“Sir, hurry up to the tower!”
There was no cement road in Dakang, and as the warhorses galloped wildly, the dust they kicked up obscured Qing Mulian’s view of the approaching riders. She assumed bandits had come for rescue and quickly urged Jin Feng to ascend the tower.
The veteran soldiers and female troops on the tower promptly swivelled some heavy crossbows to face outward, preparing for defence.
Yet Jin Feng and his personal guards did not budge.
“Don’t panic, it should be Da Liu and his men.”
In the Chuan-Shu region, tall grassland warhorses were rare. In the entire Jinchuan County, only Jin Feng had the resources to assemble such a large cavalry unit.
The riders began slowing down several hundred metres away. As the dust settled, Qing Mulian saw that the leader was indeed Da Liu and signalled the female soldiers to stand down.
“Sir, the warhorses have all arrived. Apart from these I brought, the rest have been sent back to Xihe Bay.”
Da Liu stroked the warhorse with his left hand, far more gently than he ever touched his wife.
“I thought Lord Qing hadn’t received my letter.” Jin Feng said with a smile.
He had long ago written to Qing Huai requesting a batch of warhorses. By the timeline, they should have arrived ages ago, but it was only yesterday that a messenger finally reported their arrival.
“By the way, these are letters from Lord Qing for you, sir, and Miss Mulian.”
Da Liu wiped his hands on his clothes, pulled two letters from his bosom, and handed them separately to Jin Feng and Qing Mulian.
After reading, the pair exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.
“These dandies flee faster than anyone when battle comes, but when it is time to snatch credit and spoils, they run even quicker!”
Qing Mulian said, “Utterly shameless.”
“I hope your brother is alright.”
Jin Feng shook his head with a wry smile.
“My brother will definitely be fine. What is Zhang Qiwei of the Dening Army? He dares compare himself to my brother?”
Qing Mulian fumed, “He deserted at the brink of battle. If my brother had not considered the bigger picture, I would not have settled for breaking his legs. I would have chopped off his head!”
Since the battle at Weizhou City ended, those terrified dandy scions had returned with their entourages.
Each brazenly claimed participation in the fight, demanding General Fan report to the court for rewards and honours.
Court officials were hopeless at war but adored tall grassland warhorses. Any minister arriving at court without one pulling his carriage or ridden by his guards would face mockery and disdain, deemed incapable of even procuring such a horse.
Thus, the dandies’ zeal for seizing captured mounts surpassed even their greed for military glory.
General Fan, a seasoned court veteran, well understood the powers behind these scions. This victory’s merits were too vast for him and Qing Huai to monopolise. Forcing it would likely burst them.
So they yielded much credit, exchanging interests with the forces behind the dandies.
This was why Jin Feng had taken his gains and withdrawn promptly.
Court politics ran too deep for a mere engineering man like him to navigate. Insisting on lingering at the frontier for glory might mean dying without knowing how.
Qing Huai understood this too and had agreed when General Fan divided the merits.
Until Zhang Qiwei arrived with his men…
This fellow had rushed over eagerly to leech credit upon seeing Jin Feng’s victory, unstoppable even by General Fan.
Yet Jin Feng only tasked him with guarding prisoners, a simple duty he botched, letting spies free the captives.
Had Jin Feng not prepared contingencies and retreated to the hills, they would have truly fallen.
Upon discovering the prisoner revolt, Zhang Qiwei thought not of remedies or rescuing the Tielin Army but immediately abandoned his troops and fled with his guards.
Qing Huai, upon hearing this, raged despite his wounds and grabbed a blade to hack him.
Unfortunately, Zhang Qiwei believed Weizhou City indefensible, never entered, and fled straight back to the capital.
It was precisely Zhang Qiwei who made Jin Feng realise the Dakang court was beyond salvation.
Such a battlefield deserter faced no punishment upon return, instead thriving, boasting everywhere of clashing blades with the Dangxiang.
Recently, he was even redeployed to Weizhou City to claim merits and horses on behalf of the Zhang family.
For another house, Qing Huai might have swallowed it, but not Zhang Qiwei.
Had Jin Feng not turned the tide, the Tielin Army would have been annihilated by this man’s folly.
Now he dared demand merits and horses?
Even a clay figurine has some temper, let alone the decorated Qing Huai.
Zhang Qiwei’s fate was predictable.
Not only did he gain no merits or horses, but Qing Huai broke both his legs before a crowd of dandies.
“Your brother was impulsive this time. No matter what, Zhang Qiwei represents the Zhangs. To vent anger, a stealthy clubbing would suffice. Doing it openly nearly tears faces with the Zhangs, dooming them to feud.”
Jin Feng sighed, somewhat worried for Qing Huai.
Yet as his sister, Qing Mulian showed no concern, only fury.
“Sir, you still do not understand court.”
Qing Mulian said, “With sufficient benefits, noble clans have no irreconcilable feuds. I wager brother Qing Huai acted deliberately, not impulsively.”
“Deliberately? Why?” Jin Feng asked curiously.
“Brother Qing Huai has shone enough these years, already a marquis. Next is duke.”
Qing Mulian asked, “Sir, do you think His Majesty would allow father and son both dukes in one house?”
“Definitely not.” Jin Feng began to grasp her meaning.
“You may not realise, sir, but this victory’s merit is colossal. To those dandies, it is ambrosia, but to brother Qing Huai, poison.”
Qing Mulian said, “Qingshu Valley’s great triumph was essentially yours, sir, leading the Tielin Army alone. No one can deny the Tielin Army’s, your, and brother Qing Huai’s contributions.
His Majesty has not ennobled anyone in years, yet broke precedent for you, sir, precisely because otherwise, public outcry could not be silenced.”
“So this merit, Lord Qing must accept even if unwanted. Thus he broke Zhang Qiwei’s legs, giving court grandees pretext to attack him, offsetting the merit, yes?”
“Yes.” Qing Mulian sighed helplessly.
Jin Feng inwardly rejoiced at his earlier decision and pitied Qing Huai.
To earn merit yet scheme exhaustingly to shed it.
He knew not how to judge this.
“Forget this vexing matter. Hand over to Da Liu and come with me.”
“Can I leave now?”
Qing Mulian’s eyes lit up, “Where to?”
“To the county office, to witness Xiao Bei and me receiving our marriage certificate. No more talk of us sneaking about!”
