Chapter 147: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 147: 

 

Shi Xiujin would continue to complain to her father and sister after returning home, but Liu Mian Tang didn’t think about it at all.

By the next day, the carriages of Prince Huaiyang were all packed and ready. Mian Tang set off for the North Sea with her son, Little Yi'er, and Cui Fu, and Jin'er, following the caravan in a straightforward manner.

Unlike her previous secretive trip to the northwest, when she was worried about being discovered by Cui Jiu, this time Mian Tang traveled openly, following behind the carriages.

The journey to the North Sea was long, but the road was well-maintained since the previous emperor's expedition to the region. Marching was not particularly difficult. Mian Tang initially worried that her son was too young to endure the hardships of traveling, but Xiao Yi'er spent his days eating and sleeping comfortably, often being held by his wet nurse to bask in the sun, cooing contentedly.

Due to the need for Cui Xingzhou to wear armor, once they entered the North Sea territory, the heat caused him to break out in rashes. Although he had been marching swiftly, he would occasionally take the time to ride over on a fast horse to reunite with his wife and son during their stops.

Every time she saw him take off his armor, his skin was covered in red rashes, and Mian Tang felt a pang of sympathy. Fortunately, she had brought plenty of medicinal supplies and found some ointment to relieve the itching and dampness, applying it to Cui Xingzhou’s skin.

If Cui Xingzhou was suffering like this, the other soldiers were even worse off. Most of them simply chose not to wear armor and walked around shirtless. However, this left them exposed to the blazing sun, causing their skin to start peeling in large patches. If they were to encounter an enemy ambush at this moment, the soldiers would be like snails without their shells, easy prey for the enemy.

Yet, Cui Xingzhou noticed that his son, Xiao Yi'er, was quite carefree. The little boy was bare-bottomed, wearing only a small belly wrap, happily munching on fruits in a carriage covered with a gauzy net for ventilation and shade. As he grew older, Xiao Yi began to explore new tastes, trying egg yolks and, more recently, some soft fruits.

Mian Tang prepared some finely mashed fruit for him, using a small spoon to feed him. The little boy lay on the grass mat, kicking his legs excitedly as if he were a puppy wagging its tail in delight.

While feeding her son, Mian Tang also passed some pieces of fruit to her husband. 

Cui Xingzhou enjoyed the sweet, crunchy fruit and noticed that various local folklore books were scattered on the cool mat in the carriage. Some of the pages had been marked with Mian Tang's careful annotations in small handwriting, leaving him curious about what she was up to.

Seeing her husband reading her notes, Mian Tang smiled and said, “There are many different ethnic groups in the North Sea, and battles are frequent. By studying the local folklore, I can learn about the customs and culture. Look…”

She pointed to a line of small characters and said, "The local armor is often made from a type of vine. It not only withstands blades and arrows but also provides shade and coolness, which makes it much more practical than iron armor."

Cui Xingzhou had heard about this from guides along the way and had already been thinking about making armor from the vines. However, being new to the area, gathering the materials needed for vine armor would take time, not to mention organizing people to craft it. It was a case of distant water not quenching immediate thirst.

Mian Tang was applying ointment to Cui Xingzhou's back when she added, "Didn’t you send people to find my old comrades? It’s not only the North Sea that has materials for vine armor. When I heard you were coming to the North Sea, I had nothing to do at home, so I read up on it. When I found this part, I sent word to my comrades, telling them not to return yet but to head south and collect vines. They’ve hired skilled locals to weave the armor, and I sent them the schematics as well. During our journey, Lu Lao'er sent a letter saying that most of the armor has already been made, and in a few days, they should be able to deliver a portion of it."

It seems that men and women often think differently. Before the march, Cui Xingzhou had made thorough plans, but he hadn’t anticipated the issue of the soldiers being unable to wear their iron armor in the North Sea heat.

Without making a fuss, Mian Tang had thought ahead and quietly took care of these seemingly minor details.

This made Cui Xingzhou realize once again that the soft woman who had borne him a son was indeed the same Lu Wen who had once stood toe-to-toe with him.

He still vividly remembered those days in the mountains when the rain poured continuously. Lu Wen had predicted that his soldiers would suffer from foot rot, and while they were immobilized with pain, she launched a surprise attack. It was a resounding victory, leaving his generals so ashamed that some nearly took their own lives.

Later, when Cui Xingzhou personally went to Yangshan, he discovered that Lu Wen’s troops had long been prepared for the rainy season. Every soldier used moisture-proof insoles made from grass ash.

Moreover, the bandits of Yangshan had disguised themselves as charitable merchants and sent his soldiers a large number of straw shoes made from zhan grass. These shoes seemed durable under normal conditions but were notorious for causing foot diseases during the rainy season.

Back then, Cui Xingzhou had only thought, "How can someone be so malicious, devising such devious ways to win? What kind of wretched person could come up with this?"

Now, reflecting on it, there was a mischievous cleverness in it all, and he realized he should have guessed that Lu Wen was a woman long ago.

Thinking back on the pain from those days and looking at the woman holding his son before him, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to kiss her thoroughly or spank her to settle old scores.

In any case, once they reached the North Sea, the worries about armor and military supplies were finally resolved.

When the Zhenzhou army arrived at Cangwu County in the North Sea, the four brothers of loyalty also arrived in time with dozens of carts of armor.

