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Chapter 47: Capture the Cow and Seize the Swallow
Qiao Yan stretched out her hand, mimicking the action of closing a net, catching the flickering signal amidst the night.
On the high mountains, the lookout post sent a fleeting fire signal after the Black Mountain Bandits passed by.
At that moment, the Black Mountain Bandits were already heading down the mountain and had not noticed the flash signaling from above towards the county city.
But that signal reached Qiao Yan’s eyes, and as she raised her hand, the county officials waiting for her signal outside the county office immediately took off running to relay the orders issued by the County Marquis.
The prior disasters had made the people of Leping County place absolute importance on this grain, which could very well save lives.
So, not only did they express their outrage and pledge to march up the mountain when Qiao Yan mentioned the imminent attack by the Black Mountain Bandits, but after she informed them of the bandits’ reconnaissance, they proactively formed a team for night orders.
As soon as they heard about the Black Mountain Bandits’ attack from Qiao Yan, they would wake up their comrades in a flash, assembling a youthful fighting force of nearly a thousand.
When these Black Mountain Bandits rushed down from the White Dragon Road and reached the southernmost part of Leping County City, although it seemed quiet and unguarded in the night, the messengers wearing soft-soled shoes had already turned the streets into a seething cauldron.
Moreover, the granary was located at the southernmost end of the county city, effectively preventing their voices from reaching the ears of the Black Mountain Bandits scaling the city walls.
Leading the charge, Zhang Niujiao glanced north, recalling Chu Yan’s repeated admonitions before his departure, and shook off his greed for the potentially abundant wealth from the county office and Qiao Yan’s residence, heading straight for the conspicuous granary.
This granary wasn’t hastily built; rather, it was an existing storage facility measuring about twenty to thirty meters across that had been cleared of waste and made damp-proof, just perfect for stacking millet.
As Zhang Niujiao approached, he smelled a strong scent of wine.
Two lanterns hung at the entrance illuminated the scene clearly.
Originally, there were two guards at the door, but both were obviously dead drunk now.
Aside from two half-full wine jars that had been knocked over at the entrance, one of them lay sprawled in the grass, having stripped off his shirt due to the summer heat and wine, while the other grasped an empty wine bowl, having collapsed beneath the steps.
Zhang Niujiao picked up a shard of the wine jar from the ground, pouring the remaining wine that glimmered in the moonlight into his mouth, swishing it around.
“Damn it, we’re eating grass on the mountain, and these guys are drinking!” he grumbled, feeling a bit resentful, not even minding that the remaining wine was too little. Just as he started to appreciate the flavor, the wine on the shard vanished without a trace.
But even in small quantities, it was enough for him to confirm it was a far superior wine to what he had drunk before.
Secretly cursing in his heart, he noted that these people not only had ample provisions but had also let their guard down to this extent, focusing solely on drinking to the point of having one of them passed out.
But that undoubtedly worked in his favor!
That Chu Yan was overly cautious about the County Marquis of Leping.
No matter how much she prevailed in debates against the Great Virtuous Teacher, it didn’t change the flaws of those aristocratic youngsters; she was still too young and thus too careless regarding defense in the county.
He yanked the keys from the waist of the unconscious guard, kicked his head to ensure he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon, and immediately opened the granary door.
Inside the granary, after leaving a passageway, sacks upon sacks of grain were piled up tightly, revealing themselves before him.
The moment Zhang Niujiao opened the door, he felt like he was hit with a wave of fragrant rice aroma.
This scent dispelled the lingering smell of the wine in front of him.
He beckoned the strong men following him to step forward and carry the grain sacks.
In the Han Dynasty, one “shi” was about 27 kilograms, and to carry heavy loads, most of the men he brought along were strong laborers, but even the strongest couldn’t carry much besides the grain sacks.
Out of the over one thousand men accompanying him, they could only transport about one-fifth of the granary in one go.
Fortunately, they had their backup team waiting, and to ensure they could take all the grain, they brought along the carts they had previously looted from elsewhere.
Just a few more trips needed to be made!
However, Zhang Niujiao couldn’t help but feel resentment; if it weren’t for Qiao Yan accompanying Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi to drive their Yellow Turbans deep into this state, and having the image of the Great Virtuous Teacher’s miraculous healer shattered, he shouldn’t have had only this little manpower when rising against them.
