Chapter 35: The Might of the Divine

Within the military camp, the vast majority of the Huben warriors were busy dodging the locusts. Even when the insects landed on them, these men merely brushed them off or picked them up and tossed them far away. Zhao Ji, however, was using a splintered bamboo pole to beat the locusts landing near him, leaving a puddle of yellow-green pulp by his feet.

Jia Kui arrived upon hearing the news, covering his face with his sleeve as he watched Zhao Ji single-handedly swatting the surrounding swarm. In less than two quarters of an hour, the number of locusts passing through had slightly diminished. Zhao Ji retrieved a wooden shovel and scraped the locust remains mixed with mud into a pile, roughly the size of a human head.

"We have sworn to uphold the state; we do not fear death, so why should we fear the Locust God!" Zhao Ji shouted. "If we do not kill these locusts and let them devour all our grain, what will we eat? What will our parents, brothers, and sisters eat? Shall we trade children to eat, or devour our wives and concubines after the children are gone?"

Zhao Ji hefted the mud-caked mass onto a low wall, shaping it with a pat before turning to scan the men around him. "There were locusts the year before last, and again last year; which family did not lose someone? If we don't want to starve this year, we must either kill the locusts or raid the Xiongnu's cattle, horses, and sheep! If it comes to eating people, we should be out there capturing the Hu barbarians to eat instead!"

He was furious, almost laughing at the stubborn, foolish men around him. No one responded. Zhao Ji’s gaze fell upon Ximen Jian, known for his clever schemes. Ximen Jian knew he could not avoid the question. "Commander... perhaps we should go and kill the Xiongnu instead. If we seize their cattle and sheep, we can support our families."

Jia Tong immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Once the swarms mature and the fields are stripped of grass, the Xiongnu’s herds will starve. They will find it hard to migrate, and their horses will be weak and lethargic—it is the perfect time to attack!"

"Ha! Hahahaha!" Zhao Ji could no longer suppress his laughter, his eyes brimming with mirth. Those standing close instinctively took a few steps back. His stomach aching from laughter, Zhao Ji wiped his eyes with his sleeve and caught his breath. "Gentlemen, you would rather risk your lives fighting the Xiongnu than kill the locusts?"

Pei Xiu stepped forward to answer, "Aji, the Xiongnu are merely many in number, yet they are ultimately human. But the locust is the emperor of all insects; the Locust God was born by the mandate of Heaven, and it is not something we can offend."

Jia Kui also stepped forward, his expression solemn as he admonished Zhao Ji, "When the locusts rise, even birds that eat them perish, and men or beasts who consume them will die of poison. This proves it is the will of the Locust God, something mortals cannot defy."

Seeing the concern and worry in their eyes, Zhao Ji felt a profound sense of helplessness. He asked once more, with great gravity, "The locusts bring famine. If we do not wish to starve, we must take food from the enemy. Gentlemen, is this not true?"

As Pei Xiu opened his mouth to reply, a locust landed on his head. He flicked it away and said, "That things have deteriorated to this point may be because the Xiongnu moved south to disturb the spirits of the Emperors Yao and Shun."

Fearing that Zhao Ji might continue to shout about killing locusts, Jia Kui immediately spoke loudly to the group, "Gentlemen, ever since the Xiongnu crossed the West River to invade Pingyang, Hedong has been plagued by disasters! We are unworthy descendants, and the heavens have sent us a warning. If we allow the Xiongnu to cross the Fen River and violate the spirits of Emperor Shun and Houji once more, I fear an even greater catastrophe will befall us!"

His expression was stern, his words absolute and seemingly sincere.

"Indeed! Ever since the Xiongnu invaded Pingyang, every year has been filled with turmoil and unease!" Jia Tong, filled with indignation, drew his sword and held it high. "To achieve peace and stability, we must drive out the Xiongnu!"

