Taiheiki

Chapter 157 Growth
Almost immediately, a second arrow flew from the hilltop and struck the flag bearer in the crowd. In less than a year, Nie Sheng had grown taller by more than half a head, fully maturing into a strong young man. His father's genes were clearly evident in him: broad shoulders, long and powerful arms, and a sturdy back. He could easily draw a two-stone bow, and clad in iron armor, he leaped onto his horse without using stirrups. From his vantage point, he shot down three or four enemies in quick succession. Only then did the enemies below realize that there was only one enemy above, and they all shouted and charged towards the top of the hill.

Nie Sheng was not intimidated by the enemy's numbers. He fired a few more arrows, then put his bow back in its quiver, grabbed his double-pointed spear, and spurred his horse down the hill. The scent of warhorses, fear, blood, and battle stirred his inner desires. His horse galloped along the ridge, its armor clanging, its hooves firmly pounding over rocks, roots, and decaying leaves, charging down the slope, through the bushes, and forward with increasing speed.

The spearhead swept past the first enemy; the immense momentum from the galloping warhorse rendered armor and shields powerless against the spear's attack, instantly killing the one struck. Nie Sheng gripped the spear shaft tightly with both hands, wielding it with lightning speed; the spearheads at both ends were like the fangs of a ferocious beast, continuously claiming the lives of his enemies. In an instant, he broke through the enemy ranks, his armor and spearhead stained with blood, dripping down.

Just as the attacked men were considering whether to give up or rush forward to surround and kill the fearsome knight, a battle cry rang out from their flanks and rear. Spears burst forth from the thicket like a dense forest, pointed at their backs. As they hurriedly turned to meet the attack, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the opposite side. The fearsome knight raised his double-pointed lance and spurred his horse toward them.

The battle ended quickly. Faced with a pincer attack from two directions, the attackers' formation collapsed. All that remained was pursuit and surrender. Nie Sheng did not participate. He dismounted, took off his helmet, and enjoyed the mountain breeze for a while, drenched in sweat. He lovingly stroked his mount's sweaty mane, opened the saddlebag, grabbed a handful of roasted soybeans, and rushed them to the horse's mouth. The warhorse affectionately nudged its master's face with its nose and began to lick the roasted soybeans.

"Young master, young master!" A middle-aged man ran over, panting, and shouted, "You were too reckless just now! You charged at over a hundred bandits all by yourself on horseback. Why didn't you wait for us to arrive before you attacked?"

“The terrain here is very advantageous to me!” Nie Sheng pointed to the hills: “Charging down from above, I can strike the enemy diagonally in the waist. The enemy has neither cavalry nor many crossbowmen! They are all infantry. I am clad in iron armor, riding a fine horse, like a tiger driving a flock of sheep. What is there to be afraid of!”

“Young master—you are a hero of our time. The safety of tens of thousands of people in Chaisang County rests on your shoulders! How can you act rashly?”

"Alright, alright!" Nie Sheng waved his hand impatiently. "What hero of our time? My godfather conquered five counties in Jiaozhou in three months. That's what a hero of our time is. I'm just a commoner. Why should I not show off my commoner's courage?"

"This—" The middle-aged man was speechless after Nie Sheng's words and didn't know how to answer for a moment. Nie Sheng waved his hand somewhat boredly: "Alright, I'll leave things here to you. I'm going back to the city first!" After saying that, he mounted his horse and headed towards Chaisang County.

"You lot, hurry up and follow the young master!" the middle-aged man hurriedly ordered the young men behind him.

"Here!"

Watching Nie Sheng's departing figure, the middle-aged man couldn't help but sigh. Young Master Nie excelled in riding and archery, charging into enemy lines and causing thousands to flee in terror. Since the uprising of the Moth Rebellion, the peace of Chaisang County had largely been due to his strength. Heroes from all directions believed his bravery surpassed even that of Nie Zheng. However, hidden behind the praise were whispers that Nie Sheng's bravery was a curse passed down through generations, just like Nie Zheng, who died a violent death before the age of thirty. This young warrior, second only to Xiang Yu in bravery, would also soon perish under arrows and spears. Those close to Nie Sheng were both disgusted and worried by the rumors, fearing they might become a self-fulfilling prophecy, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

Back at his lodgings, Nie Sheng was about to remove his armor when a servant beside him said, "Young master, an envoy from Yuhan County has arrived and is waiting inside!"

