to cross the border.
Wei Yuan understood that this was Yuan Qingyan's retaliation.
North of the Shattered Lands lay thousands of li of continuous mountain ranges, filled everywhere with cliffs and precipices thousands of zhang deep, and even several abysses tens of thousands of zhang deep, making passage utterly impossible. To the west lay the Wu domain. Consequently, as long as the eastern and southern borders were blocked off, the domain would receive no grain supplies.
However, judging by the blockade lines described in the letter, Wei Yuan estimated that at least thirty to forty thousand people were still scattered throughout the area within the cordon. Normally, these people hid deep in the mountain forests, periodically sending representatives to market towns to trade for grain, salt, sugar, and other provisions. Cutting off the grain routes meant slowly cutting off their lifeline.
Wei Yuan crumpled the letter into a ball and slowly ground it into ash.
Originally, Wei Yuan had harbored some measure of expectation toward Yuan Qingyan; after all, he possessed a natural fondness for scholars. But this single act alone dispelled every shred of expectation and goodwill Wei Yuan had held. One could only say that there were many scholars under heaven, some good, some bad.
Fortunately, Wei Yuan had acted quickly. Yuan Qingyan did not yet know that the three eastern counties had already been relocated to the west by Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan had then used the vacuum left behind to purchase a million jin of grain, which could barely sustain them for a little longer.
It would be another two days before Yuan Qingyan learned that the three eastern counties no longer existed. However, this matter would not be easy to deal with: including Niu Jinbao, the magistrates and colonels of all four counties were still alive, as were the troops dispatched there—they had merely had their jurisdictions moved to a different location.
As for whether he would dismiss them directly and appoint others, or retain their posts and re-establish the four counties, all of it required submitting memorials to the imperial court, which would take at least a month back and forth.
That was assuming standard protocol was followed. But what if it wasn't?
Wei Yuan began to ponder what he would do if he were in Yuan Qingyan's position. The more he thought, the more a cold sweat broke out across his back.
At that moment, someone flew rapidly toward him. Wei Yuan looked up as the room doors opened automatically, and Xu Yi came flying inside. At this moment, the sweet, lovely girl had red, swollen eyes, crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain.
Seeing Wei Yuan, the grievances welling inside her could no longer be contained. She threw herself straight into his arms, weeping aloud.
For a moment, Wei Yuan was at a loss. A scorching heat rose along his back, as though multiple immortal swords were pointing at him simultaneously—which in reality was not far from the truth. Yet Wei Yuan knew that the more delicate the moment, the calmer he had to remain.
He slowly raised his hands, acting as though he had no idea anyone was watching this space from afar. Patting Xu Yi gently on the shoulder, he straightened her upright and asked, "What happened?"
Wiping her tears, Xu Yi choked out, "Someone cursed at me."
So that was it... Wei Yuan frowned slightly, trying his best to steer the subject toward larger matters. "Has there been an uprising in the city?"
Xu Yi shook her head.
Wei Yuan silently groaned. If she threw herself into his arms and cried over a trivial grievance, things would truly be impossible to explain away.
Xu Yi said, "The new commandery governor sent an envoy over who was exceptionally arrogant. I happened to pass by and argued with him, and he cursed at me—horribly! He said... he said I associate with horse bandits, that I've long been a wife to every one of them, and that if I were sold to a brothel, nobody would even want me!"
An envoy from the new commandery governor? That meant Yuan Qingyan's envoy.
Such words would be completely intolerable even to an ordinary girl, let alone Xu Yi, who hailed from the direct line of the prestigious Xu family. Her retelling was likely already toned down; heaven knew how much filthier the original words had been.
Wei Yuan said, "Where did you run into this envoy? Take me there."
"All right." Drying her tears, Xu Yi led Wei Yuan as they flew swiftly toward the southwest.
On the way, Wei Yuan learned the full story. The envoy had been stopped at the border of the domain by a patrol squad, sparking a conflict. The patrol squad was no match for the envoy's party, but Xu Yi happened to be passing nearby and indignantly stepped in, single-handedly fighting four Dao Foundation cultivators from the envoy's retinue to a standstill.
Unexpectedly, even though the envoy could not best her in martial prowess, his attitude remained exceptionally belligerent, and he began heaping abuse upon Xu Yi. Scholars possessed a rich repertoire of insults; Xu Yi, hailing from a distinguished clan, had never witnessed such vulgar venom before and was reduced to tears on the spot. Later, others from the domain arrived to control the situation. Overcome with fury, she had immediately rushed to find Wei Yuan.
