Lee Zhi said smilingly, “The Hsu Clan is a big family. Only a handful of them are actually worth something. Well, it doesn’t matter. If Staff General Liao looks down on us, then what’s the point in forcing ourselves into his good graces? Anyway, the matter regarding the villager’s status as militia is really minor. It won’t matter once the war is over. So, why don’t we talk about something that’s a little more substantial? Can you give us some pay and provision, County Magistrate Sun?”

Sun Chao’en replied, “General Lee hails from the Two Lees. Are you not more noble than the Hsu Clan? Besides, the guy is only distantly related to the Hsu Clan, so I truly do not get what gives him the right to be so arrogant! As for pay and provisions…”

The county magistrate gritted his teeth and said, “Three hundred militia, two taels each—that’s six hundred taels in total! What do you say?”

Fang Hetong exploded, slamming his hand against the table as he shot to his feet, “The court allocated two hundred thousand taels to the cause, and you’re giving only six hundred? Are you truly not afraid that the funds you’ve embezzled will one day burst out of your gluttonous belly?!”

Sun Chao’en let out a bitter chuckle. “I see that you have not consolidated your theoretical knowledge with real life, Junior Brother Fang. Have you never heard of the Two-Eight Rule?”

“What is the Two-Eight Rule?”

The county assistant, Ren Youwei, interjected, “Allow me to explain on behalf of Lord Sun. The Two-Eight Rule is common knowledge within the circle of officials. It refers to the principle of upward remittance and downward allocation. For example, if the imperial court allocates a hundred silver downward to a county, only twenty taels will make it after it passes through various hands. Similarly, when the taxes collected by a county are remitted upward into the treasury, only twenty taels will ultimately reach the emperor’s hands. This is the Two-Eight Rule. If a state is able to pull this off, their governance is considered to be well-ordered, and their officials upright.”

“This… this does not make sense!” Fang Hetong was utterly flabbergasted.

The chief of records also chimed in, “His Holiness allocated two hundred thousand taels to the war effort, but only thirty-six thousand made it to the county. Staff General Liao then took thirty thousand taels from this sum for military pay, leaving the county with a mere six thousand taels. The clerks, yamen attendants and more are all owed considerable sums as well, and we are currently in wartime. They’re all risking their lives to serve the cause, so we cannot afford to delay their pay any longer. This costs another three thousand taels. The remaining three thousand taels must cover the pay of every militia and auxiliary soldiers countywide. All things considered, I believe Lord Sun is dipping into his own pockets when he offers to pay you six hundred taels.”

Fang Hetong exclaimed the word “preposterous” repeatedly throughout the explanations. He then asked, “What about the Liao barbarians’ heads? You must have earned at least ten thousand taels, right?”

Again, Sun Chao’en chuckled bitterly and said, “The heads have all been handed over to the commandery administrator. How could such an easy money-making opportunity ever come my way? Without these heads, do you think those thirty-six thousand taels would ever be allocated? It’s true that I’m getting a cut of the funds paid to vacant posts, but if I don’t take it, then how can the commandery administrator get his cut? And if the commandery administrator doesn’t get his cut, then how can the provincial governor get his cut? Junior Brother Fang, the kind of upright, incorruptible officials you imagine will not survive even three chapters in a storyteller’s tale!”

Fang Hetong did not relent. “Speaking of, where is the kickback you get from those ghost positions?”

Sun Chao’en replied in an exasperated voice, “Junior Brother Fang! Everyday, you bemoan how your roots are humble, and your background is non-existent. You and I studied under the same sect. Tell me, do you think I have any background to speak of? Do you think I climbed to my current position purely through my knowledge and abilities? Being capable is one thing, knowing how to play the game is another! If I hadn’t spread that silver around and curried favor everywhere, how could I have gotten to where I am today?”

The county assistant added, “Frankly, Lord Sun is a rare good official. Take the matter of vacant posts, for instance. Liao Jingwu had made all sorts of threats, but he has never given up more than fifty percent of the profits. In other places, eighty percent would be considered a small number! Just look at the neighboring counties—which one isn’t getting seventy or eighty percent? In fact, Lord Sun has deeply offended Staff General Liao over this issue.”

Sun Chao’en let out a sigh. “One cannot govern unless they are in a seat of power, Junior Brother Fang. Without that position, what good is all your talent? How much can you truly accomplish with just your flesh-and-blood? At the very least, I do not have the ability to overcome my limitations. Self-preservation is my first priority, and everything else second. All I can do is to make this county slightly better than the neighboring counties, be more upright than my peers, and give my people a little more breathing room.”