Out of the five thousand he had rallied, some stayed behind, some couldn’t travel at night, and excluding women, children, and the elderly, the remaining number ended up being this pitiful.
The shortage of hands only piled on more work for him, which was truly infuriating!
But upon seeing the south gate of the county city swinging open for their entry, revealing a passage for transporting the grain, Zhang Niujiao felt a wave of relief wash over him.
No matter how clever that kid was, he would still have to face the reality of the granary being looted with thirty thousand “shi” of grain going missing tomorrow.
If it were during the day, due to the unique terrain of Leping, they would undoubtedly be detected while still on the slope, potentially intercepted by spontaneously formed defense teams among the county citizens atop the city walls. But at night—
Taking advantage of the enemy’s negligence, he graciously accepted this grain!
As they completed two trips in succession, loading the brought carts to near capacity, Zhang Niujiao felt victory within reach.
Though the back-and-forth journeys left him and the accompanying youths somewhat tired, just another two or three trips would wipe out that granary entirely, an astounding harvest that undoubtedly uplifted his mood.
He even pondered whether to roll the carts outside Leping County for easier loading, but after listening to the sound of the cart wheels, he decided against it.
Better to play it safe and make a few more trips.
He chewed on a flatbread to regain some strength and retraced his steps down the mountain but failed to notice that, just beneath the horizontal ridge, on the north and south mountain paths leading down to the White Dragon Road, several pairs of eyes were keenly observing their movements in the fairly bright moonlight.
Cheng Li silently signaled to Bao Hong, the signal for them to strike as soon as they arrived.
Bao Hong’s heart raced.
When Qiao Yan mentioned Hero’s Wine earlier, he had thought she wanted him to crack down on the bandits and showed reluctance, feeling that their manpower couldn’t possibly compete with the Black Mountain Bandits’ numbers. However, now he thought—
Maybe this wasn’t an impossible fight after all!
Thanks to the thirty thousand “shi” of grain, the combat strength mobilized in Leping County significantly increased, and with that grain, the Black Mountain Bandits, who hadn’t exceeded Qiao Yan’s estimated numbers, had to first act as porters, wearing down part of their stamina.
Not to mention, they were in a position of being ambushed!
Bao Hong completely dismissed his earlier reluctance, now fully absorbed in the thought that this challenging escort mission might bring him some merit and recognition for himself.
This could pay him back for all the pressure he’d experienced along the way!
Once this thought crossed his mind, he clutched the sword at his side and, under Cheng Li’s command, slowly withdrew from the high ground, lying in wait to pounce upon the White Dragon Road.
As he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps, his mood relaxed.
This was a surprise attack that absolutely couldn’t fail.
Fortunately—
The third trip to transport grain had not only exhausted Zhang Niujiao but had also caused him to become somewhat careless out of joy at having passed the halfway mark and the disdain he felt for the completely unguarded victims.
Just as they were carrying rice bags up the mountain, a sudden clamor of shouts broke out from the middle of the line.
Drums were banging!
To ensure that the two hundred men led by Bao Hong had the effect of two thousand, Qiao Yan had them haul every instrument capable of making noise from the county city up the mountain.
But perhaps they didn’t even need such fanfare. After all, previous successes had led Zhang Niujiao to underestimate Leping and made those who came with him also see it as a soft target for temporary storage.
Yet reality tends to be harsher than expectations.
At night, unable to discern how many members of the enemy’s ranks there were, Zhang Niujiao suddenly turned around, and within the blink of an eye, their side had thrown into chaos.
Carts and grain bags were all over the place!
Transporting grain and maintaining formation in a military line are completely different; with goods being transported, their formation had already stretched significantly. Not to mention, amidst the sudden change, those carrying grain had momentarily forgotten whether they should flee with the grain or drop it and draw their weapons.
The hesitation process alone was enough to lose the initiative.
No matter how few men Bao Hong’s team had, they were still part of the Northern Army of the Han, vastly superior in combat capacity compared to the bandits.
If the enemy were starving and seeking survival, Bao Hong might have to worry about the extreme fighting spirit they might unleash, but the current situation was different. While still seeking to survive, with the Black Mountain Bandits already thrown into disarray, their first choice should’ve been to flee rather than to gather and counterattack.
