Chapter 63 Overcoming Hardness with Softness

Inside the Hu family residence in Jiangyi City, Hu Qian sat angrily on the mat. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and sleep evaded him entirely.

Those were eight broodmares!

Plus one fine steed—a total of nine horses!

His archery was renowned throughout the county. Had he bested Zhao Ji in archery today, giving away two or three horses would have been of no consequence.

Yet, he had lost. Even with his third round hitting the flatbread ninety paces away, even with his extraordinary, peak performance, people around him would only remember that he fell short of Zhao Ji. They would only remember that Zhao Ji could hit a flatbread from one hundred and ten paces away!

Splitting the flatbread at the camp gate was barely a hair's breadth shy of piercing a willow leaf at a hundred paces.

Those nine horses had dealt a severe blow to the Hu family's vitality.

Without broodmares to replenish their stock, the Hu family herd could not reproduce naturally to make up for daily losses.

Yet he could not refuse to hand them over; a ruined reputation was far more terrifying than financial ruin.

Hu Qian grew increasingly convinced that this was a trap set for him by Ximen Jian. The Huben guards were clearly well aware of Zhao Ji's divine marksmanship and knew the upper limit of his own archery skills.

He was already twenty-three years old, while Zhao Ji had not yet even undergone the capping ceremony. There was a four- or five-year age gap between them, meaning Zhao Ji's archery would only grow stronger in the future.

Even if he had won, what of it?

It would have amounted to nothing more than helping Mashi Zhi suppress the morale of the Huben and seizing a bit more initiative.

He could not help but harbor resentment toward Mashi Tong as well. Did that man really not know the extent of Zhao Ji's archery?

Just as Hu Qian was brooding with grievance and vexation, footsteps echoed from outside.

He composed his expression and stepped out of the bedchamber to see his younger brother, Hu Yu, standing at the door. "Elder brother, Father urgently wants to see you."

Noticing Hu Yu's bewildered look, Hu Qian could not help asking, "Did an outsider arrive?"

"Yes, it seems to be someone from the county magistrate's office. It was dark and they were far off, so I didn't see clearly."

As Hu Yu spoke, recalling the family's losses that day, he could not help letting out a long sigh.

Still, it was only a mild pang of heartache. No matter how great the loss, he would never lack for horses when going out on a hunt.

It was Hu Qian who had lost. Had he been the one to lose, their father and brother would never have acknowledged the debt so readily.

Ignoring his brother's sigh, Hu Qian stepped out of the small courtyard with him, following the corridor to the main courtyard.

In the side hall of the courtyard, Hu Ding sat upright. On the low table before him stood a goose-necked bronze oil lamp, its wick burning right at the top of the goose's head.

"Father."

Feeling a guilty conscience, Hu Qian's voice was much softer as he raised his hands in a bow of greeting.

"Sit closer and speak."

"Understood."

The two Hu brothers stepped forward and knelt on the mats before the low table, hearing Hu Ding ask, "Wengong, what do you think of Zhao Aji?"

"Your son has never heard of such a figure in Wenxi; he has truly emerged out of nowhere."

Composure regained, Hu Qian offered a relatively fair assessment: "Even without Lord Zhao, given Zhao Aji's martial prowess, he would still be a hero and leader in this commandery. What your son still fails to understand is why someone previously unknown chose to hide away in the wilds. Given the kinship between the Zhao family and the Pei family, and the magnanimity of the Pei family, how could they possibly have harmed him?"

What did it matter how formidable Zhao Ji's martial might was?

Having failed to study under renowned scholars or prestigious clans in his youth, there was no one to point him toward a bright path or arrange an official career for him. Even if he gained fame among the commandery as a chivalrous swordsman, he would still be no more than a tool of the hounds.

Had he not unexpectedly recognized his kinship with Zhao Yan, Hu Qian would not have deigned to give Zhao Ji a second glance.

The Huben guards of Wenxi would naturally speak highly of Zhao Ji's past experiences, but Beijiang was adjacent to Wenxi, and the Huben guards of both places knew each other and shared ties; some information inevitably trickled back to the Hu family.

Yet this information remained incomplete. The White Wave rebellion had left the countryside in ruins, and Zhao Ji's family had moved several times; no one could clearly trace Zhao Ji's upbringing.

From these fragmented pieces of information, however, the Hu family had managed to piece together a fierce profile.

Hu Qian was baffled, and Hu Ding was equally at a loss.

It made no sense for the Pei family not to cultivate Zhao Ji, nor for the Zhao family to have cast him away into the deep mountains.

Yet at this moment, that question was secondary. Hu Ding shifted the topic, saying, "Word has come from the county magistrate that a mutiny broke out at the military camp outside the city. Mashi Zhi attempted to persuade Lord Zhao to delay dispatching the troops. Zhao Ji discovered this and charged Mashi Zhi with disregarding the Son of Heaven's safety. When Mashi Zhi resisted with a weapon, Zhao Ji executed him on the spot."

Hu Ding recounted the events slowly, sighing with emotion: "This man's disposition is unyielding; he cannot be made an enemy."