He scanned the crowd but could not find Xiangli Bao, remembering that those men had gone with Wei Gu to transport supplies. Jing Chun, commander of the Third Battalion and a long-time resident of the Puxia and Fenyin region, strode to Jia Tong’s side. He drew his sword, held it high, and looked around with a fierce gaze. "Kill the Xiongnu, enjoy peace!"

One by one, the Huben warriors drew their swords and held them aloft. Although they loathed the locusts, they truly did not want to follow Zhao Ji in killing them. The locusts had the Locust God, and it was a matter of Heaven's mandate—what good could come from defying destiny? But if all this was merely a warning from Heaven to go and kill the Xiongnu... then what was there to fear?

Killing the Xiongnu to seize their herds would ensure their families survived the disaster, even if the plague of locusts did not subside. While a few still contemplated the possibilities, the vast majority had been stirred to anger. In their simple understanding, the explanations provided by Pei Xiu and Jia Kui made perfect sense! The disasters in Hedong were caused by the Xiongnu's invasion of Pingyang, which had disturbed the spirits of Emperor Yao!

With the crowd in a fervor, Zhao Ji leaped onto the low wall and stood firmly. Raising his sword with his right arm, he roared to the crowd, "Unless we defeat the Xiongnu, I swear I shall not settle down!"

Most of the Huben warriors were unmarried, and they joined in the shout: "Unless we defeat the Xiongnu, I swear I shall not settle down!"

Amidst the shouting, a rider reined in his horse nearby, gasping for breath as he shouted, "Quartermaster Jia! Commander Zhao!"

Zhao Ji turned to look as the rider pointed with a trembling arm toward the east-southeast of the camp. "Commander Xiangli says the Hou brothers will break their promise and plunder the grain and equipment! Please, send troops to reinforce us immediately!"

At this, the warriors' fury burned even hotter, and every man glared with rage. Jia Kui rushed to Pei Xiu's side. "In my view, the Hou clan is faithless. To dare to attack the Huben—how is that any different from rebellion?"

If they dared to bare their teeth at them, what was that if not treason? Pei Xiu, who also disliked the Hou brothers and was already hot-blooded, did not hesitate. "We must suppress them!" He looked up at Zhao Ji on the wall. "Aji, how shall we fight?"

The surrounding warriors were also burning with intensity; they were all men who had suffered hunger in the past two years. Zhao Ji waved his hands to quiet the clamor before looking at Jia Tong. "Brother Wenzhen, lead a troop of cavalry ahead! I would like you to remain at the main camp and oversee the defense with Brother Wenqing."

Jia Tong immediately turned to Wei Xing. "Zi'ang, select your men and depart at once!"

"Understood!" Wei Xing grinned fiercely, waving his arm. "Second Troop, follow me!"

The other warriors cleared a path. Wei Xing strode forward with purpose, and the riders under his command filed out toward the stables. Zhao Ji turned to Wang Fu, commander of the Second Battalion. "I will go ahead. Have the Second Battalion prepare plenty of torches and follow behind."

"I am at your command, Commander Zhao!" Wang Fu replied, understanding the plan. The Hou brothers' manor and mines had everything; they had traded extensively with the Xiongnu over the years, and they had plenty of horses.

Zhao Ji then turned to Jia Kui. "Brother Liangdao, I must ask you to lend us some horses so my unit can travel faster."

"It is my duty." Jia Kui looked up at Zhao Ji on the wall. "The Hou clan fortress has powerful crossbows; do not be careless."

"Rest assured, Brother Liangdao. We only have a foothold if we take them; I will proceed with caution." As Zhao Ji spoke, a locust flew past. He reached out and snatched it, crushing it into pulp right before Jia Kui’s eyes, as if he were crushing the Hou brothers themselves. Jia Kui remained silent, as if he had seen nothing and heard no sound of the crushing.

