The Innocent Heart - Chapter 98

“What do we do now?”

The three of them walked out of the room feeling quite dejected. Chen Zhi, seeing that Huo Qubing’s brow was still tightly furrowed, knew things were far from good. Yet, given the current situation, he could not think of a single effective solution.

“How about… we just ignore them and get away ourselves? we already warned these people, but they refused to listen. If they die, they deserve it.” Remembering the narrow escape they had when they first encountered the Xiongnu, Chen Zhi couldn’t help but feel like retreating.

“Do not be in such a hurry. This is merely my speculation for now; nothing is certain. Even if the Xiongnu truly come, Juyong Pass is situated on treacherous terrain and is notoriously easy to defend but difficult to attack. Even if they come, they will ten to one bypass this place and strike directly at Juyang.”

Although Huo Qubing’s mood was low due to Li Ting’s rejection, he quickly adjusted his mindset and began analyzing the situation once more.

“Get back to the room quickly. I remember that His Majesty prepared a map of Shanggu Commandery for us before we left. Let us examine it thoroughly and see from which directions the Xiongnu might launch a sneak attack.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhi was inwardly astonished. He felt with increasing clarity that, despite both being imperial relatives, the Son of Heaven’s attitude toward the two of them was worlds apart. He felt a sense of loss, but this time, it was not accompanied by resentment or dislike. Through their time together, he had witnessed the gap between them with his own eyes.

If I were the elder, I would likely prefer a child like Huo Qubing as well…

Time was of the essence. Huo Qubing hurried back to his room and, too impatient to wait for the servants, began rummaging through chests and cabinets with Guan Yueyao to find that map.

In this era, a map was not a common item one would see everywhere; on the contrary, it was extraordinarily precious. Unless one was a general deeply trusted by the Emperor, even a wealthy family caught secretly possessing a map could face severe punishment if reported. The map in Huo Qubing’s possession, however, not only clearly marked the terrain and defenses but, most importantly, was acquired through official channels.

Therefore, this map was not packed away in the common luggage crates but was kept among the valuable items Huo Qubing carried personally. Even so, it took the two some time to find the map carefully preserved within a lacquered box.

Despite having trained in the military for a while, this was the first time Chen Zhi had ever seen a map. He found it difficult to understand and could only stand by as Huo Qubing and Guan Yueyao pointed at the strangely undulating lines, engaged in discussion.

“Before Juyong Pass, there are several miles of narrow mountain paths. We already traversed them when we saw my uncle out of the Pass. In such a perilously steep place, and given that the Xiongnu are not skilled in infantry combat, it would hardly be a wise move for them to launch a reckless assault,” Huo Qubing said. His finger traced across the map, tapping lightly on the location marked as Juyong Pass, seemingly pondering what route he would choose if he were the leader of the Xiongnu.

“That mountain village that was slaughtered the other day!” Guan Yueyao suddenly spoke up. “Since the Xiongnu could reach that place, the villagers must have also gone to surrounding counties to trade for daily necessities. Why don’t we ask if there are any small paths leading to towns like Juyang?”

Guan Yueyao’s words reminded Huo Qubing. He hurriedly ordered someone to fetch the villagers currently settled within the Pass, wanting to glean some useful intelligence from them. Even if there were no such roads, these locals who had lived here for generations ought to understand the surroundings better than they did.

Before long, a mountain villager was brought in—the eldest man among them, who had likely been a man of some authority in the village. In the raid a few days ago, every member of his family—young and old—had been murdered, save for himself and an older son whom the Xiongnu likely intended to take as a slave.

His face still bore the marks of grief; he looked listless and dazed. Guan Yueyao lowered her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

“I wonder why you Officers have summoned this old man? What is it you wish to ask?” His tone was spiritless, as if he had aged many years in just a few days.

“I ask you this: from your village to the neighboring towns, are there any connecting paths? Whether it be an official road or a narrow goat-path carved by you mountain folk, tell me everything in detail,” Huo Qubing pressed urgently, having no time to attend to the man’s crumbling emotions.

“There is, of course. There is a path from the village that leads directly to Juyang City, sixty miles away. It is not hard to find; traveling merchants often use it as well.”

Hearing the man’s reply, Huo Qubing felt something flash through his mind. The thought vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but fortunately, Huo Qubing caught it. The questions that had troubled him for days seemed to be resolved the instant the man spoke.

Huo Qubing stood up abruptly from the couch and strode toward the man. In terms of stature, Huo Qubing was naturally not as tall as the grown man, yet for some reason, looking at them now, one felt the man was somehow shorter.

