IRBSC 98

Chapter 98

The next day, Gu Yuanbai had the Ministry of Government Affairs retrieve Lin Zhicheng’s genealogical records.

The genealogical records also included several letters that Lin Zhicheng had previously written to the late emperor. After Gu Yuanbai finished reading them, he immediately wrote a letter, instructing Lin Zhicheng to return to the capital after the new year to report on his duties.

As a mere county magistrate, who had not served in the new territory for even three years, there was no need for Lin Zhicheng to report to the capital. Although the emperor did not explicitly state why he wanted Lin Zhicheng to return, those in the capital who had a good relationship with him were eagerly waiting to meet him and secretly hoping that the emperor would give him an important role.

In December, the temperature dropPed sharply, and the capital entered full winter.

This winter was somewhat special. First, a locust plague broke out in the northern regions, but the imperial court swiftly took action to suppress it. Then, there were multiple conflicts between the border and the Khitan people, with reports of victories coming in one after another. These major events, spreading radiantly through the “Da Heng National Gazette,” became well-known among the people.

However, these matters felt distant to the common people. They were angry about the incursions by the nomadic tribes in the northern border and proud of the victories of the Da Heng soldiers. But after listening, their primary concern was still the emerging heated kang beds in the capital.

Those who lived near the capital had already started trying to invite craftsmen from the capital to build kang beds in their homes.

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Li Angshun pondered and finally found the reason. He believed that it was because Chu Wei failed to recognize his worth, which caused him, the seventh prince of Western Xia, to harbor such deep malice.

In the territory of Da Heng, reason dictated that Li Angshun should do nothing, but the arrogance and violent temper he developed in Western Xia made it impossible for him to suppress this resentment.

So, the prince of the Western Xia dynasty was preparing to secretly do something to let out his inexplicable anger.

*

Gu Yuanbai was waiting for the first snowfall of the year.

In the capital city, snow usually starts falling in December, and it comes down in big fluffy flakes that can cover the ground overnight, leaving a thick layer of snow.

When winter comes, everyone is waiting for snow, as if it’s not really winter until it snows. Gu Yuanbai is also waiting, waiting for an auspicious snowfall that symbolizes a prosperous year.

He’s lying on the heated kang bed, and the two wolves that Xue Yuan gave him are comfortably lying next to the bed. The warmth not only makes Gu Yuanbai feel comfortable, but also makes the wolves extremely content.

After spending some time with Gu Yuanbai, these two wolves have become quite lazy. They lie on the ground without moving unless they need to eat or sleep. The most energetic time of the day for them is when they go outside with Gu Yuanbai for some fresh air. They become spirited and handsome. Although they are lazy, they are also smart and know who their master is, so they try to please Gu Yuanbai.

Just now, as soon as Gu Yuanbai moved his feet off the bed, the two wolves eagerly got up and walked over. Their fluffy gray fur was soft, and the emperor’s feet landed directly on their backs.

Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but smile and move away from the wolf’s back. “You are really clever.”

He reached out and rubbed the wolves a few times, about to withdraw his hand when one of the wolves leaned forward and affectionately licked the palm of Gu Yuanbai’s hand with its crimson tongue.

The wolf’s head is huge, and its sharp teeth are right next to the hand. Gu Yuanbai patted its head. “Always licking hands, what a bad habit. Are they clean or not?”

Tian Fusheng cleared his throat and said, “Your Majesty’s hands must be clean.”

“I was talking about their tongues, are they clean or not?” Gu Yuanbai reached back and held the wolf’s lower jaw, opening its big mouth to see the teeth it was showing. “Have they taken a bath?”

The eunuch who specifically takes care of the two wolves stepped forward. “Your Majesty, they were just bathed a few days ago.”

“Good, they’re clean,” Gu Yuanbai inspected each tooth and the oral cavity, making others nervous. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction and spared the two wolves. “Not bad.”

These two wolves don’t have official names yet, Gu Yuanbai just calls them big wolf and little wolf. The more handsome one is the big wolf, and the other one is the little wolf.

Gu Yuanbai had someone take them down to feed them, and the palace maid brought warm water to clean his hands. He casually asked, “Are there many people in the capital who have kang beds?”

“It sounds like there are a lot,” Tian Fusheng happily replied. “What His Majesty finds useful, the people also find useful. I heard it’s quite lively out there. Families that have installed kang beds boast about their advantages, which only piques the curiosity of those who haven’t. The carpenters in the capital are very busy, and they only have a few moments to eat.”

Gu Yuanbai laughed. “It seems the Minister of Revenue has found another source of income. Look at the way he looks now, quite different from before.”

“The Minister of Revenue is becoming more dedicated,” Tian Fusheng said, “a truly outstanding minister.”

Ever since Gu Yuanbai reminded the Minister of Revenue not to marry the Grand Steward, the Minister has been shining in his position, working wholeheartedly for Gu Yuanbai, even more than before.

