The Fragrant Commander

Wang Chong had truly never imagined that people in this world would be just as obsessed with getting on the official payroll! By the time he realized something was amiss, he already had five to six hundred men under him—plenty enough to stage a small rebellion. Well, the sort of small rebellion that would be speedrun and crushed by the imperial army in a single shichen and twenty-two cups of tea. Wang Chong was confident he could manage several dozen men, but with several hundred, he was driven to utter distraction. With five or six hundred men milling about in a swarming mass, Wang Chong nearly converted to Buddhism on the spot, only to lament that even after burning two sticks of incense, the Buddha refused to show himself. Yet the most panicked person in the manor was not Wang Chong, but Yu Zao. She could never have dreamed her young master would "build such an enormous family business"! For the first few days, the little maid still arranged their food and lodging, but by the eleventh day, she tightened her grip on the purse strings and flatly refused to provide meals, telling them to go forage for themselves. When Wang Chong tried to gently persuade her not to starve them like that, the fox-eyed little maid burst into tears and threw her arms around him, weeping so hard that Wang Chong was left utterly helpless. He had no choice but to turn to the Great Monk Xuan Gang for aid. The Great Monk Xuan Gang did not want to involve himself in this mess in the slightest. Sneering, he said, "What were you thinking at the start?" Wang Chong replied sheepishly, "I just wanted a few people to do unpaid labor. After all, your master is a sixth-rank official—isn't it only right to keep a few more men around to build up my prestige?" Though Xuan Gang's head was naturally large, it had never felt quite as swollen with a headache as it did now. He could not resist scolding, "Do you have any idea how rare an official status is? How dare you go around making reckless promises? And claim you’ll take anyone who comes? Right now, rumors are flying everywhere that the Prince of Yan is marching to the capital to come to the emperor's aid, and that his trusted subordinates are recruiting soldiers and buying horses!" Wang Chong was stunned. "There’s really such talk? That's terrible. If we draw the imperial court's army down upon us, what should we do?" Xuan Gang thought to himself, *I might as well scare you a bit!* After all, Chen Ba, the Sheyang Tiger, had truly robbed houses, pillaged, and established his own stronghold in the past; even when he fabricated things on a whim, it sounded just like the real deal. Xuan Gang rubbed his bald head and sighed. "There are more and more people in this compound, and even this monk can't take it anymore. Let me offer you an idea! Take your men into the mountains and become bandits." Wang Chong cried out in shock, "Become bandits! Is that something a decent person does?" Monk Xuan Gang sneered. "You're not a decent person to begin with." Wang Chong truly could not accept such an outrageous suggestion. "How is that any different from rebelling?" Xuan Gang said, "There is no difference." Wang Chong finally realized that his bald elder martial brother was thoroughly unreliable. Huffing in anger, he flicked his sleeves and stalked off. Coming out of Xuan Gang's quarters, he saw people crowding every corner of the courtyard, and his headache worsened by several degrees. By now, nearly every man in Tongzhou who was of suitable age and possessed a smattering of martial arts had gathered here. Wang Chong thought to himself, *Rebelling is absolutely out of the question, but there has to be some way out of this, right?* Just as he was fretting, a sharp young fellow stepped forward to report. "Boss Luo of the Qinghe Gang has come to pay a visit. Does Young Master wish to see him?" This youth hailed from a long line of constables; his surname was Liao and his given name was Bian. Uninterested in martial arts from a young age, and with a family unable to afford his scholarly education, he had drifted aimlessly until he came to seek refuge with Wang Chong. He was exceedingly perceptive and was actively trying to steal Wang Dong's job. Not wanting to look at the crowd any longer, Wang Chong said, "Come with me to see our guest." Liao Bian happily followed Wang Chong out. Wang Chong saw an old man who looked faintly familiar, and asked, "Which distinguished member of the Qinghe Gang is here?" The old man quickly cupped his hands and said, "This old man is Luo Dayong. I had the privilege of seeing Young Master during the last expedition against White Chrysanthemum. I have come because our Qinghe Gang spotted a cavalry detachment from the Jiuqu League heading straight for Pengshan County. We hope Director Wang will make preparations early." Wang Chong was shocked. "Is this news true? How many men are coming?" Luo Dayong said, "How would this old man dare invent such rumors? There are around two thousand riders, each man with two horses. Both men and mounts are fierce and battle-hardened. They carry horse lances, scimitars, bows, and arrows. Every one of them bears the scars of battle, and the reek of blood on them is suffocating." Wang Chong's immediate, instinctive reaction was: *The eighteen grassland tribes sent men to kill the Prince of Yan.