Chapter 65: Return to Beixiang

Before noon, Zhao Ji arrived at Beixiang.

Flag bearer Gao Yanglong strode into the Beixiang settlement first, followed by two battle flags.

One read "Liangzhou牧" (Governor of Liangzhou), and the other read "Han General Who Conquers the West."

Looking around, Gao Yanglong saw no other figures except for Hu Ban.

Hu Ban watched as the Tiger Warriors (Huben) filed in one by one. They wore no uniform military attire, and the shapes of their armor were haphazard—iron and leather armor varied greatly in style, and their clothing was mostly tattered and worn.

From a distance, they looked no different from Li Le's former subordinates, both presenting a ragged appearance.

Entering Beixiang, it felt to Zhao Ji like revisiting an old place, yet the experience was quite novel and rather fascinating.

He leaped off his horse and immediately asked Hu Ban, "Why is the Military Scribe Hu here?"

"I lost my mount and was forced to linger here."

Hu Ban replied with a bitter smile, which also served as an explanation to Wei Gu.

Glancing left and right, Zhao Ji asked again, "Where are Beixiang's elders, village chiefs, pavilion heads, and market masters?"

"They have all gone to recruit able-bodied young men, and it is unknown when they will return."

Hu Ban raised a hand and pointed to a corner of the settlement, "The elderly and weak are still here. Shall I summon them to cook meals for the officials and soldiers?"

"No need."

Zhao Ji stepped forward a few paces to clear the path so that the following Tiger-like cavalry could pass smoothly.

Entering a nearby courtyard with Hu Ban, Zhao Ji asked, "Since the Military Scribe has lost an official horse, what is the best way to handle the county's prosecution?"

Hu Ban was a county official, equipped with clerks, county soldiers, and a public riding horse. The clerks and county soldiers had been organized into the Tiger Warriors' auxiliary troops, while Hu Ban had ridden south alone.

Hu Ban thought for a moment and said, "Under the present circumstances, I can only purchase another horse to compensate the public."

"I happen to have a few spare horses in my name. The Military Scribe might as well take a look first. If it works out, I can sell one to you."

Zhao Ji spoke casually, and Hu Ban put on a grateful expression as he accepted. After all, his career as a county official would not last much long anyway.

With Pei Xiu and Zhao Ji pulling strings from above, sneaking a horse back into the county records meant the county authorities certainly would not pursue the matter deeply.

Just by virtue of the five hundred-plus cavalrymen in Zhao Ji's hands, when marching south through the county seat, the local Magistrate Zhang would naturally consider the matter carefully and handle it properly.

Before long, the Tiger Warriors dismounted their horses of their tack, as this was the only way to let the mounts rest properly.

As for the Tiger Warriors themselves, they remained in armor, sitting directly on the ground along the simple streets and eating dry rations.

Zhao Ji did not arbitrarily commandeer civilian houses either. Instead, he rested in the open space of the marketplace, built a campfire, and boiled some hot soup to drink.

Hu Ban sat nearby, carefully explaining the whereabouts of Beixiang's local officials: naturally, they had taken the able-bodied men and women out to avoid the rebellious troops, and at this moment, they were likely hiding in the nearby hills and observing the area.

Zhao Ji was not surprised; this was the correct choice for survival in troubled times.

Of course, on the surface, Hu Ban's story was that Beixiang's officials had led the able-bodied youths out to recruit righteous volunteers and it was unknown when they would return.

Amidst their casual chat, Han Shu walked over quickly, saying, "Squad Leader, someone from the Pei family is holding a letter from the Legal Scribe and requests an audience."

"Bring him to me."

"Understood!"

Han Shu hurried away again and quickly brought back two young men, both acquaintances of Zhao Ji.

One was Fu Yuan, Pei Xiu's little follower, and the other was Fu Yuan's cousin, who was also the younger brother of his own brother-in-law, Pei Bao.

When the two arrived, they were leading a panting horse. Pei Bao stepped forward quickly, cupped his hands, and said with an awkward expression, "General Zhao."

"Just call me A-Ji. There are no outsiders here."

Zhao Ji could not help laughing. "We haven't seen each other in a long time; why are you suddenly so distant?"

"It's what my elder brother said. In the military, one must address others by their official titles, maintain a strict hierarchy between superiors and subordinates, and not overstep boundaries."

As Pei Bao spoke, he glanced at Fu Yuan. Fu Yuan was already quickly untying the saddle and taking out half a pack of forage to feed the horse.

Having finished these tasks, Fu Yuan dusted the grass chaff from his sleeves and walked briskly to see Zhao Ji, reporting, "This subordinate greets Squad Leader Zhao. I have fulfilled my mission."

With that, he took out two silk letters and handed them over, asking, "Where is the Seventh Brother?"

"Seventh Brother stayed behind to guard the main camp, organizing, training, and supervising the auxiliary troops together with Infantry Scribe Xue Ming."

Zhao Ji unfolded the silk letter. It was written by Old Zhao and contained over a hundred words, heavily instructing him to be filial to Zhao彦 (Zhao Yan), not to throw temper tantrums, to listen to Zhao Yan in case of any disputes, and not to make enemies with his comrades-in-arms.

