Chapter 263: Surrendering the City

Chen Ji clasped his fists and asked, "May I know what matter General Hu seeks from me?"

The border army soldier shook his head and said, "Young Master Chen, no need to ask me. I am only following orders and do not know the situation."

Chen Ji seemed thoughtful. "What if I don't go?"

The border army soldier placed his hand on the hilt of his waist knife. "The general assigned this matter to the last general. The last general does not ask for reasons, only does his best. If you are unwilling to go, then the last general will have to tie you up and take you."

Chen Wenzong stepped forward, his face cold and stern. "Guyuan is not a lawless place. You want to tie someone up without reason?"

The border army soldier said sternly, "You can try."

Zhang Xia looked at Li Xuan. "Sir Li, Chen Ji is the Right Si Wei of the East Palace. If he is taken away like this, it might disgrace His Highness. Will the Yulin Army just stand by and do nothing?"

Li Xuan said calmly, "Second Miss Zhang speaks too seriously. My Yulin Army naturally will not just stand by and do nothing."

Hearing this, the border army soldier sneered. "Men, take Young Master Chen away!"

With a ripping sound, dozens of border army soldiers outside the door drew their knives and tore open the door curtain, letting the cold wind pour into the inn's main hall. They held plain knives and confronted the Yulin Army, their fierce aura actually forcing the Yulin Army back three steps.

Li Xuan shouted angrily, "Draw your swords! Protect the Right Si Wei!"

As a fight was imminent, Qi Jianque sneered, "I see you border army soldiers are just looking for trouble. Seeking Chen Ji is false; looking for a reason to fall out with the Yulin Army is true!"

The cold wind was biting, and everyone's palms were sweating. If they truly fought with the border army today, there might be no place for the Yulin Army in Guyuan.

In the standoff, Chen Ji suddenly smiled and said, "What are you all doing? There's no need to hurt harmony over this small matter. I'll go for a trip."

Li Xuan hurriedly said, "You can't. The border army has ill intentions. Perhaps it's because you ruined their plan earlier and they are deliberately seeking revenge!"

Chen Ji turned his head to look at Li Xuan. "Sir Li, rest assured, I have my own plans."

Saying this, he placed Wuyun into Zhang Xia's arms and softly instructed, "You all stay in the room and don't go anywhere. Close the doors and windows properly."

Zhang Xia hummed in response. "Rest assured."

Chen Ji went to the stable and led out Zaodao. Surrounded by border army soldiers, he left the inn, escorted by more than ten border army soldiers. Zaodao was restless and neighed uncomfortably. He just kept stroking its back to soothe it.

Chen Ji sized up the soldiers on his left and right, secretly thinking: He had only met Hu Junxian twice. The first time, the other was looking down from the city wall; the second time was a tense standoff in Shache Street.

They had no connection, yet he didn't know why the other was seeking him. Perhaps he wanted to capture him to avenge Old Wu, or perhaps Hu Junxian knew he had grain and wanted to requisition it.

For a moment, several thoughts flashed through Chen Ji's mind, and then he negated these thoughts.

Just as they turned out of Guizi Street, the border army soldiers relaxed and smiled. "Young Master Chen, we may have offended you with our words earlier. We hope you won't take offense."

Chen Ji was doubtful. "What are you all doing?"

The border army soldiers explained, "Before we came, our general said that there is a rift between the Yulin Army and the border army. He told us not to show familiarity with you in front of the Yulin Army and the Crown Prince, otherwise it would not be good for you to establish yourself with the Crown Prince."

Chen Ji was slightly startled. "What exactly does General Hu seek from me?"

The border army soldiers shook their heads. "This we truly do not know."

At this time, Guyuan was a mess. The door boards of the shops along the street were all dismantled and scattered on the streets.

The insides of the shops were in chaos. The shopkeepers, their wives and children, and assistants were tidying things with ashen faces. Some people were simply sitting in their shops, weeping and crying.

At every interval on the streets, there were scattered corpses lying on the ground, blood mixed with yellow soil frozen into ice.

The border army soldiers seemed accustomed to it. They rode their horses over the corpses without taking an extra glance.

Everything was desolate.

Chen Ji looked at the border army soldiers and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that the border army doesn't manage those local thugs who plunder the common people?"

The border army soldiers sighed. "Young Master Chen is blaming us wrongly. It's not that we haven't restrained them, but they are too savage to manage. Most of the corpses lying on the ground were killed by the border army. Look, that corpse ten zhang away, he robbed someone's child last night. I personally stabbed him to death."

Chen Ji was silent.

The border army soldiers lamented, "Young Master Chen was born in a prosperous place and perhaps hasn't seen such a harsh scene. In the 25th year of Jianing, the Jing Dynasty's Tiance Army besieged Guyuan for two months. That time was truly tragic. The bark of the elm trees on the streets was all peeled off and ground into flour. The elm leaves were also picked clean. Exchanging children for food and concubines for things happened often. Now the elm tree bark in the city is still there, proving that everyone is not yet desperately hungry."

Another border army soldier said, "Guyuan's local specialty is oil-splashed chili elm tree flour and cold mixed elm tree leaves. Merchants passing through here all say they want to taste something fresh, but they can't swallow it. Now the elm tree bark in the city is still there, proving that everyone is not yet desperately hungry."

Chen Ji sized up the border army soldier beside him and saw that his cheeks were sunken and there were no ripples in his eyes.

At this moment, shouts for help came from a distance. The leading border army soldier signaled his subordinate. Five border army soldiers immediately drew their knives and went towards the shouts.