Within the domain, Wei Yuan enjoyed the blessing of Qingming, giving him immense flying speed. In the blink of an eye, he reached the domain's edge. From afar, he spotted over a hundred domain cultivators confronting a small squad of government soldiers. Among the soldiers were one civil official and three military commanders, all of them Dao Foundation cultivators.
Seeing Wei Yuan descend beside Xu Yi, the official opposite sneered, "A common whore indeed! In the blink of an eye, she's dug up another paramour!"
Wei Yuan said coldly, "Who are you, and what is your business here?"
The official originally intended to sneer further, but the moment his gaze met Wei Yuan's, a sudden shudder ran through him. The entire barrage of insults he had prepared caught in his throat, completely unspoken.
Shaken, he realized he was facing an extraordinary figure. He declared, "By order of Commandery Governor Lord Yuan Qingyan, I have come to summon Wei Yuan, the lord of this domain! Who are you? Irrelevant personnel step aside at once, and have that Wei Yuan come out to see me immediately!"
"Why do you wish to see the domain lord?"
The official glared, sneering, "To hold him accountable for his crimes, of course! You people collude with horse bandits and plunder the populace. If you do not quickly bind yourselves and plead guilty, do you truly intend to wait until our grand army arrives before giving up?"
Wei Yuan said, "The domain lord could not bear to see the common folk suffer, which is why he stepped in to purchase those people. As men who claim to be magistrates and guardians of the people, yet cannot even protect those under your governance, what face do you have to sit in the magistrate halls? What face do you have to face the King of Jin? Why haven't you dashed your own heads against the wall and died already—what are you waiting for?"
Enraged, the envoy jabbed a finger at Wei Yuan and bellowed, "Insolent madman! How dare you wag your tongue at me! I see you are—"
Before the envoy could finish, the hand pointing at Wei Yuan suddenly flew into the air! Only in the next instant did a piercing agony register, wrenching an immediate shriek from his throat.
Not just the envoy: the right arms of the other three Dao Foundation cultivators among the soldiers were all severed as well. They had shown no reaction whatsoever, shrieking in agony only after their arms hit the ground.
Wei Yuan stood where he was, appearing not to have moved at all. He remarked placidly, "The Western Regions have only one flaw: far too many horse bandits! Look at that—the esteemed lords were careless, and bandits cut off one of their hands."
The envoy proved surprisingly tough; swallowing his screams, he raged, "Nonsense! It was clearly you! Mark my words: today you sever my arm, tomorrow I will exterminate your nine clans!"
Wei Yuan sneered, "Which of your eyes saw me make a move?"
"I saw it with my own—" Before the envoy could finish, another scream tore from him; both of his eyes were reduced to bloody sockets.
In Wei Yuan's hand now rested a pair of bloody eyeballs. He murmured, "No. You cannot see a thing."
Wei Yuan turned to the rest of the soldiers and asked, "Did anyone else see me make a move?"
Ashen-faced, the soldiers shook their heads in unison.
"Very well. You may leave. Be careful not to run into horse bandits on your way back."
Using his remaining hand, the envoy tore a strip from his robes to blindfold his eye sockets, then tightly bound the wound on his severed arm. Throughout the entire process, he remarkably did not cry out in pain again. The soldiers quickly took his horse by the reins and headed back along the road they had come.
The envoy suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Once I return, I will faithfully report everything to Lord Governor! Wait and die, all of you!"
Wei Yuan said indifferently, "In this place, if I say horse bandits did it, then horse bandits did it. Feel free to say whatever you wish when you get back; it won't matter."
Watching the envoy's party recede into the distance, Wei Yuan suddenly asked Xu Yi, "Did you tell him you're from the Xu family?"
"I did. I wanted to intimidate him with it..." Xu Yi hung her head.
Before she could finish, Wei Yuan turned to the cultivators and commanded, "Hunt them down. Kill every last one of them. Leave no survivors!"
The domain cultivators promptly caught up to the detachment of soldiers, cutting everyone down in moments. With a flicker of movement, Wei Yuan appeared before the envoy and asked, "Do you have any last words to leave?"
Riddled with blade wounds, the envoy was breathing his last. Recognizing Wei Yuan's voice, he snarled, "Shameless villain, you broke your word!"
"I simply think it will be far more interesting to make the commandery governor rack his brains guessing where you ended up. Do you have any last words?" Wei Yuan asked once more.
Gasping for breath, the envoy said, "Tell my son... when he grows up, avenge me!"
"Fine, I heard you. But I have no time to deliver messages for you, so be on your way." Wei Yuan flicked a finger, shattering the envoy's sea of consciousness.
Chapter 182