"Oh, it must be a letter from my godfather, that's wonderful!" Nie Sheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. Ever since Wei Cong went to Jiaozhou, letters had arrived every month or so through Yuhan County. The letters described the Jiaozhou war and military experiences in concise yet detailed strokes, and also contained suggestions and exhortations for Nie Sheng, as well as a list of books. Each time he received a letter, Nie Sheng would carefully read it and then meticulously preserve it in a lacquered box, treating it like a precious jewel.

Nie Sheng quickly removed his armor, changed into his undergarments, and hurried to the back hall. He was stunned to see Yuan Tian: "It's you? What happened to you? I almost didn't recognize you!"

"It's a long story!" Yuan Tian gave a wry smile as he took a letter from a wooden box beside him. "This was sent by Lord Wei!"

Nie Sheng quickly took the letter, checked that the seal was intact, and then opened it to examine it closely. After a while, Nie Sheng put the letter away and asked, "My godfather said in the letter that Guo Kui was sent to deliver the message, so why did it become you?"

"Guo Kui was the chief envoy on this trip to Yuzhang, and I was his deputy. On the way, we were besieged by bandits on the Gan River. Brother Guo saw that the bandits were powerful and we could not escape, so he told me to take this wooden box and jump off the boat to escape."

"So that's how it is!" Nie Sheng's face turned cold: "Thieves? Most likely the Moth Thieves, right? My godfather has always been cautious in his actions. He said in his letter that he brought a lot of valuables, so he must have sent elite soldiers to escort them. How could ordinary thieves have the ability to force you to this point on the river?"

"What you say is quite right, young master! However, there is no concrete evidence yet, so I dare not speak recklessly!"

"Evidence?" Nie Sheng laughed. "This isn't a county magistrate's trial; what need is there for evidence? Just remember this and find a chance to recoup your losses with interest next time. Why all the fuss!"

Yuan Tian laughed upon hearing this: "What you say is true, young master. I was indeed overthinking things!"

"Don't worry, I may not have much else here, but I'll have plenty of opportunities to kill those thieves. I just killed a whole gang of them! Just wait a few days, and I'll find another chance to avenge you!"

"Your kindness is greatly appreciated, young master!" Yuan Tian cupped his hands in thanks. "However, I have other duties to perform right now!" He patted the wooden box beside him. "There are still a few letters inside that I need to deliver!"

"For Zhao Yannian?"

“Indeed!” Yuan Tian nodded. “It is indeed Duke Wei’s order!” “Very well, when will you depart?”

"The sooner the better!" Yuan Tian said, "Before he left, Lord Wei said that the situation is changing rapidly, and if we delay even a little, we will miss the opportunity!"

"Hmm!" Nie Sheng nodded: "My godfather also mentioned it in his letter. Since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer. I'll have someone send some wine and food over, and after you've eaten, I'll personally take you to the dock!"

"Thank you, sir!"

After seeing Yuan Tian off, Nie Sheng returned home, took out a letter from his lacquer box, and reread it. In the letter, Wei Cong explained his plan to postpone his plans to conquer the three counties of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan, which he had not yet annexed, and to focus on consolidating the five counties of Jiaozhou that he already controlled. He then outlined his views on the ongoing war in Jingzhou and Yangzhou.

As the imperial court increases its troop deployment to Jing and Yang prefectures, the strength of the Emei bandits north of the Yangtze River will gradually be squeezed into a few key points, and the main battlefield will gradually shift south of the Yangtze River. The brief peace in Yuzhang Prefecture, located south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River after the Emei bandits captured Nanchang, will be broken, and it will be drawn into a larger and more intense war. Chaisang, located at the mouth of Poyang Lake, a strategic location, can no longer remain uninvolved. Therefore, Nie Sheng should lead his clan and troops as soon as possible, taking advantage of this brief window of opportunity, to sail south, cross the Five Ridges, and head to Jiaozhou.

"So it seems that my godfather not only sent me south this time, but Yuan Tian's meeting with Zhao Yannian was also for this matter!" Nie Sheng thought to himself. He knew very well that the reason why Chaisang was able to survive this year was not because of his martial prowess as rumored, but because the Moth Bandits did not launch a major attack on Chaisang.

If the Moth Rebels were to deploy tens of thousands of troops against other prefectures and counties with the same ferocity, even with superhuman strength, he would likely be unable to withstand them. The tacit understanding of "I won't attack your Chaisang and Yuhan counties, nor plunder your fleet; you continue to supply me with large quantities of high-quality weapons" could no longer be maintained; the attack on Yuan Tian and Guo Kui on the Gan River was a prime example. Clearly, Wei Cong had anticipated this; he had long ago focused his attention on Jiaozhou, and Yuzhang Prefecture was already a discarded pawn in his eyes.