The night was only hindering the Black Mountain Bandits’ ability to assess their enemy.
The sound of drums from all directions and the sharp weapons of the Northern Army soldiers skewed their perception, misleading them into overestimating the enemy’s numbers and fighting capacity.
And thus, their most elite fighters were magnified into the strength of the whole ambushing team.
What constituted elite combat strength?
It was Dian Wei, whom Qiao Yan had tasked Cheng Li to command!
Although Bao Hong had spent some time in Leping County and had a slight understanding of the strength of this formidable warrior beside Qiao Yan, when Dian Wei obeyed Cheng Li’s orders to step out later and waited for Bao Hong to scatter their ranks before launching an attack, the fierce general charging forward seemed to render the grain-carrying Black Mountain Bandits as mere paper cutouts.
He couldn’t help but muse how great it would be if such a fierce warrior were under his command…
But clearly, this wasn’t the time for him to lose focus.
With Dian Wei opening a path, in this advantageous engagement, he could go straight for the bandit leader, Zhang Niujiao.
Normally, in a nighttime assault like this, it would be difficult to recognize the leaders among the enemy ranks, but Zhang Niujiao had already walked around under Bao Hong’s eyes two times; having memorized his features, he wouldn’t fail to recognize him.
At this point, there was no concern about accidental injuries either, for Zhang Niujiao’s troops were still following him in confusion without being commanded to drop their grain bags, which served as a clear indicator for both sides amidst the chaos.
Perhaps they didn’t even need to go through such hassle. Even if they abandoned their grain bags, it wouldn’t change the disparities in equipment between the two sides.
This was precisely why Qiao Yan wanted Bao Hong’s soldiers to be the ones lying in ambush, rather than a spontaneously formed defense team from Leping County.
With them, their numbers might be greater, but they would never be able to create such a pronounced shock effect.
With Dian Wei leading the way, facing a less fortified opposition instead of a solid wall, he seemed unstoppable. Even though there was still some ground to cover to reach Zhang Niujiao, the lethal weapon appeared to be within arm’s reach.
Zhang Niujiao wasn’t exactly a master commander; at best, he was slightly prescient in rallying followers to rise up and had blended well with his subordinates.
But in this situation, such advantages meant absolutely nothing.
On one side, casualties piled up, and with signs of defeat evident, it was hardly beneficial that the main commander couldn’t quickly issue orders, regroup the troops, or organize an effective counterattack.
This was a grave taboo in wartime.
Clearly, this made Bao Hong’s side’s advantages even more pronounced.
At this moment in the mountains, perhaps the Black Mountain Bandits had someone remaining who maintained their cool amid the crisis, and that was Chu Yan ready to support Zhang Niujiao with his troops.
Sun Qing and Wang Dang, who had also wanted to help with the grain transport, had been placed under Zhang Niujiao’s command and were now among the troops being crushed by Bao Hong, while among the three thousand handpicked, only eight hundred stood ready to assist Zhang Niujiao on the ridgeline.
As Bao Hong and Dian Wei’s forces surged out, Zhang Niujiao was thrown into confusion, but Chu Yan kept his composure.
He immediately readied his men to move down the mountain to provide aid.
But before he could venture far, from his elevated position, he distinctly saw Bao Hong’s forces charging in as if it were a breeze, and through the city gate opened for their side from Leping County, a considerable number of people poured out in succession.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Yan couldn’t accurately judge their numbers, but he could see groups of torches and lanterns illuminating the night, signaling a gathering of forces.
He couldn’t ascertain exactly when they had assembled and prepared.
Perhaps they had been ready for battle since Zhang Niujiao’s men appeared in the county, as the previous lax state that allowed free entry was merely a bait!
But now, it was pointless to dwell on that. All he could see was the glowing snake of fire along the path swamping down the fleeing troops with an overwhelming force of arms.
And at that moment, the disturbance in the distance inevitably stole some of his focus, as that valorous warrior Dian Wei had already made it to Zhang Niujiao’s front.
Though Chu Yan didn’t think this was cheating in combat strength, witnessing the current situation—grain bags scattered around, the tumultuous assembly of over a thousand men being split down the middle, and even Zhang Niujiao himself closing in on that fierce warrior—he knew that what he needed to do wasn’t risk a reckless rescue that would lose more lives but instead quickly withdraw.
