The Thrice Named Man X: Herulian by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 21 – Wei Valley

“My father feared that the Kingdom of Cao Wei would unite all Serica under one banner”, Mokun said. “He wished to ally the Issedonians to a rival kingdom to weaken Cao Wei .”

Diocles, who possessed a natural flair for politics, nodded his agreement. “Your arranged marriage to a princess of the Kingdom of Shu would have bound the alliance by blood.”

“Are we not strengthening the Kingdom of Cao Wei to our own detriment?” Mokun asked.

“When Heaven’s Mandate returns to kingdom, all prosper”, Cai said. “Father fear not Kingdom of Cao Wei , father fear ruler with black heart. It easier to replace ruler than to defeat armies.”

I was not so sure that it would be easy to change emperors, but I kept my counsel.

Later in the day I rode with Cai, Jingming and Lady Zhang.

“I will accompany you to Luoyang, the capital of the Kingdom of Cao Wei ”, Jingming said.

“You must not lift hand against emperor”, Cai cautioned Jingming. “Heaven not approve of regicide.”

“If you believe that you can get close to Cao Mao, you are mistaken”, Lady Zhang said. “He will never grant you an audience.”

“We not go to capital to meet emperor”, Cai replied. “We go to meet destiny.”

* * *

Two days later we arrived in Tianshui, a city which differed little from the other larger settlements along the trade route. It offered the normal inns, stables, and a bustling market, of course.

We were accompanied by Lady Zhang, Jingming, as well as the remaining warriors under his command.

On the insistence of our escort, we agreed to spend the night in an upmarket inn on the banks of the Wei River. We possessed little knowledge of the etiquette of the land so we declined to partake of the dinner at the inn, preferring to visit the market instead. Our absence also provided Cai with the opportunity to spend time with Lady Zhang and Jingming, whom the monk had taken an instant liking to.

We found an agreeable tavern and sat down to a meal of chicken and barley pottage, millet bread and yellow wine.

After we had eaten our fill, Hostilius, who still nursed a limp due to a Tiger Warrior’s spear lacerating his calf, offered some excuse or other and disappeared into the bustle with Diocles and Vibius hot on his heels. Having nothing better to do, Mokun, Mugulu, Gordas and I went in search of the stalls of the weapons merchants, while Liu, the old guide, made a beeline for the nearest opium den.

“How are we going to rid the world of the evil emperor?” Mugulu asked while he tested the weight and balance of a thin, but surprisingly heavy mace with a triangular metal shaft. ‘Swordbreaker’, was the only word I managed to distinguish from the jabber of the merchant.

“I believe that the god of war and fire will provide an answer”, I replied, studying the welded blade of a dagger that Gordas had passed to me.

We replaced the dagger and mace and joined Mokun, who was admiring a studded iron ball set onto the end of a two-foot hardwood haft.

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