After a while, sounds of men wailing and begging for mercy came from that side. The five border army soldiers returned, cursing, wiping their knives with their sleeves, and sheathing them.

One border army soldier complained, "Just two days in the city and it's this chaotic. Big men are climbing walls to bully orphans and widows next door. They're seeking death!"

Chen Ji said, "Perhaps dispatching people to guard the streets would be much better."

The border army soldier looked at him. "Young Master Chen, you will know when you go up the city wall in a while. My border army needs to guard more important places."

The group entered the border army camp. On both sides of the road, border army soldiers were sitting on the ground outdoors, sleeping in their armor. There were also border army soldiers squatting by the roadside with lifeless eyes, holding a bowl of hot water in their hands and drinking it little by little.

When Chen Ji walked closer, he saw that there were actually several grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl.

Arriving at the city wall, Chen Ji dismounted and followed a border army soldier up the city wall. His gaze suddenly broadened.

Outside the city, the ground was burned black as far as the eye could see. On the horizon, continuous endless camps were emitting cooking smoke. That kind of majestic army array, Chen Ji had never seen even in previous life films and television works. It was boundless, as if it spread to the end of the world!

"Young Master Chen, this way please. The general is still waiting."

The border army soldier led Chen Ji into the city gate tower. A huge sand table of Guyuan was prominently placed inside the tower. The sand table was full of flags of various colors. A burly figure stood by the sand table, holding a bowl in his right hand and drinking water little by little.

Hu Junxian.

Hearing footsteps, Hu Junxian turned around. Like a fierce beast, he sized up Chen Ji, his thick curly beard like a lion's mane.

Chen Ji lowered his head, clasped his fists, and said, "General Hu."

Hu Junxian hummed in response.

Chen Ji raised his head and asked, "May I know what matter General Hu has summoned me for?"

Hu Junxian handed the clay bowl to his personal soldier and asked casually, "The Jing Dynasty spy in Shache Street, was it you who found him?"

Chen Ji answered truthfully, "Yes."

Hu Junxian asked again, "Was it also you who killed the fur shopkeeper of the Yang family?"

Chen Ji continued to answer, "Yes."

Hu Junxian was silent for a moment. "What did Old Wu say before he died?"

Chen Ji was startled in his heart but did not answer.

Hu Junxian said calmly, "Rest assured, I have no intention of finding trouble with you."

Chen Ji thought it over and over and softly said, "Old Wu said before he died, 'Guyuan, ah Guyuan...'"

Hu Junxian was slightly startled. He repeated with desolate emotion, "Guyuan, ah Guyuan..."

Chen Ji did not continue speaking, waiting for Hu Junxian to speak.

After a long time, Hu Junxian raised his head and looked at the night outside the city. "I heard about you earlier. Just the day before you arrived in Guyuan, your teacher Wang Daosheng's letter arrived in Guyuan first. It can be seen that he values you very much."

"Mister Wang?" Chen Ji knew that he and the others had followed a camel team, so their walking speed naturally could not compare to a messenger's fast horse. He just didn't expect that Wang Daosheng would actually specially write a letter for him.

He asked curiously, "What did Mister write in the letter?"

Hu Junxian said calmly, "He said that you have turned the tide many times in Luo City, yet you never sought merit or boasted. He used eight words to praise you: 'Bright but not dazzling, still water flows deep.'"

Chen Ji said humbly, "This student still does not deserve my teacher's praise."

Hu Junxian's expression was solemn as he walked out of the city gate tower, resting his hand on the mottled battlements. "The scene that day in Shache Street, I watched it all. I believe Wang Daosheng. Wang Daosheng said you should not take the imperial examination route, but he now has no connection to the Ministry of War and cannot promote you, so he asked me to find a way to keep you in Guyuan... Are you willing?"

"Stay in Guyuan?" Chen Ji was startled.

Hu Junxian stated his price. "Enter my Guyuan border army. You only need to garrison the border for twenty years. I guarantee you will become the Deputy Commander of Guyuan, with an official rank of positive third grade. How about it?"

Chen Ji shook his head. "Thank you for the general's kindness, but my ambition is not here."

Hu Junxian hummed and said nothing more.

Chen Ji was doubtful. Since he intended to recruit him, shouldn't he say more?

Hu Junxian slanted his eyes at his doubtful expression, seeming to guess his thoughts. He said without expression, "Saying I'll recruit you is to complete Wang Daosheng's entrustment. Not continuing to recruit you is because I fear you will be the same as us, wasting away in this border region. Good man, who would come to this bird-forsaken place? That teacher of yours has no good intentions. It's fine if you don't recognize him."

Chen Ji: "..."

Just at this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from the dark night outside the city.

But the night curtain hung low, and the torches on the city wall could only illuminate a square foot of space, making it impossible to see clearly outside. It wasn't until the Jing Dynasty cavalry approached that they could borrow a little light to see the other's position clearly.

The Jing Dynasty cavalry took off the iron fetal bow from their backs, bent the bow, and nocked an arrow.

Chen Ji shouted lowly, "General, be careful!"

With a whoosh, a sharp wind-breaking sound came. Hu Junxian slightly tilted his head. The feathered arrow actually brushed his cheek and slantedly nailed onto the city gate tower.

A piece of white silk cloth was wrapped around the feathered arrow, fluttering in the wind.

Chen Ji looked towards the outside of the city again, only to see that the Jing Dynasty divine archer had already turned his horse and returned, re-entering the night.

A border army soldier took down the feathered arrow, untied the silk cloth, and saw that it was written with blood: "Within three days, open the city gates and surrender the city. If not, we will make your bones cover the wilderness and turn the ground red for a thousand li!"