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“We need to preserve our fighting force!”
This was precisely why he chose the Taihang Mountains as his operational base!
Chasing him through the mountains was no easy feat; if they wanted to escape and gradually regain their strength, it wasn’t an impossible task.
Understanding the situation, Chu Yan immediately issued an order.
“Abandon the grain carts!”
At this point, worrying about spoils of war was completely meaningless and would only be a burden.
“Head south—”
He meant to say they should go south, but suddenly, a flickering light appeared in the dim night to the south.
Although the light shone for just a moment, it raised Chu Yan’s alertness to the maximum.
Little did he know that this was just a signal previously sent to Qiao Yan about the Black Mountain Bandits’ arrival, now being reused.
All he knew was there was already an ambush midway, and within the county city, a team seemed ready to move. It clearly felt like more ambushes were set along their way back.
Of course, there was indeed an ambush, but it wasn’t too massive; it would only delay them a bit.
But Chu Yan couldn’t distinguish that now, so he quickly changed his command: “Go north!”
They were currently near the Jingxing Road in the Taihang Eight Passes, with mountains extending northward and three access points available; if they headed north, they could still hide in the mountains and then return to Changshan County, looking for a chance to go back to their previous camp.
Chu Yan was making solid plans; in fact, his adaptability was among the best among the remnants of the Yellow Turban Forces, but unfortunately…
While some youth of the city, aiming to rid themselves of the bandits, had split off from the south gate to pursue the grain-stealing team, another group, led by Zhao Yun, exited the East Gate and headed straight up the Xuejiao Ridge Path.
This was a road that was slightly easier to traverse, as it was often traveled.
And these youths, familiar with the area, sped up the slopes at night without losing pace, arriving before Chu Yan, right at the forefront of the Hengling Mountain Path, known by Qiao Yan as the position below Phoenix Mountain.
If it weren’t for the night, perhaps the narrow paths around this mountain could have allowed Chu Yan and his men to disperse, but given the circumstances, to avoid stepping into a trap, the only viable retreat route remained that one.
Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief from the diminishing sounds of clashing steel behind him, the chaos erupted once more within the ranks.
This time there was no clanging of gongs and drums to confuse and rally the troops, but rather a youth wielding a spear charging in forcefully, sweeping his silver spear straight toward him.
Amidst the instant chaos, Chu Yan heard a remarkably clear voice proclaim—
“Zhao Yun of Changshan stands here!”
Zhao Yun?
As a fellow townsman, Zhao Yun knew Chu Yan well, and how could Chu Yan possibly not know Zhao Yun’s name?
However, there was no chance of recruiting him; Zhao Yun had quite the talent and effectively protected Zhaojia Village. Chu Yan never anticipated Zhao Yun would be here.
Even more surprising was that he had become the leader of this Leping team.
In fact, the forces emerging now were certainly weaker than Bao Hong’s earlier squad, yet these men following Chu Yan had already been influenced by earlier encounters. Despite both sides starting off on even ground, Zhao Yun’s presence truly intimidated the Black Mountain Bandits.
Moreover, Leping still had Zhao Yun!
Though the lad lacked a good steed—of course, riding didn’t suit the narrow mountain paths—it did nothing to diminish his presence, charging in with the momentum of a meteor.
Instinctively, Chu Yan raised his knife, which blossomed with the spear dancing towards him, bringing forth immense force.
As the opponent closed in, he also tossed torches to stir chaos in the mountain path, their flaming light reflecting violently in Chu Yan’s eyes.
In such a bold advance, his largely untrained men had no time to surround the enemy.
Only he could confront Zhao Yun.
But he… even if Chu Yan didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t change the fact.
He was truly not Zhao Yun’s match!
After Zhao Yun knocked the knife from his hand with a single thrust of his spear, he had no choice but to either meet his death or surrender; there was evidently no third option.
Once he was securely bound, he and his heavily injured subordinates were taken to Leping County.
Due to the inadequacy of space in front of the county office, they were led directly to the granary.
The battle that caught them off guard had wrapped up, and by now, dawn was breaking, allowing Chu Yan to observe the scene that he hadn’t seen upon entering the city.
Especially the wine jars at the granary door.
Having realized that Leping County was evidently well-prepared for the Black Mountain Bandits, it was clear they wouldn’t have overlooked guarding the granary, a move designed to lower their guard.