In addition to the vine armor, they also brought cooling straw shoes and herbs to relieve the summer heat. In her letter, Mian Tang made it clear that since Prince Huaiyang wasn’t fond of them, the brothers should seize the opportunity to flatter him well with these military supplies, lest the prince dislike them in the future and send them away bound and thrown onto a carriage.

The four brothers of loyalty, apart from their eldest, didn’t take anyone seriously, much less bothered with flattering Cui Xingzhou’s lofty figure.

However, since their eldest had given the order, they carried it out diligently, showing that they were far superior to the likes of Fan Hu, whom Cui Xingzhou had assigned to lead.

Their task was executed brilliantly, and the Zhenzhou soldiers changed into their cool vine armor, finally able to train without being exposed to the scorching sun.

However, aside from the issue of armor, there were matters like building camps and training the navy, which followed one after another. These were not things the Zhenzhou army, unfamiliar with the area, could handle on their own.

After arriving at the county, Cui Xingzhou summoned the local officials. The county magistrate was an old man in his fifties, named Su Xing, but unfortunately, Magistrate Su had a strong fondness for the bottle, spending more than half of each day in a drunken stupor.

Back in the day, Su Xing had once risen to the position of Censor in the imperial court, but his outspokenness offended Empress Wu at the time, and he was demoted all the way to Cangwu County. He had now languished there for thirty years. The youthful vigor he once had had been nearly worn away by the miasma of the North Sea, leaving him with nothing but laziness and a lackadaisical attitude.

Cui Xingzhou frowned as he looked at the county magistrate, who reeked of alcohol. He asked him several questions about local matters, but Magistrate Su either claimed ignorance or said, “That’s not within my jurisdiction.”

By the end of the questioning, Prince Huaiyang was barely holding back his anger. Slamming his hand on the table, he shouted, “You are the local official of Cangwu County! Knowing that imperial reinforcements were coming, you made no preparations, and now you shirk your responsibilities—what kind of behavior is this? Are you merely taking the imperial court’s salary for nothing?”

Magistrate Su raised his eyelids slightly, revealing a rare glimmer of clarity in his eyes. He gave a cold laugh and said, “I would gladly stop taking the imperial salary, but unfortunately, His Majesty is wise and the officials in the court are all sensible. It's been a long time since anyone’s been demoted to Beihai. I’ve submitted my resignation letter no fewer than ten times, but no one is willing to take this hot potato... Prince Huaiyang, you have many capable men under your command. Why don’t you petition your superiors and have me, this useless old man, removed from office?”

After saying this, the old magistrate excused himself, claiming his hemorrhoids were flaring up, and with a swish of his sleeves, he left.

Prince Huaiyang hadn't encountered such an uncooperative local official in a long time. If not for the fact that his authority was limited to military matters and he had no jurisdiction over local governance, he would have immediately ordered someone to arrest the old drunk and treat his hemorrhoids with a wooden board.

However, Li Guangcai came to console the prince, saying, “Su Xing was once a brilliant scholar in his youth, but he’s spent half his life as a local official in Beihai—what a pity... Beihai is a place with many foreign tribes, most of which are governed by local chieftains. Although they are nominally affiliated with the court, they are largely independent. When Old Su said it’s out of his control, he wasn’t shirking responsibility. Furthermore, Cangwu is a poor county, rarely receiving any funds from the court while still being required to pay annual tribute. On top of that, the constant threat of pirates has driven many of the locals to flee. This vast land is sparsely populated, and with no money or manpower, there's little Su Xing can actually accomplish.”

Cui Xingzhou didn't say much after hearing Li Guangcai's explanation. However, over the next few days, he led a small group on a covert inspection of the surrounding counties. Unfortunately, their tall, imposing figures starkly contrasted with the short, dark-skinned locals. Every time they passed by the low, thatched huts, they were met with strange, wary looks. Some of the people they encountered appeared to be tribal folk, their eyes gleaming with a hostile, almost predatory light.

As they ventured further into the territory governed by the local chieftains, they were met with even more aggressive guards who blocked their path, making it impossible to proceed. Just as Su Xing had said, gathering local labor to quickly build military camps was out of the question.

After traveling for days, the scorching heat and rising frustrations weighed on their spirits. When Cui Xingzhou and Li Guangcai returned to the encampment, they were greeted by the sight of a beautiful woman in a light, short-sleeved outfit, standing under a makeshift canopy. She was calling out to the soldiers who were building straw huts, offering them cold herbal tea.

Seeing Cui Xingzhou and his men drenched in sweat, the woman broke into a bright smile and cheerfully shouted, “Prince and Lord Li are back! I've just made a new batch of cooling herbal tea. It's been chilling in the well for half a day. Come and have a bowl to cool down.”

Her radiant smile was contagious, instantly lifting the mood and easing the frustration that had been building up inside them.

Liu Mian Tang’s medical skills, learned years ago, found new use here in Beihai. Today's cooling tea recipe had been carefully refined after several trials. Since they had brought ample medicinal herbs, it was far more effective than the local brews. She had also added plenty of sweetgrass and honey, which masked the bitter taste of the medicine and made the tea delightfully sweet. As a result, a group of local children had gathered by the fence, their eyes wide with longing as they stared at the fragrant drink.

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