Chapter 47: The Missing Courier Horse

This was precisely the topic Jiang Chen intended to discuss with Luo Tiancheng next.

Sending a few jars of wine to his uncle was naturally the right thing to do; Jiang Chen could arrange that upon his return. The most urgent matter now was gaining entry to Ziyang, so he could seek out buyers and sell the more than a thousand jars of medicinal wine. With the change in plans, he and the Wu family might leave Shanguan Town at any moment, making the sale of the wine all the more pressing.

Speaking of this, Luo Tiancheng thought for a moment and said, “Getting into Ziyang shouldn’t be a problem, but transporting such a large quantity of medicinal wine into the city is another matter!”

“Recently, a scion of an official family arrived in Ziyang. No one knows his true purpose, but ever since his appearance, the city has imposed a curfew, and even ordinary business dealings have been forbidden.”

“At present, it seems very difficult.”

Jiang Chen pondered and asked, “It’s fine if the wine doesn’t enter the city. Can you let me in tomorrow, at least?”

“No problem, Brother Chen. Leave this matter to me.”

The two continued to drink several cups more. Just then, two posthouse attendants returned from their errands, entering the hall drenched by wind and rain. The war had grown more intense of late, and the frequency of urgent dispatches between north and south had increased, so most of the posthouse’s staff were out delivering reports, leaving only a handful behind.

“Damn it, the stables are missing two more horses. If this keeps up, we’ll all be held responsible by our superiors!” said the man called Luo Men, also from the posthouse like Luo Tiancheng, and apparently seven or eight years older.

“Complaining won’t help. We’d better come up with a way to catch that damned horse thief!” said Liang Hui, the other attendant. On their return, they had checked the stables carefully; two horses had vanished entirely, and with the wind and rain raging outside, there was nowhere to search.

Jiang Chen, upon hearing this, said to Luo Tiancheng, “These posthouse horses are the property of the imperial court. If they go missing without cause and an investigation follows, the consequences will be severe.”

“Indeed, we’ve lost six horses over the past days. Nobody knows how the thief manages it—each time, he succeeds without a trace, and we remain powerless.”

“Come, brothers, sit and have some wine to ward off the chill.”

Jiang Chen invited Luo Men and Liang Hui to join them for a drink. But besides the bad news about the missing horses, they also brought word of the latest developments in the northern war.

Liang Hui told them, “Things aren’t looking good up north. The enemy has a burly general known as the ‘Demon Fork of the Mortal Realm,’ who has routed our army thirteen times and claimed eighteen heads.”

“The enemy’s momentum is unstoppable, sweeping aside all resistance. If things continue at this pace, I estimate that in two months, their spearhead will be aimed straight at Qingshan City.”

This was the worst possible news for Great Qian. From what had been gathered before, the Ministry of War seemed intent on having the front lines hold out as long as possible; a stalemate with the enemy would be considered an acceptable outcome.

The time thus bought would be used by the Ministry to calmly redeploy troops, replenish forces, and reorganize the army for a northern campaign.

But if the north couldn’t hold, the Ministry would be forced to send an unprepared army north in haste, and the result would likely be the same—except more would die for the enemy’s glory.

Luo Men sighed, “The Border Garrison is faltering, the Iron Cavalry of Great Qian has fallen. Who can we rely on now?”

“Do you think Great Qian is truly doomed this time?”

“Shh, watch your tongue! If someone hears you, you might lose your head!” Liang Hui quickly warned him to be careful, lest someone overhear.

Though true, Luo Men’s words echoed the worries of many citizens of Great Qian. The court already showed clear signs of decline; there seemed no hope for reversal.

In the halls of power, sycophants held sway, factions colluded, officials occupied their posts without merit;

Below, the land was filled with misery, corpses lay along the roads, and parents exchanged their children for food;

Coupled with droughts, floods, and famine striking the common people in succession—even a strong nation would suffer wounds to its foundation under such conditions.

Not to mention the current weakened court of Great Qian, where hope was all but lost.

Internal troubles were compounded by external threats; the enemy’s march south seemed inevitable. What would Great Qian use to defend itself then?

Talking of these things, the four passionate sons of Great Qian gathered by the fire became somber, their spirits weighed down with worry.

That night, the rain never ceased. Jiang Chen stayed at the Water Horse Posthouse until dawn, preparing to enter Ziyang City with Luo Tiancheng to see if he could find buyers for the medicinal wine.

As the two walked toward the stables, Jiang Chen happened to hear a few neighs—not from the stables, but from the direction of the rear hills, farther away. He immediately thought of the horses lost the night before.

“Tiancheng, did you hear that?”

“Yes, perhaps the missing horses are still nearby. Shall we take a look?”

Jiang Chen and Luo Tiancheng followed the sound. The rear hill was neither tall nor thickly wooded, so they readily found one brown horse—the very one lost from the posthouse yesterday.

They were some distance from the horse; each time they approached, it trotted ahead a few steps, always maintaining a gap, as if deliberately teasing them.

Luo Tiancheng remarked, “Hey, do you think this little horse feels cleverer than us? I don’t believe we can’t catch it today!”

“I think it’s trying to tell us something. Let’s not rush—let’s follow it and see.”

Jiang Chen was curious to see where the horse meant to lead them. Maintaining their distance, the horse brought them over a steep slope, and to their surprise, they found dozens of horses running together ahead.

“So many horses? I don’t recall any ranch nearby.”

Jiang Chen noticed these horses were tall and robust, clearly bred for endurance and speed—a valuable asset in wartime, when horses were a vital strategic resource. Such a gathering was exceedingly rare.

If they weren’t being raised deliberately, most of them must be wild—a tremendous find for Jiang Chen and his companions.

The horses showed no alarm at the approach of people. At that moment, Jiang Chen’s gaze was drawn to a bizarre sight.

“Tiancheng, do you see that white horse lying on the ground, surrounded by the others?”

“Yes, what a beautiful horse. I’ve never seen anything like it!”