“What did you say! Many traveling merchants also know of that path!” As Huo Qubing asked, his surprise was so great that he involuntarily reached out and gripped the man’s shoulders with force. The man’s legs went weak, and he fell to his knees immediately.

“This lowly one… this lowly one is not certain, either. It is only that merchants would often pass through the village to stay overnight. The villagers gained much from this, and life became a great deal better.”

“So, that is how the Xiongnu knew the location of such a remote mountain village! Benefits—do the benefits you gained from those black-market traders who secretly transport goods to trade with the Xiongnu outweigh the lives of your kinsmen?!”

The room fell silent, save for Huo Qubing’s angry reprimand echoing through it.

“This… they might not necessarily be black-market traders, right?” Even Guan Yueyao was taken aback by Huo Qubing’s sudden rage, and her voice became a bit cautious.

“Ayao, you do not understand. If a legitimate merchant wants to trade at the border markets, they must possess the furu (tallies) and qixin (credentials) issued by the court to proceed, and they use the straight imperial highways. If, as this man says, those merchants travel between the Pass and the frontier but deviate from the imperial highways, who else could they be but smugglers without exit papers!”

Huo Qubing’s words left Guan Yueyao unsure of how to respond. But the most critical matter now was whether the Xiongnu might use this gap—unknown to the authorities—to launch a sneak attack on Juyang.

The man now understood Huo Qubing’s words. He seemed to have suffered a massive blow; ignoring the etiquette required before nobles, he prostrated himself on the ground and began to wail aloud.

“Stop crying for a moment! Tell me, where is that path, and how do we get there!” Huo Qubing had no time to waste on letting the man vent his emotions. He reached out, grabbed the man’s collar, and issued an urgent command.

But the man had completely lost control of his emotions. He had no heart to attend to Huo Qubing’s words, only weeping while muttering to himself. If one focused intently on listening, perhaps a few phrases could be discerned.

“I thought I could earn a little money to support the family. Who could have imagined that in exchange, I would lose my home and my kin…”

After a great deal of effort, they finally extracted the specific location of the path from the man. Huo Qubing carefully transcribed it onto a piece of silk and hurriedly headed out the door once more.

He had to report this to Li Ting. A path on the border that was not under the court’s control yet allowed the Xiongnu to come and go at will was a matter of grave importance. Surely even Li Ting would not sit idly by. The more Huo Qubing thought about it, the more critical the matter seemed. He dared not delay for a moment, his feet moving as if carried by the wind, leaving the trailing Guan Yueyao to chase after him in a frantic rush.

However, things did not go as Huo Qubing expected—or rather, they were far more severe than he had anticipated.

The two were hurrying along when they ran straight into Li Ting, who was also moving with great haste.

“Commandant Li, stay a moment! I have an urgent matter to report!” Huo Qubing hurriedly blocked Li Ting, who was heading out, and spoke loudly.

To his surprise, Li Ting only gave Huo Qubing a cold, stern look and did not even stop. He simply left behind a sentence: “I have urgent matters to attend to. If Attendant Huo has a pressing matter, it will not be too late to tell me later.”

In the time it took to speak, he had already moved quite a distance away with his subordinate officials.

“What is going on?” Guan Yueyao looked at the retreating backs of Li Ting and the others with total bewilderment.

“I fear the situation has changed. Look, more and more soldiers are gathering on the walls…” Huo Qubing’s face changed drastically mid-sentence.

“It is the beacon fires! The beacon towers ahead have been lit! There is an enemy incursion!” By the end, Huo Qubing’s tone had risen significantly.

Guan Yueyao looked in the direction Huo Qubing was pointing. On the towering beacon tower in the distance, the signal fire lit by someone was exceptionally piercing and eye-catching. The flames followed the beacon towers, being lit one by one in a chain. The glow reflected in the sky, as if it were about to set the entire heavens ablaze.

The fortress, which should have been quiet and peaceful, had now become exceptionally “busy.” The two youths stood in the midst of it, somewhat at a loss, watching ranks of soldiers march past them at a jog with rhythmic steps.

The shouts, the clatter of armor, the clashing of weapons, and the neighing of horses—it was as if all the sounds had merged into a vast, complex river that flowed into their ears.

“Huo Qubing, Guan Yueyao! What happened? Why is the camp suddenly so busy? Did you convince Li Ting?” Chen Zhi’s voice joined them at that moment. The youth, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, was struggling to push through the coming and going crowds to reach them.

“It is war. War is coming.”

Standing beside her friend, Guan Yueyao heard him murmur under his breath.