Gu Yuanbai nodded, about to speak when someone came in and reported, “Your Majesty, there are items and documents from the border!”

Gu Yuanbai immediately said, “Bring them here!”

The person delivering the report quickly entered and presented a heavy wooden box. After the palace attendant inspected it, they opened it to reveal a bloody head frozen in ice!

Gu Yuanbai’s breath caught, and he stepped forward to take a closer look. Although he had never seen this person before, he quickly recognized him, “Xi Wandan!”

“Yes,” the person delivering the report said, “news came from the northern border that Xi Wandan’s tribe, facing a lack of food in winter, attempted to attack our army. However, our army discovered them and in the midst of the chaos, Xi Wandan was beheaded by our soldiers.”

In an instant, Gu Yuanbai felt a sense of relief. “Who severed Xi Wandan’s head?”

“General Xue,” the person delivering the report said.

This General Xue, was it General Xue Ping or General Xue Yuan?

Gu Yuanbai suppressed the question, with a strong intuition that it could only be Xue Yuan who would carry out such an act of presenting a severed head. “Why was Xi Wandan’s head brought to me? After Xi Wandan’s death, what happened to the other members of the Khitan Eight Tribes?”

If Xi Wandan died, it would only become troublesome if the aftermath wasn’t handled properly.

The person delivering the report presented a thick envelope, “You will know once you read it.”

Gu Yuanbai took the letter and unfolded it, quickly scanning its contents.

It turned out that Xi Wandan’s tribe also suffered from the effects of locust plague. Although it wasn’t as severe as Dayuan’s, it still caused significant damage. After accepting the remnants of Dayuan’s troops, Xi Wandan quickly ran out of food.

However, Xi Wandan was not as reckless as Dayuan. He had set up an ambush in advance and planned to engage in a battle with the soldiers of Da Heng, intending to exchange prisoners for food. The person he faced in the battle was indeed Xue Yuan. When Xi Wandan deliberately provoked Xue Yuan, he laughed mockingly, saying, “Your master is a little brat who hasn’t even weaned off his mother’s milk. He’s so weak that he’ll die at the slightest breeze. If he were to stand before me, I could crush him with a flick of my finger!”

Previously, no matter how much he was insulted, Xue Yuan always smiled. But upon hearing these words, his expression turned cold as he stared at Xi Wandan.

He didn’t lose control due to provocation, so Xi Wandan had no choice but to retreat with his troops. And in the late night, they launched a diversionary attack, sending Dayuan, his own son, and the four generals under his command to attack from the west gate, intending to seize food and return triumphantly.

That night was a chaotic battle, and the most ridiculous thing was that Dayuan’s son fell into an ambush. When Xi Wandan went forward to rescue him, he was mistaken by General Wunan, who had always harbored a grudge against Dayuan’s son, as his own son. As a result, Wunan ordered his troops to release arrows in the darkness, intending to kill this child who was not on good terms with him under the pretext of being hit by stray arrows. But who would have thought that after the soldiers of Da Heng lit torches, Wunan realized that the person he had killed was actually Xi Wandan.

Wunan was stunned.

Wunan’s subordinates were also stunned.

At that moment, the entire tribe of Xi Wandan’s followers were in a complex mood, standing motionless in their places. It wasn’t until the archers of Da Heng’s soldiers began to attack that they panicked and fled the gate in disarray.

This head was precisely the one Xue Yuan had severed, used to vent Gu Yuanbai’s anger.

If Xi Wandan dared to say that Gu Yuanbai would die early, then let Xi Wandan die early.

After seeing how Xi Wandan died, Gu Yuanbai immediately understood what had happened.

The arrow that had taken his life, on the surface, seemed to be caused by Wunan, but in reality, there was a high probability that it was shot by someone from Da Heng, taking advantage of the chaos and shifting the blame to Wunan.

The letter detailed the process of this incident, and Gu Yuanbai could almost feel the flashes of blades and the imminent danger from the paper. After finishing reading, he took a deep breath and put the letter down to look at the head in the wooden box.

Regardless of the process, the result was truly remarkable. Xi Wandan died at the hands of one of his trusted generals, whether that general intended to kill his son or him, the fact remained that Xi Wandan’s tribe was now in chaos.

Two of the Khitan Eight Tribes have fallen into chaos, and the remaining people should be getting anxious as well. Perhaps the goal of establishing mutual trade and building commercial routes along the border can be achieved faster than expected.

Gu Yuanbai looked at Xi Wandan’s head, at the lifeless eyes, and said with pity, “You won’t die in vain.”

“I must also thank you for laying such a great foundation for me to provoke internal strife and invade your tribes in the future. Just wait and see how this little brat, who can be crushed with a flick of a finger, in your mouth,” he said, “will make you disappear into the annals of history.”