"My godfather's vision is truly far-sighted!" Nie Sheng exclaimed. "If he had come a few months later, he would have had no choice but to fight to the death in Yuzhang!" He shook his head, carefully placed the letter into the lacquer box, and said in a deep voice, "Men, prepare a banquet at the manor tonight. All the heroes in the city must be invited!"

----------------------

"Are you sure the young master intends to host a banquet for the city's heroes tonight?" Zhou Jin asked the servant in front of him in a low voice.

"There's absolutely no mistake!" The servant glanced cautiously behind him. "Young Master has already given the order to go and invite Lord Lei from Jiujiang!"

"Okay! I understand. Report back next time if you have any news!" Zhou Jin took out a handful of copper coins from his money pouch and stuffed them into the servant's hand.

"Thank you, sir!" The servant accepted the money and happily went off to work. Watching the servant's retreating figure, Zhou Jin frowned. He knew, of course, that the "Lord Lei of Jiujiang" the servant spoke of was Lei Huan, a renowned hero in Jiujiang County. He had even helped Wei Cong reclaim Nie Sheng's family business. But this time, with the Moth Rebellion, Jiujiang County was the hardest hit area. To avoid the chaos, he had led hundreds of his family and clan members to Chaisang County to seek refuge with Nie Sheng.

Over the past year, Nie Sheng's performance on the battlefield not only impressed local heroes like Lei Huan, but even Zhou Jin, who used to call him a "little thief" behind his back, changed his attitude. He witnessed firsthand how those once-arrogant noble families were utterly defeated and even wiped out in the face of thousands upon thousands of bandits. His family's hereditary high-ranking officials and talented individuals were utterly useless. Even his own Lujiang Zhou clan was utterly decimated; if it weren't for one branch in Luoyang, which was nearly wiped out, he would have been safer staying in Chaisang.

On the contrary, this Nie Sheng, the half-grown boy he once despised, was able to gather his clan and followers and personally defeat the attacks of the Moth Bandits time and time again on the battlefield, preserving the county of Chaisang. Zhou Jin sometimes thought to himself that Nie Sheng's ancestor didn't seem much like the assassin Nie Zheng, but rather somewhat like Xiang Yu. In that case, it was only natural that he possessed a county. With this thought in mind, Zhou Jin paid even closer attention to Nie Sheng's actions. Thinking of this, he secretly made up his mind that even if he hadn't received an invitation from Nie Sheng, he would still shamelessly go and freeload off the meal, which was also for the sake of his own life.

----------------------

The courtyard was filled with the aromas of charcoal, meat, and wine. Zhou Jin carefully made his way through the long corridor to a secluded corner closest to the entrance. It was an inconspicuous spot, but still enough to clearly hear the conversation at the head of the table. He sat down cautiously, holding his breath, waiting for the banquet to begin.

Having long been accustomed to military life, Nie Sheng did not keep Zhou Jin waiting for long. He arrived as soon as it got dark and sat down at the head of the table. The hall immediately fell silent, and everyone stopped talking and turned their eyes to Nie Sheng, waiting for him to speak.

"I have invited you all here today for an important matter!" Nie Sheng's voice still carried a hint of youthful sharpness, like the cry of a fledgling eagle. Zhou Jin held his breath, carefully listening to what he was about to say.

"I plan to lead my troops and clans south by boat to Jiaozhou!"

It's difficult to describe the scene in the hall at that moment. Those who heard the shocking news looked at each other in disbelief, but soon their expressions turned indignant. They waved their arms, their faces flushed, their necks stiff, and shouted something at Nie Sheng. Zhou Jin, however, seemed to hear nothing, sitting there calmly, like a bronze statue. Only when the shouts subsided did he speak again.

"I have gathered you all here tonight to inform you of this matter, not to solicit your opinions. I have already made my decision!"

"Young Master Nie!" The first to speak was Wang Wen of Jiujiang County. He was a powerful figure on par with Lei Huan, but faced with the overwhelming tide of bandits, he had no choice but to flee to Chaisang with his clan and guests. A man of upright character, he was the first to speak: "We came to Chaisang to seek refuge with you, ultimately hoping to find shelter under your roof, to jointly resist the bandits, and to protect our wives and children. But now you are going to Jiaozhou. Where do you place us then?"

(End of this chapter)