Chapter 12: Captain Qin

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The following morning, after Zhao Bin and Xing’er had finished their morning exercises, they led everyone out of the prince’s residence and headed straight for the city gate. Before leaving, he also instructed Chun Xi to find a way to procure two more sheep so they could welcome the brothers home with a feast.

Surrounded by fifty guards, they arrived at the city gate, where they happened to encounter Qin Fang, who had come to inspect the city defenses. Qin Fang was tall and powerfully built to begin with, and dressed in armor, he appeared even more imposing.

Qin Fang stepped forward and saluted. “This subordinate pays his respects to Your Highness, Prince of Yan.”

“There is no need for such formalities, Commandant Qin.” Zhao Bin gave him a faint smile.

“May I ask whether Your Highness intends to leave the city?” Qin Fang asked as he straightened.

“Yes. I’m merely going out for a stroll,” Zhao Bin replied indifferently.

Hearing that Zhao Bin intended to leave the city, Qin Fang’s brows drew together slightly. He then said, “Your Highness, the autumn harvest is upon us. Jie raiders may cross the mountains and enter the passes, setting fires, slaughtering people, and seizing grain wherever they go. For the sake of your safety, Your Highness would be better off remaining inside the city.”

Zhao Bin’s heart tightened when he heard that Jie raiders might appear again. He immediately asked, “Are there many of them?”

“Your Highness, the mountain roads are difficult to travel, so there are not many. Every year, only a few hundred manage to enter the passes. They then divide into several small bands—some numbering over a hundred, others only a few dozen—and scatter to raid the villages and towns.” Qin Fang spoke helplessly.

“Xiao Chu, take the brothers and go meet the convoy at once. Make sure nothing goes wrong,” Zhao Bin ordered immediately.

He knew that although only a few hundred Jie raiders came each year, they certainly would not dare enter the passes on foot alone. If they did, they would be unable to seize much grain; and even if they managed to do so, they might not be able to transport it away. Though the mountain roads were difficult, these men had most likely brought horses with them. The defenders of Yan City were all infantry, and most of them could not ride. Besides, the city possessed only a few dozen military horses, used primarily for patrols and carrying messages. Pursuing and killing the mounted raiders was simply impossible.

“Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate obeys.” Xiao Chu turned and shouted to the guards behind him, “First and second squads, stay behind to protect His Highness. Third, fourth, and fifth squads, follow me!”

“No need. Take everyone with you. Old Wu alone will remain. With Commandant Qin and the others here, nothing will happen to me,” Zhao Bin said.

“But, Your Highness…” Xiao Chu glanced at Qin Fang and was about to say more, but Zhao Bin cut him off.

“It’s fine. Go quickly.”

Zhao Bin knew what Xiao Chu wanted to say: he did not trust Qin Fang. But since Qin Fang had just tried to stop him from leaving the city, he presumably had no intention of harming him.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Xiao Chu said no more. He turned and led the fifty guards in long strides out of the city.

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After watching Xiao Chu leave, Zhao Bin turned to Qin Fang and asked, “Commandant Qin, would you accompany me on a walk along the city wall?”

“After you, Your Highness.” Qin Fang said nothing more and made a gesture of invitation.

Zhao Bin quietly walked toward the stairs leading up to the wall. Qin Fang followed at his side, while Wang Wu walked one step behind them. Qin Fang noticed that the moment Xiao Chu had departed, Wang Wu had silently placed his hand upon the saber at his waist.

The three of them climbed onto the wall and proceeded along it at an unhurried pace. Zhao Bin gazed out over the empty wilderness, where weeds grew thickly in every direction and only a sparse trickle of travelers passed along the official road.

Looking upon the desolate scene, Zhao Bin sighed with emotion. “If only the Flying General of Dragon City still stood guard, the barbarian horses would never cross Mount Yan.”

The original line in the poem was “the barbarian horses would never cross Mount Yin,” but Zhao Bin had changed it to Mount Yan, moved by the sight before him.