Lee Zhi raised his cup and said, “I see that you’re a talented man as well, County Magistrate Sun. You are simply swayed by irresistible circumstances, that’s all. How about this: Since County Magistrate Sun is contributing six hundred taels, I will match that amount. This will address our immediate emergency. What do you say, Brother Fang?”

It took a while, but Fang Hetong eventually nodded slowly.

When it was well into the night, Wei Yuan and Lee Zhi finally returned to Flying Sand Village. Sun Chao’en had asked them to stay the night, but the duo had politely declined the offer.

The living conditions of Flying Sand Village were quite poor. It only had a well, and the well had just enough water to feed the villagers. Forget bathing, they could not even afford to wash their face. Thus, the duo decided to stay awake and discuss tomorrow’s battle.

Lee Zhi was going to produce his own map, but he quietly put it away when he saw Fang Hetong’s exquisitely-drawn map.

“Do you have a plan, Brother Wei?” Lee Zhi asked. It was partially a test.

Wei Yuan replied ponderingly, “It’s both too passive and not a long-term solution to stick to defense only. If I have your elite cavalry at my disposal, I will launch a preemptive strike and wipe out the enemy’s outlying camps first. I’ll decide what to do next after that.”

Lee Zhi’s eyes lit up. “I am glad we share the same opinion! I was thinking about taking the fight to the Liao barbarians and testing their mettle as well. I’ve brought sixty mounted guards with me this time. Tomorrow, I’ll summon them all and divide them into two squads—we will lead thirty cavalry each.”

However, Wei Yuan turned him down saying, “No, that’s not appropriate. Your troops are yours to command. I will simply follow and fight.”

He was wholly inexperienced in leading troops, and war was not a children’s game. He could hardly risk another person’s life just to gain experience. Besides, Wei Yuan had a feeling that the cavalry troops would turn out to be more burdensome than helpful and slow down his merit-earning speed.

The duo spent the next couple hours discussing their routes. Fang Hetong marked four possible camp locations on the map, and the duo eventually decided to start the sweep from the west to the east. They would take out the camps one by one.

After the meeting was over, Lee Zhi dispatched two cavalrymen to his defense zone to mobilize the rest of his guard.

Wei Yuan didn’t have a horse, but Lee Zhi had three. So, he lent one of his horses to Wei Yuan.

The Yin Hour[1] had just passed when Lee Zhi’s guard arrived. There was still some time before dawn broke, and every single member of his guard had attained a certain level of cultivation and boasted immense energy. Not needing any sleep, they decided to prepare for the expedition. They took care of the horses, maintained their armaments, and followed two squad leaders to check out the map and memorize the routes.

When fighting against the Northern Liao, nothing was more ill-advised than engaging them in night combat. This was basic military knowledge and why they were waiting for dawn.

While the preparations were being made, Lee Zhi handed Wei Yuan a small box. “Want a set?”

He accepted it, noting that the cover was marked with the symbol of the Four Sages Academies. When he opened it, he found that it contained a stack of talismans. First, there was a Sharpness Talisman that could be affixed to weapons to grant them effects such as armor-piercing and enhanced sharpness for a full day. Next, there were two Fortified Armor Talismans, one for himself and another for his mount. Thirdly, there was a Vitality Restoration Talisman that accelerated one’s stamina recovery. It was also meant for his mount. Finally, there was a Water Healing Talisman, which, when affixed to oneself, hastened the healing of wounds.

They were all low-tier talismans, but they were excellently made. The duration of every talisman was a full day as well. The Four Sages Academies were famous for their Law Follows the Word, so their talismans were top-tier as well.

Wei Yuan was wondering if he should use the talismans right now when he saw Lee Zhi’s personal guards producing the exact same box and affixing the exact same talismans to themselves and their mounts. That was the moment he realized that the talismans were just their standard equipment.

While affixing the talismans to himself, Lee Zhi explained, “Don’t underestimate these talismans just because they're the lowest tier. If used appropriately, they would be far more valuable than high-tier talismans. When I head back, I’m planning to book another three thousand boxes from the academy and equip everyone in my regiment with ten boxes per person.”

During the last minute before dawn, the guard ate a full meal. Their military provisions were similar to the Palace’s dried meat in the sense that one small strip could sate one for a whole day. However, their military provisions were even better in the sense that they also improved one’s spirit and accelerated one’s spirit energy recovery speed.

When all of the war preparations were complete, and the night slowly gave way to day, everyone’s vision range expanded until they were halted by deep yellow, light brown clouds.

The cavalry then filed out of Flying Sand Village and headed toward their first possible campsite following their premeditated route.

1. 3 am to 5 am. ☜