Zhang Niujiao, also brought along, recognized this fact as well. Meeting Chu Yan’s gaze, he couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty.
Who could blame him, though? His wariness had indeed been somewhat lessened by this situation, which made him completely forget about Chu Yan’s earlier warning to keep an eye on their surroundings once they entered the city.
“Brother, it’s me…”
“Captured by the King of Hell, reeling as we catch a baby swallow before Phoenix Mountain, Leping is truly a treasure spot!”
Zhang Niujiao’s words were interrupted mid-sentence by a surprisingly annoying remark that made him glare, finding a girl in a dark robe approaching, the very words spoken as she clapped and laughed.
He wanted to demonstrate his anger and resentment, but in this world, it’s always the winner takes it all; now that he was a prisoner, had he any capital left to act arrogant?
Zhang Niujiao scowled at the perceptive County Marquis behind her.
Behind her stood Dian Wei and Zhao Yun, the two military merit officers responsible for capturing both him and Chu Yan, and with these two flanking her, Qiao Yan’s aura was formidable.
“To be honest, I received news about you two a month ago, and there were even requests to join forces to eliminate you. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the power to deal with you back then, so I could only delay until today.”
Qiao Yan stated calmly, unexpectedly seeing a hint of frustration flicker across both Chu Yan’s and Zhang Niujiao’s faces.
This so-called delay until today didn’t seem to convey any sense of respect to them; instead, it felt as though Qiao Yan was saying that on this very day, they both had jumped into a pit, which was undeniably a favor to her.
Since they had become aware of the bountiful loot present here, it was nothing but a complete trap.
But in these famine-stricken years, who wouldn’t be tempted by a stash of grain?
The Wang Clan of Jinyang didn’t care and even offered an additional 15,000 shi of grain as a token of gratitude to get close to Qiao Yan, yet those who chose to leave their hometown and took refuge under the Taihang Mountains to become Black Mountain Bandits clearly couldn’t afford to overlook this!
Even knowing that a trap lay ahead, if they had to do it all over again, they’d probably choose a different approach to acquire the grains.
Unfortunately, their opponent was not an ordinary person.
This county lord held victory in her hands; however arrogant she appeared, it would hardly be excessive.
“This doesn’t seem like the usual behavior of County Marquis Qiao.” Xu Fu observed Qiao Yan’s demeanor and whispered to Cheng Li.
Cheng Li was merely directing Dian Wei and Bao Hong to act at the right moment; he hadn’t experienced any real confrontation—just a bit of a long night, he remained tidy and composed.
After hearing Xu Fu, he asked, “Are you implying that Qiao Yan’s attitude towards Chu Yan and Zhang Niujiao seems different from how she treats her previous prisoners, like Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang, Liang Zhongning, and those Yellow Turban Bandits?”
“Exactly,” Xu Fu replied.
Cheng Li explained, “This isn’t strange; she harbors some respect and pity for Zhang Jiao and the like because their lives and deaths weren’t something she could decide, especially since someone like Zhang Jiao, the Yellow Turban leader, would face only death after quelling the disorder, while the two in front of her now certainly aren’t in the same boat.”
He then unleashed a possibility that Xu Fu hadn’t considered before. “I suspect County Marquis Qiao intends to recruit them.”
“But—”
What Xu Fu wanted to say wasn’t about the Black Mountain Bandits being criminals; it was that their numbers and scale had grown to rival the past Yellow Turbans, making it extremely dangerous for Leping County to accept them.
Moreover, the confrontation also involved the imperial northern army, and Bao Hong would soon leave to return to Luoyang; if Qiao Yan truly intended to harbor these Black Mountain Bandits, it would undoubtedly be a perilous move.
For it was uncertain what kind of impact this news would have upon reaching Luoyang.
However, Xu Fu also discerned some hidden undertones in Cheng Li’s words.
It was entirely reasonable for her to maintain a pressure on them since she aimed to subdue the Black Mountain Bandits.
If she didn’t first wear down their morale, there’d be no chance for any talks about submission.
That was why Qiao Yan had started with such a light-hearted tone.
Although the arrival of these Black Mountain Bandits led to a considerable portion of her food being left on the mountain paths and certainly inflicted damage during the chase, it was still about nearly ten thousand people; following the usual accounting practices during the conflict period of the Han, slightly embellishing the number to two or three times wouldn’t be a stretch, and it shouldn’t hamper her composure.
