She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

”Oh? Is the information accurate?”

Ashima’s eyes glittered with gold.

”I suppose Beiguan’s scouts have also gathered this information.” Princess Yujia nodded and continued, ”Mother thinks that our harassment should not cease; we must adjust the intensity from time to time. Meanwhile, we’ll prepare covertly, and a month later, once we are fully prepared, we’ll release the news that Ala and Meng Country are planning to attack Beiguan early. While Cao Xiong’s attention is on Ala and Meng Country, being complacent about our harassment, we can capture Yong’an City in one fell swoop.”

”Hm! Wonderful, this plan is truly wonderful. Yujia, you are indeed the most intelligent woman on the grasslands. Hahaha...”

Ashima was evidently very satisfied with Princess Yujia’s strategy.

Seeing that the Khan approved this strategy, Alpi’s eyes immediately flashed with excitement and belligerence.

He stood up, saluted, and said, ”Your majesty is wise! I am willing to lead the army, charge into battle for the Khan, and capture Beiguan!”

Ashima looked at the two of them and nodded with satisfaction. He stood up and walked to the center of the tent before a map on the sand table, tracing his finger across it to outline attack routes.

”Haha, who says the Turkic people only fight after autumn? In a month, we shall determine the fate of Da Jing in one battle, showing the Jin Dynasty our Turkic prowess!”

......I’m a lazy dividing line......

Jingzhou Songyang Town.

Ping Chuan and Jin Ju waited another day at the inn for Han Lei but still did not find her returning, so they set out for Canzhou according to Zhao Zun’s instructions.

In the inn where Han Lei and Wei Chengchao stayed, two thieves who had stolen wine and sold it for silver returned after dining heartily outside and wandering around aimlessly.

At that moment, inside the room where the two thieves stayed, the pair sat under dim lighting, smugly discussing their next move.

”Mr. Yang, we certainly made a fortune this time!” One thief clapped the table, a big grin on his face, and said.

”Indeed, Tong. In my life, I’ve never seen so much money!” Yang Haibo also laughed, barely containing his delight. ”Now, I can buy medicine for my mother’s treatment.”

”Mr. Yang, may I... buy myself a decent set of clothes?” Tong looked at Yang Haibo with hopeful eyes.

Yang Haibo glanced at his tattered clothes and nodded firmly. ”Buy them, I’ll get them for you tomorrow, but we must save enough silver for my mother’s medicine.”

”Okay!” Tong nodded, then suggested, ”Today, some of the gentlemen want us to deliver wine to their homes. Mr. Yang, why don’t we strike while the iron is hot and steal once more from that courtyard in a couple of days? Perhaps we might score some more!”

”Hmm... Is that alright?” Yang Haibo hesitated a bit, but after thinking it through, he agreed. ”However, they might already be on guard, so this time we must be cautious not to be caught by the authorities.”

Bang!

Just as the two were engrossed in their scheme, suddenly, the door was kicked open.

”If you’re afraid of being caught by the authorities, why be thieves?”

A group of stout men, armed with weapons, stormed in. The group was led by a burly man, Big Wu from the Big Character Squad.

”Ah?”

”Mr. Yang!”

The two thieves panicked, with Tong trembling in fright as he hid behind Yang Haibo.

”Take them down.” Big Wu shouted angrily, and the members of the Big Character Squad quickly surrounded the two thieves.

”Please spare us, please spare us.” Seeing the situation, Yang Haibo and Tong’s faces changed drastically; they tried to flee, but found themselves trapped, unable to escape.

Big Wu stepped forward, grabbing them and dragging them out of the inn.

”Whether you can be spared depends on what our lady says. Come, I’ll take you to meet her!” Big Wu said coldly.

Not long after, the two thieves were taken to the best restaurant in town — Piaoxiang Building.

At that moment, though the restaurant was brightly lit, business was not very good. Big Wu took them to an elegant private room, pushed open the door, and shoved them inside.

Inside the room, a woman of modest attire yet sweet appearance sat at a round table piled high with gourmet food — Han Lei.

Han Lei saw Big Wu bring in the two thieves and showed no anger but instead smiled and greeted them.

”Please, have a seat!”

The two thieves looked at each other nervously, unsure of what this lovely lady had in store for them.

”Our lady asked you to sit, hurry and sit down.” Big Wu said impatiently.

”Y-yes.” Yang Haibo pulled Tong and cautiously sat down, not daring to breathe too heavily.

”You both are quite skillful! You managed to steal all the wine from my courtyard and sold it at an unexpectedly high price.”

Han Lei went straight to the point with a playful look in her eyes.

Upon hearing her words, Yang Haibo and Tong were stunned, unsure of how to respond. They exchanged a glance and decided to confess for leniency.

Yang Haibo, older of the two, first left his seat, knelt to the ground, and kowtowed zealously, pleading, ”Lady, we... we were driven by desperation, momentarily blinded by greed, and did such a thing. Please, have mercy and forgive us this once!”

The younger Tong also hurriedly knelt, continuously kowtowing and begging for mercy: ”Please, Lady, spare us! We’ll never dare again.”

Han Lei did not immediately say whether she’d pardon them but instead carefully observed them.

The two thieves were quite young, with the older one around seventeen or eighteen and the other appearing only fourteen or fifteen. Their bodies were frail, skin sallow and emaciated, indicating chronic malnutrition.

So young and already pathologically corrupt?

Han Lei frowned slightly, looking at the older Yang Haibo and questioned, ”Why did you say you were driven by desperation?”

Yang Haibo did not dare raise his head; he pointed to Tong beside him, and said: ”Young lad here is named Yang Haibo, from the Yang Family Village in Taoyuan County, Jingzhou. He is Tang Xiaotong, an orphan who has been learning to be a peddler with me.”

”Since you have legitimate trade as a peddler, why resort to theft?” Han Lei asked puzzledly.

Yang Haibo continued, ”Lady, we are not truly bad people. My family was tenant farmers for the Su Family. Two years ago, there was a locust disaster; the crops failed completely. The Su Family demanded rent payment; my father argued with them. Their steward had my father beaten to death and reclaimed the land. My mother fell ill as a result and requires long-term medication. I have no land to farm and can only be a roaming peddler. But the times are tough; with Beiguan constantly warring annually, few people buy our goods. Our home is struggling, can’t afford daily meals, and my mother can’t be without medicine. That day, while selling goods, attracted by the courtyard’s fragrant wine, we gave in to temptation... thus committed the theft.”

Hearing this, Han Lei looked at them with more compassion in her eyes.

She had heard Zhao Zun speak of the four major families in the Jin Dynasty — Wei, Sun, Su, Song.