* He had always felt this matter had nothing to do with him. The Prince of Yan was the Prince of Yan, and he was himself; the prince had not even officially summoned him to guard his person. Well, even if he were summoned, he had no desire to go; he would most likely get lost along the way. As a transmigrator, who would risk their life for some noble young lord? Not even for a noble young lady. But how had this turned into a surprise raid by the Jiuqu cavalry of the eighteen grassland tribes on Pengshan County? Wang Chong asked with a grave expression, "Roughly how much time until they arrive?" Luo Dayong answered, "Two shichen at most." Wang Chong shot to his feet. He knew there was no longer time to verify whether the news was true or false; two shichen would pass in the blink of an eye, and preparations had to be made at once. He asked casually, "Do you know who their leader is?" A look of terror suddenly overtook Luo Dayong's face, and he lowered his voice. "It is the Fragrant Commander!" Wang Chong was startled, thinking to himself, *Does this world have a Chu Liuxiang too?* He asked, "What kind of figure is this Fragrant Commander?" Luo Dayong shook like a sieve, appearing even more terrified. He answered, "It is Yaglakar Yehu!" Wang Chong breathed a sigh of relief, yet grew even more astonished. "Why are you so terrified, Master Luo? Since this man is titled the Fragrant Commander, he must be a refined and elegant person. Does he possess some terrible reputation?" Luo Dayong said with a trembling voice, "He is no refined person. The fragrance in his title refers to the aroma of roasting meat!" "Years ago, the allied forces of the eighteen grassland tribes breached Shangdu and carried off the two emperors, Qin and Hou. All the noble women of Shangdu were imprisoned in Shengshan Temple, the foremost grand monastery of the age, to be defiled by the grassland soldiers for their amusement. When the Heavenly Empress raised an army to relieve the capital and drove the eighteen grassland tribes back, this very man set a fire at Shengshan Temple before leaving, burning seven thousand women and children of Shangdu to death. It is said that the aroma of roasted flesh could be smelled thirty li away." Wang Chong took in a sharp breath. Not long had passed since he transmigrated, and though he had heard countless tales of the cruelty of the eighteen grassland tribes, he had never imagined war could be this gruesome. Seeing Wang Chong lost in thought, Luo Dayong hurriedly urged, "Director Wang, if we don't leave quickly, I fear it will be too late. Whenever the Yaglakar army of the Jiuqu League marches, they slaughter every city they take—without exception. Yaglakar Yehu has an especially notorious reputation. He delights in roasting human flesh, even categorizing it into grades like 'supreme' and 'succulent fat.'" At this point, Luo Dayong could barely keep his footing. Given a choice, he would never want to face the army of the Jiuqu League; he only wished Wang Chong would set out immediately. Wang Chong had encountered people from the eighteen grassland tribes. Aside from Qian Luo Yi, the others were either of unknown temperament or barely human. Though he had not witnessed their past deeds with his own eyes, neither Tie Mole nor Wen Ducheng had ever concealed their atrocities, and several of the most horrific White Chrysanthemum cases had been their doing. Back then, he had not felt much of an impact, but right now, a chill lingered along his spine, refusing to dissipate. Only eight words echoed in his mind: *They slaughter every city they take—without exception!* *Flee!* *I can't flee!* *If I flee, the people of Pengshan County are finished.* *What does their life or death have to do with me?* *...Still, there are some lines that simply cannot be crossed...* Knowing time was of the essence, Wang Chong made a swift decision. Reaching out with a hand, he struck Luo Dayong's acupoints. ...Chu Liuxiang: Go for it, kill that knockoff... ...Yaglakar Yehu: The Central Plains traitor said the Prince of Yan was here...