Chu Yan lifted his gaze to Qiao Yan, stating, “Since you’ve captured us, feel free to do as you please; what’s the point of further words?”
Qiao Yan seemingly ignored the anger in his eyes and replied淡淡. “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘wipe out evil to the end’?”
Chu Yan’s brow flickered.
Qiao Yan continued, “Though the Black Mountain Bandits are diminished without you, the rest may still stir up some trouble. Rather than letting them grow unchecked, it’s better to resolve the other issues as well.”
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
While what she said made sense, Chu Yan couldn’t grasp why Qiao Yan didn’t treat them as bait but instead tossed them to the shrine that Qiao Xuan was supposed to build in Leping.
The shackles in the county office were limited, and they couldn’t limit everyone’s hands and feet; plus, the officers present were also quite few; if some wanted to escape into the mountains, it was certainly feasible.
However, Chu Yan quickly realized that even if some could manage such an escape, no one truly took action.
Why? Because this Leping County lord seemed to be particularly generous with the food supplies, thus giving these prisoners, who shouldn’t have been well-fed, enough to fill their stomachs.
The grains sent over from the Wang Clan of Jinyang were nothing compared to ordinary rough grains; at this time, even the most humble meal would be eaten down to the last grain.
Why would they run?
Chu Yan noticed that two more shipments of rice had also arrived in Leping County; though less in quantity than the earlier 30,000 shi in the granary, it was sufficient to render the granary a coveted destination.
Now they must have at least 60,000 shi of grain, right?
“What six thousand? If we have two thousand five, we’re lucky.” Qiao Yan rested her chin on her pen, revealing a hint of distress.
Feeding the laborers was indeed a good way to keep the Black Mountain Bandits steady for now, but the consumption was astonishingly high.
Moreover, aside from the expenditures for these laborers, some of the county folk who had suffered casualties during the pursuit of the Black Mountain Bandits also required rice as compensation.
Add to that the consumption caused by Bao Hong and the others staying here; earlier, they could rely on the granary’s original inventory, but now they had begun dipping into her hard-won food supplies.
Although she appeared to have guaranteed food reserves with supplies circulating in and out, this wouldn’t last forever, and she had to come up with ways to boost income.
And the thought of those she’d sent to pacify the remaining Black Mountain Bandits brought an increasing urgency to her situation.
The bottom line couldn’t change just because the numbers increased; farming remained farming; it wouldn’t become winemaking… This income boost…
Just as she was considering this, a knock interrupted her thoughts. After she gestured for them to enter, she saw Yang Xiu push the door open and stand before her, a complicated look on his face.
He certainly didn’t bear the residual influence of the terrain model Qiao Yan had created earlier, nor did the earlier battle in the Taihang Mountains leave any impression on him. Instead, he had just received a message that was, to him, somewhat… absurd.
“That… Zhi Cai wants to see you.”
Upon hearing the “Mr.” tacked on to Zhi Cai’s name, Qiao Yan instinctively sensed that something strange had occurred.
Indeed, Yang Xiu followed up with, “Perhaps it shouldn’t be ‘Mr. Zhi Cai,’ but rather ‘Xi Zhicai’。”
Xi Zhicai?!
Qiao Yan nearly rose instinctively, but having faced numerous challenges, she maintained her composure before Yang Xiu.
Yet, although she had encountered many future talents during her journey, she had never met someone like Xi Zhicai, who arrived on someone else’s turf to ‘work’ in such a half-hearted manner, especially a strategist of his caliber being stuck in this brewing business.
Reflecting on her previously wanting to praise his adventurous spirit in concocting sweet pea wine only made her chuckle.
But now, why wasn’t he continuing as that ‘drunken worker’?
The thoughts swirling in her mind did not impact her level-headed response: “Let him in.”
Xi Zhicai entered the room in that same ragged attire she had seen him wear previously, still displaying the demeanor of someone who seemed still slightly intoxicated. However, in his gaze was a glimmer of clarity that clearly distinguished him from any mere drunkard.
Upon entering, he cupped his hands towards Qiao Yan, saying, “From Yingchuan, Xi Zhicai, here to offer counsel to the County Marquis.”