Looking at these words, Zhao Ji felt as if he could hear Old Zhao's voice ringing in his ears.

Especially regarding the handling of disputes and comradely relations, the letter practically explicitly warned him not to hold back.

With Old Zhao backing you from above, yet you still hold back—once Old Zhao is gone, what will happen to the family?

Taking advantage of the current convenience, seize the opportunity to settle things thoroughly to avoid future regrets.

This fit Old Zhao's temperament precisely.

During the past two days of being alone with Zhao Yan, Zhao Ji had finally figured out why Old Zhao had fled and escaped punishment back then.

It wasn't simply a matter of killing a local tyrant; he had killed a member of the imperial clan, specifically a close relative of the Prince of Langya.

Even with repeated imperial amnesties, Old Zhao never dared to return home, because the Langya princely lineage still possessed the capability for revenge.

The moment he returned home, he would face vendettas from the Langya princely lineage.

However, the Yellow Turban rebels had already breached the royal domain of the Prince of Langya, and the clan had long since lost its former arrogant momentum.

In the end, Old Zhao had taken root in Hedong and had no desire to toss about anymore.

Perhaps feeling a sense of guilt toward his clan, that was also one of the reasons he was unwilling to return home.

Zhao Ji unfolded the other silk letter, which was also in his eldest brother's handwriting—a letter from Pei Xiu's mother. The letter stated that she had been properly settled and hoped that he and Pei Xiu would serve the country well without being distracted by family matters, and that Pei Xiu and he should support and rely on each other.

After reading both silk letters, Zhao Ji asked Fu Yuan, "Brother Ziping, are you returning to the unit, or going to the Seventh Brother's place?"

"This subordinate is heading to the main camp."

Fu Yuan pointed at Pei Bao and said, "I leave A-Bao in the hands of Squad Leader Zhao."

Pei Bao also looked eagerly at Zhao Ji, who looked him up and down and said, "If A-Bao enters the camp now, he cannot become a Tiger Warrior. He can serve as my personal retainer. I have fifteen cavalry servants, and he can just right assist me in managing these cavalry servants. Is A-Bao willing?"

"I am willing!"

Pei Bao immediately accepted, adding, "It is good enough that A-Ji is willing to keep me."

"Very well. Han Shu, take A-Bao to get a set of armor, equip him with bows, crossbows, and military gear, and assign him a public horse. The cavalry servants will still be under your command, with A-Bao acting as your deputy."

"Understood!"

Han Shu cupped his hands in salute. Pei Bao also cupped his hands in acknowledgment, glanced at Fu Yuan, and followed Han Shu away.

Zhao Ji then said to Fu Yuan, "Ziping, you should also go find Han Shu and have him exchange you for two horses so your travel will be faster."

"Thank you, A-Ji!"

Gratefulness showed on Fu Yuan's face. He and Pei Bao had ridden the same horse on their way here, and the animal was already exhausted.

If he had two horses to take turns riding, not only would returning to the Tiger Warrior camp be faster, but if he encountered any unexpected danger, he could cut off the tail to survive—if he lost one horse, his chances of survival would greatly increase.

Zhao Ji merely nodded. He had reserve public horses on hand anyway, and holding onto them meaninglessly served no purpose.

As for the horse assigned to Pei Bao, it was his own private horse, which could not be confused with public property.

Even if Pei Bao achieved military merits, he could only be promoted within the auxiliary troop system.

He would probably have to sever eight enemy heads before he could be promoted to a squad deputy; only after accumulating command merits could he be elevated to a formal accompanying Tiger Warrior.

Cutting off the possibility of a flood of Tiger Warriors through personal connections would naturally strengthen the collective sense of honor among the Tiger Warriors, reducing the number of deserters.

The more precious the identity of a Tiger Warrior, the higher the probability of scattered members returning to the unit.

He did not understand military strategy very well, but he understood human nature.

If the quota for Tiger Warriors were expanded indiscriminately, it might look like the scale was growing, but it would actually be detrimental.

Having dealt with these trivial matters, Zhao Ji saw that the hot soup was ready, sprinkled some salt into his cup, scooped the soup to dissolve the salt grains, and began eating while biting into flatbread.

At this moment, three cavalry servants brought over a platter of freshly gathered wild vegetables, washed in well water, and dropped them into the pot.

Wearing tattered leather armor, they also sat directly on the ground.

As Zhao Ji's personal retainers, their morale was actually higher, and they took greater pride in this identity.

If there were any benefits, Zhao Ji would naturally prioritize giving them out.

This logic was sound: within the camp, the Tiger Warriors were the highest-ranking, followed by them, and their treatment was perhaps even superior to that of the auxiliary troops and laborers.

It was just that there were no auxiliary troops or laborers in the southern expeditionary force, making comparisons difficult.

However, once they defeated or beheaded Han Xian, they would immediately acquire a large number of prisoners of war, from whom they would naturally screen personnel to form new auxiliary troops and laborers.