Hearing those two lines, Qin Fang was shaken. Though he was a military man, he possessed a rough knowledge of literature. He did not know who the Flying General of Dragon City was, but he understood the meaning of barbarian horses and knew where Mount Yan lay. That single line expressed the innermost longing of countless borderland soldiers and commoners.

Gazing into the distance, Zhao Bin asked casually, “Commandant Qin, where are you from?”

“This subordinate is from Hebei, with ancestral roots in Changshan,” Qin Fang replied calmly.

“Changshan? That is a famous place. Do you have any family still living there?” Zhao Bin continued.

“No one.” Qin Fang’s face remained utterly expressionless.

“No one?” Zhao Bin was somewhat startled.

“Yes. In the early years of the Yuanhe era, the Jie broke through the passes and swept southward, burning, killing, and looting all the way to the northern bank of the Yellow River. Every member of my family died in the chaos of war. In the eighth year of Yuanhe, when the imperial court launched its northern expedition, I joined the army.”

After speaking, Qin Fang also lifted his head and gazed into the distance, as though recalling something.

Wang Wu leaned close to Zhao Bin’s ear and said, “Your Highness, the old General Ding who led the northern expedition in the eighth year of Yuanhe was your maternal grandfather.”

“Oh? Then Commandant Qin was one of my grandfather’s former subordinates?”

“Yes. At the time, I did indeed serve under the old General Ding,” Qin Fang replied.

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“Then do you know Wang Wu? He was the old General Ding’s personal guard,” Zhao Bin asked curiously.

“When we recaptured Yan City in the thirteenth year of Yuanhe, I saw him once as the old general entered the city,” Qin Fang said evenly.

Zhao Bin turned to look at Wang Wu. Wang Wu shook his head, indicating that he had no recollection. This was hardly surprising. The northern expeditionary army directly under the imperial court numbered one hundred and fifty thousand, while the forces supplied by local powers totaled another two hundred and fifty thousand, making four hundred thousand soldiers altogether. By the end of the war, fewer than two hundred thousand remained.

With so many people involved, it was impossible for Wang Wu to remember more than a handful—at most, a few of the commanders. Later, he returned to the capital and entered the Ding household. It was only after Zhao Bin established his own residence that Consort Ding sent Wang Wu to serve as his guard and protect him.

The three men chatted atop the city wall until nearly midday. Then Wang Wu pointed into the distance and shouted excitedly, “Your Highness, look! It’s the convoy. Commander Xiao and the others are back!”

Zhao Bin and Qin Fang looked in the direction Wang Wu indicated. A group of men escorting a convoy was approaching the city gate.

Qin Fang asked curiously, “Your Highness, what is this?”

“Oh, nothing much. I sent the brothers to bring back some seafood. If you have time, Commandant Qin, you should come to the prince’s residence and taste some.” Zhao Bin laughed heartily.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

When the soldiers guarding the city heard that it was seafood, they all stared curiously at the slowly approaching convoy. In truth, they had no idea what seafood was. In that era, marine products were extremely difficult to transport inland. By the time they reached their destination, they would already have spoiled. Thus, aside from people living along the coast, many inland inhabitants had never even seen what seafood looked like.

Though they had never seen or tasted it, they had heard that it was food served in the prince’s residence. It must therefore be something precious, and envy naturally appeared on their faces.

Before Xu Ling departed, Zhao Bin had explained to him how to make ice and preserve food. He had even drawn several diagrams and asked Xu Ling to bring back some seafood for them to sample.

Xu Ling had not disappointed him. Whenever the tide receded and he had nothing else to do, he took the brothers to the seashore to gather seafood and kept it alive in pools. On the return journey, they selected the larger crabs, shrimp, and sea cucumbers, sealed them in ice, and thus managed to transport half a cartload of seafood back to Yan City.

Standing atop the city wall, Zhao Bin waved vigorously at the convoy. Then he turned to Qin Fang and said, “I’m off, Commandant Qin. I’ll return to the residence first. If you have time, come over and enjoy some seafood.”

With that, he walked down from the wall without looking back.

Qin Fang watched Zhao Bin’s departing figure and saluted with cupped hands. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

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