Chapter 113: The Dragon and Tiger Meet in the Capital (9)

The Emperor’s decree struck Tokyo City like a thunderclap, a bolt from the blue that doomed countless heroes and brave souls. Previously, everyone had believed that once they helped their chosen patron ascend to the top, they could safely retreat, take their rewards, and return home—some to open security firms, others to establish martial arts academies, and the rest to become bandits or mountain lords.

That was no longer the case. When the martial examination candidates arriving in the capital learned they would be forced to serve on the northwestern frontier, Tokyo erupted in an uproar. They had all come chasing wealth and glory; only a fool would dream of protecting the borderlands. Now, with wealth and glory nowhere in sight, the prospect of facing the Western Xia’s elite "Life-Capturing Army" on the frontier had become an imminent reality.

Some candidates who sensed the danger tried to slip out of Tokyo under the cover of night. Upon reaching the city gates, they found security impossibly tight. The soldiers of the Pengri Army stood with stony faces, relentless and impartial; neither sweet talk nor gold could pry open the slightest gap in their defenses. It turned out that when the Kaifeng Prefecture was truly determined, Tokyo became an impregnable fortress. The eight-ox crossbows mounted on the ramparts never failed to shoot down those attempting to scale the walls with ropes in the dead of night.

Bao Zheng did not even wait for dawn to behead the candidates caught by the Pengri Army. Their severed heads were hung at the city gates, casting such a grim, chilling atmosphere that entering Tokyo felt like descending into hell. There was no room for debate regarding the executions; attempting to sneak past the city gates was an unforgivable crime in any era, punishable by immediate beheading.

Looking at the mess of greens in her shop, Wang Rouhua scolded angrily, "Searching the city is one thing, but why search the shops as well? These winter vegetables are already delicate; they’ve been trampled to ruin by their reckless rummaging. How are we supposed to eat this?"

Gu Da-sao quickly covered Wang Rouhua’s mouth. "Iron Lady, watch your tongue! My nephew, who serves in the Kaifeng Prefecture, told me that a farmer who merely complained while delivering vegetables to the Sun Sheep Tavern was beaten with thirty military staves on the spot by those brutes from the Pengri Army. Never mind the vegetables; even the ox pulling his cart was slaughtered for meat by those men. The soldiers of the Pengri Army are fierce right now; our shop must not provoke them." As she spoke, she kept gesturing with her chin toward the five or six soldiers eating pork and noodles in the shop.

Wang Rouhua dropped the ruined vegetables and sighed, "It seems we can only make vegetable porridge now. I’ll pick out the chives and mix them with eggs for wontons. I was counting on these winter greens to fetch a good price, but now it’s all gone to waste." After venting her frustration, she and Gu Da-sao began tidying up the mangled greens; these were precious goods, and they dared not waste a single bit.

Tie Xinyuan, having returned from counting heads at the city gate, felt life was finally perfect after devouring a large bowl of noodles topped with plenty of garnish. Seeing Old Liang hung up like that previously had dealt him a massive psychological blow. If it hadn't concerned him, he could have watched others die with a smile, but the problem was that he was Old Liang’s accomplice. If the truth came out, he would surely be the one hung from a flagpole to be dried for the New Year. Thus, it was no surprise he felt anger, sorrow, and a sense of shared fate.

Yet, as Bao Zheng executed these candidates who refused to sacrifice themselves for the country, Tie Xinyuan felt no sorrow. After observing the varied expressions on the severed heads with genuine interest, he even had the appetite to finish a large bowl of noodles. Of course, he would never admit to being heartless; the only reason he felt at ease was because the person accompanying him to view the heads was the truly heartless Xiao Qiao.

Those who could dig into pig brains with a spoon after staring at severed heads were no ordinary people. Moreover, Xiao Qiao spent the whole time describing the appearance of the heads to Gu Da-sao’s young son. Wang Rouhua, turning pale, finally shut him up with a sharp swat from a broom.

Yang Huaiyu loved adding plenty of vinegar to his noodles, a habit tied to his ancestral home in Hedong. The water there couldn't brew fine wine, but it produced excellent vinegar, so the locals preferred it to alcohol. He only drank vinegar when he was in the best of moods, so when Tie Xinyuan saw him clutching the vinegar pot, he knew his spirits were high.

Going to the frontier alone would have been too lonely, but now there was no need to worry. The sons of the military families in Tokyo had all fallen into the trap set by the Emperor. When they all set out for the border together, the scene would surely be spectacular.

"Even if the sons of military families die in the borderlands, they wouldn't dare flee easily. So, even if Cao Ba and the others are cowards, they have to brace themselves and head out, or their family reputation will be destroyed. Once a military family loses its reputation, there is no place for them in the Great Song," Yang Huaiyu said.