Hu Qian and Hu Yu were left with lingering fear. It was fortunate they had gracefully conceded defeat and handed over the horses.

Hu Qian immediately chimed in, "Father, at the banquet in the camp today, this Zhao Ji wore a displeased expression, and many of his companions dared not drink. Your son felt at that moment that Zhao Ji had already resolved to kill Mashi Zhi... What is the situation outside the city now?"

"The camp remains as it was, without any unrest."

Hu Ding sighed once more: "Mashi Zhi has been stationed in this county for nearly two years. He usually commanded great prestige and deeply won the hearts of the officials and soldiers. Only today do we realize that two years of kindness are not worth as much as Zhao Ji splitting a flatbread. Common folk fear might rather than virtue; such is the way of the world."

Unrest in the camp outside the city would have seemed the more logical outcome in Hu Ding's eyes.

Yet, with the righteous cause of the imperial court pressing down from above, and the military coercion of Zhao Ji and the Huben from below—coupled with Mashi Zhi's death—not a single person had stepped forward to resist.

If the camp outside the city reacted thusly, the garrison inside the city would surely harbor little spirit for resistance either.

Mashi Zhi had died just like that, and more than a thousand commandery soldiers under his command had remained completely indifferent.

This filled Hu Ding with a profound sense of sorrow. If Mashi Zhi could be treated thusly, perhaps he himself would one day meet the same fate.

The righteous cause of the imperial court was simply too tyrannical, too irresistible.

Once their leader was gone, the remaining soldiers lacked even the courage to resist or seek revenge.

The reaction of the commandery troops filled Hu Ding with deep terror.

It was the panic of seeing one's means of survival stripped away.

Composing himself, he told his two sons, "The Huben are powerful now. The county magistrate wishes to gather the fine scions of our county and select over a hundred men to supplement the Huben. Whether this matter succeeds depends entirely on Lord Zhao's decision. Would you two brothers be willing to go?"

Hearing this, Hu Yu glanced sideways at his elder brother; to him, it mattered little either way.

To enter the Huben camp and fight alongside a man like Zhao Ji could hardly turn out terribly.

Whether it was the earlier ambush on the Xiongnu, the raid on the Hou family, or the killing of Li Le, Zhao Ji had performed impeccably.

Hu Qian, however, quickly realized the implication: this was a chance to ride the coattails of glory.

Mashi Zhi's scheme to seize the initiative had failed, costing him his life.

Since it was impossible to rally other gentry militias to suppress the Huben, they had to change tack and join the Huben instead.

The Huben currently numbered over seven hundred men, constantly replenished on their march south. By the time they reached Anyi, they would easily exceed a thousand.

Those joining later would naturally be the primary scions of prominent local families, acting as elder brothers to the native Huben and holding deep influence upon entering the camp.

Without hesitation, Hu Qian raised his hands in a bow. "Father, your son is willing to go."

"Your son as well," Hu Yu echoed promptly.

"Very well. Pack your gear and prepare your provisions. At daybreak, follow the county magistrate out of the city."

With that instruction, Hu Ding watched his two sons bow and withdraw. He still had a younger son, so he could afford to bear this risk.

They would organize now, wait by the royal highway when the Huben broke camp, and offer every smooth word possible. Since it was a time when the imperial court was in desperate need of talent, Zhao Ji would likely not object.

Once admitted into the Huben, they would no longer be men whom Zhao Ji could easily cast out.

Meanwhile, back in the military camp outside the city, Zhao Ji occupied a single barracks room alone, devoid of any lamplight.

Amidst the dark and silent night, Zhao Ji sat cross-legged, practicing the technique of 'Concentrating the Mind and Nurturing Qi.' He had initially thought this was merely an ability to enhance food digestion and accelerate the recovery of physical strength and stamina.

Yet in this state of deep meditation, he could indeed perceive a current of energy surging throughout his body, pulsing outward in irregular waves.

This was hardly a perceptual illusion akin to bioelectricity. In this state, even if he tried to feel anxious, anxiety refused to take hold.

His entire train of thought slowed down, appearing sluggish, much like holding a fishing net beneath a waterfall and waiting for the fish to fall into it.

Yet the slightest disturbance in the outside world would instantly quicken his thoughts, bringing them into synchronization with his surroundings.

Once he confirmed there was no danger, his mind would grow sluggish once more.

As the third watch approached, hunger forced Zhao Ji to snap out of this meditative state.

Although his stomach rumbled with digestive contractions, his mental state was remarkably crisp and vibrant, his eyes clear and bright.

He picked up his helmet and stepped out of the barracks. Han述 was lying on his side wrapped in a sheepskin cloak, fast asleep amid a pile of hay alongside several personal guards.

Two night-watch guards sat around the campfire, rising one after another as he approached. "Squad leader."

"Go on and sleep. I'll make the rounds, and then I'll take over the watch."

"Understood."

Overcome with drowsiness, the two guards murmured their assent, walked five or six steps to the hay pile, and lay down to sleep instantly.