The Huben warriors immediately began to busy themselves. Seeing that the crowd was dispersing, Pei Xiu came to find Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji was putting on his armor—the willow-laminated cuirass borrowed from Jia Kui. He had spent the day cleaning the inner lining and cloak, removing most of the bloodstains, but it was not yet dry, and the smell of blood lingered.

Pei Xiu felt uncomfortable, yet the scent of blood also stimulated him, and his spirit was invigorated. As he checked Zhao Ji’s quiver and sword, he said, "I am worried that Li Le will attack while you are away reinforcing Wei Zhongjian."

"Don't worry, Seventh Brother. I am only going to provide support; I will not use the opportunity to storm the Hou manor." Zhao Ji tightened his belt and took the precious sword given by Wei Gu from Pei Xiu, hanging it at his left hip. He continued, "I suspect more that Li Le will see us divide our forces to head toward Zijin Mountain and will take the opportunity to ambush us on the road. When I depart, I will take only a few torches. Later, when Wang Fu moves out, tell him to have every man carry a torch and spread out the formation to act as a decoy. After Wang Fu, ask Jing Wenqing to light torches and march out of the camp for three or four miles before retreating."

Pei Xiu, unsure of the situation regarding Li Le, could only agree. He then cautioned, "Your words about killing locusts are shocking; you must not speak of such things lightly in the future, Aji."

Zhao Ji frowned and nodded. "I understand your concerns, Seventh Brother, but if we don't kill the locusts, when will it end?"

Pei Xiu did not want to hear such jarring words. He looked at Zhao Ji with a stern gaze. "You dare to cut down even the Locust God; is there anything you wouldn't do? You must maintain a sense of awe, otherwise, who in the imperial court would dare to stand alongside you?"

Zhao Ji said nothing, watching Pei Xiu depart. As he was hanging his quiver, Jia Kui walked in and asked bluntly, "How much confidence do you have in taking the Hou manor?"

"I don't know. With the locusts passing through, hearts are unsettled, so tonight is indeed a good opportunity," Zhao Ji answered truthfully. "But with Li Le nearby, I must consider the safety of my companions in the camp."

However, Jia Kui’s expression was grave. "If the Hou rebels are suppressed, there will be talk in the camp of relocation. I am worried that the Xiongnu, affected by the locusts, will move south to raid both sides of the Fen River for people and grain."

"What is your meaning, Brother Liangdao?"

"We cannot abandon the Hou manor, but we cannot hide in the mountain ravines, either. Only by seizing the Hou clan’s smelting facilities and equipment, and then raiding the Xiongnu tribes, can we take this opportunity to grow strong." Jia Kui’s voice was low and steady. "As far as I know, Xihe Commandery is already in name only; the powerful clans in each county have mostly declined. Of the many noble families, only the Xiangli and Wang clans remain."

In the former Han Dynasty, the population of Xihe Commandery at its peak approached seven hundred thousand. By the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, the registered population was approximately twenty thousand. Now, it was even lower. The Xiangli clan of Xihe shared the same origins as the Xiangli clan of Pingyang, and the Wang clan was scattered throughout Hedong and Taiyuan. These noble families had their own retainers and servants, kept outside the registration system, but they were still under assault by the Xiongnu and on the verge of extinction. The decline of the powerful families in Xihe was a warning to the noble clans of the Pingyang region.

Jia Kui’s eyes were filled with expectation; resisting the Xiongnu could ignite the fighting spirit of everyone. But if the imperial court were to lure Zhao Ji away with high office and great rewards, the hope of counterattacking the Xiongnu would be lost.

"I gave you my word, Brother Liangdao, and that oath remains valid." Zhao Ji reached out his right hand, and Jia Kui, realizing his intent, reached out as well.

The two men gripped each other’s right hands firmly. Zhao Ji said, "I will help you drive out the Xiongnu; you will help me manage the locusts."

Jia Kui, his emotions surging, trembled at the words. "Aji, do not provoke the Locust God."