Su Mei ate a piece of lean pork and sighed, "Knowing that those young men are essentially going to their deaths, why must the Emperor force them to go?"

Wang Rouhua sat beside Su Mei and placed a plate of cold-dressed greens in front of her. "Young girls should eat less meat and more vegetables. Stop worrying about men’s affairs and focus on your own heart. A man's heart is a bottomless pit; you think of him, miss him, and pity him, yet their hearts are as hard as stone. War is always about death; it’s a trade of human lives. Whoever loses more men loses the battle, and even the victors don't fare much better. Killing ten thousand enemies at the cost of three thousand of your own is the way of things. I would rather my own man stay safely by my side than see him throw his life away at the frontier. If Yuan’er ever dares to go to the front, I’ll break his legs myself; I’d rather support him for the rest of his life."

Tie Xinyuan laughed. "That won't happen. I despise wars where men just swing blades at each other."

Yang Huaiyu smiled, "Things rarely go as one plans. The environment you face later is often vastly different from what you imagine. Come, let’s not talk of this. Drink some vinegar; I wish you a life of health and peace for a hundred years."

Tie Xinyuan raised his vinegar pot, clinked it with Yang Huaiyu’s, and laughed, "Tomorrow you begin your journey on the martial path. I wish you victory in every battle and success in every endeavor."

Before they knew it, they had drained the pot of vinegar. Yang Huaiyu let out a hearty laugh, took Su Mei’s hand, and left the noodle shop, followed by Xiao Qiao, who had to prepare the weapons, armor, and warhorse for the next day’s martial trials.

Watching the three walk away, Tie Xinyuan spat out a bit of sour liquid and said to his mother, "You are the mother hen, and I am the chick under your wing. Naturally, wherever you go, I follow; our hearts are one. Please don't project your expectations for me onto Yang Huaiyu. His longing for the battlefield has surpassed his regard for his own life. The world cannot be without such people; otherwise, we would never find peace, no matter where we were."

Wang Rouhua glanced at her son. "Every mother thinks this way. Who would willingly let the child they carried for ten months run off to the border to be hacked to death? Don't try to lecture me with your worthless reasoning. I simply refuse to see you on any battlefield, regardless of the cause."

Tie Xinyuan suddenly smiled. He realized that discussing war with his mother was a mistake. She was a giver of life, and war was a destroyer of it; the two were as incompatible as ice and coal. Mothers like those in legends who possessed such noble sentiments were remembered in history precisely because they were so rare.

But it was fine. His mother was a hen, a vixen; the child she raised would naturally be a chick or a fox cub—there was no reason for her to give birth to a Golden-Winged Great Peng bird.

Yang Huaiyu needed absolute quiet tonight, so Tie Xinyuan decided not to disturb him. Xiao Qiao would look after him well, and he had heard that the Yang family had sent plenty of servants to attend to him. Even if Yang Huaiyu had left home in a fit of rage, once he stepped onto the military training grounds, he remained the heir of the Yang family.

Little Fu and Little Ling had already left the alley; they had targets to track and had to ensure their subjects never strayed more than ten paces from them throughout the following day.

When he returned home, the fox was calling down from the top of the wall. A pile of little dog heads were poking out from the parapet, and at the very edge was a beautiful little head. Seeing Tie Xinyuan return, she whistled happily.

"You're back?" Tie Xinyuan put aside his troubled thoughts and looked up with a smile.

"Yes, I'm back. I don't like the Jingfu Palace at all; it’s not fun, it’s cold and desolate, and there are wolves howling in the middle of the night..."

"How can there be wolves where the Emperor resides?"

"There are, there are! I heard that Father was worried about disturbing the people, so he wouldn't allow the army to set the defensive perimeter further than ten miles out... By the way, I didn't find any pretty pheasant feathers for you. Father and the others didn't go hunting at all; they just stayed hidden in the Jingfu Palace all day..."

Tie Xinyuan laughed, "Wait there. I have something good to show you. I originally planned to give it to you on your birthday, but since you're unhappy, I'll give it to you now."

Seeing Tie Xinyuan head toward the house, the little princess hurriedly called out, "No, wait until my birthday. I can wait."

"It's fine, I'll give it to you now, and I'll get you another gift when your birthday comes."

"No, gifts are expensive, and your family is poor..."

"Nonsense, who says my family is poor? Well, compared to yours, everyone is a pauper."

The little princess stood on tiptoes, looking expectantly toward the house. When Tie Xinyuan emerged, he was carrying a small wooden box, crafted with exquisite detail, though it didn't look particularly valuable on the outside.

Standing beneath the wall, Tie Xinyuan opened the box to reveal a small wooden carving of a young beauty in palace attire. He twisted the mechanism on the side, and the figure began to rotate as if dancing. As she turned, the box emitted a beautiful melody, tinkling like a spring flowing over a pebble-strewn riverbed.