Taiheiki

Chapter 306 Death
"It's not even dawn yet!" Dou Xuan asked, dissatisfied.

"It's already 5 a.m.!" the man said, placing the basin of water on the wooden shelf beside him. "This is when we do our morning exercises in the army. You still have a lot to learn!"

"I don't need to get up this early at home!" Dou Xuan complained while washing up.

“But this is military camp!” The man took down the bow and quiver hanging on the wall. “Hurry up, practice your riding first, and if you have time, practice your archery! Your thighs were chafed raw on the way here, which is a sign of poor riding skills. As a pursuit officer, this won’t do!”

Exposed, Dou Xuan's face flushed red: "Shen Huan, watch your words. I'm your superior, you're just my deputy!"

“That’s right, but I’m also your teacher!” Shen Huan said. “Before you set off, your sister personally instructed me to ensure your safety. So I must teach you riding skills first, so that you can at least escape in an emergency!”

Dou Xuan muttered a couple of times and didn't argue further. The experience on the island that day was a good lesson; in Runan County, the name of the Dou family of Fufeng wasn't very useful. Although Shen Heng was a mere archer and horseman who didn't study the Five Classics, he wasn't wrong. In this godforsaken place, you never knew when you might have to rely on this thing to save your life.

The group left the city, and as far as the eye could see, there were well-cultivated fields and mulberry orchards. They had to walk along the river for a while before finally finding a clearing of sandy land. Shen Huan reined in the horses and said, "Although this land is a bit too flat, with no gullies or mounds, you are, after all, just a beginner, so let's start with something simple!"

“What do you mean by starting simple? I’ve actually been riding horses since I was a child, but everyone in Luoyang rides in oxcarts, so I couldn’t escape the custom and didn’t ride much!” Dou Xuan muttered to himself. He had already noticed the difference between Qian Wen, Shen Huan, and the other subordinates Wei Cong assigned to him and the guests and retainers in his household. Although these guys addressed Wei Cong as “Young Master,” “Lord,” or “General” just like the other guests and retainers, they didn’t have that kind of respectful feeling. Many times, they would even point fingers and make various impolite gestures in front of Wei Cong. Most importantly, these guys only considered themselves to be inferior to Wei Cong, while they considered themselves equal to each other, to other court officials, and even to Wei Cong’s wife, the Dou family.

On his way to Runan, Dou Xuan had experienced this several times. Yes, both Shen Huan and Qian Wen cared about his safety, but it was more like protecting a pet than protecting their superior.

Shen Huan made a gesture, and his entourage formed a loose protective circle around the sandy ground. Dou Xuan then kicked his horse's rump, causing it to trot slowly. His mount was a beautiful chestnut steed, only three years old, a gift from the Empress Dowager before he left Luoyang.

"Young master, you can relax a bit. Your body is still too stiff, and it will tire the horse out!" Shen Huan shouted. "Let your body rise and fall with the horse's movements. Yes, that's much better now!"

Dou Xuan ran two laps and felt much better. Actually, he had heard all of Shen Huan's stories from the family's jockeys, but he had forgotten them due to lack of riding experience. Now, he was gradually regaining his senses through riding. The river breeze rushed towards him, his body swayed with the movement of his mount, and the bushes and weeds on either side swept past. A unique thrill of movement welled up in Dou Xuan's chest. He couldn't help but tighten his legs, crack the whip on his horse's rump, and shout, "Giddy up, giddy up, faster!"

"Slow down, slow down, young master, be careful!" Shen Huan shouted as Dou Xuan ran faster and faster. Dou Xuan seemed not to hear him at all, forcefully spurred his horse, and broke out of the loose crowd, galloping along the riverbank. Shen Huan panicked at the sight and shouted, "Quick, hurry and chase after him!" He also mounted his horse and gave chase.

In terms of horsemanship, even three Dou Xuans at this point couldn't match Shen Huan, but compared to their mounts, three of Shen Huan's mounts combined couldn't match the chestnut horse Dou Xuan rode. Seeing that the horse had gone berserk and couldn't be caught immediately, Shen Huan had no choice but to whistle, ordering his men to scatter and try to circle around and intercept Dou Xuan. Just then, Dou Xuan crossed the official road and passed through a wheat field. Suddenly, a dozen birds took flight from behind the fence at the edge of the field, startling Dou Xuan. He fell headfirst from his saddle, his foot entangled in the leather rope. The horse galloped wildly, dragging his head against the ground, his screams echoing incessantly.

"There are thieves behind the fence! They're assassins! Damn it! Ah Chong, take some men and go save the young master!" Shen Huan drew his ring-pommel sword, twirled it, and charged toward the fence with a loud shout. His horse's hooves trampled the straw, and his roar was like thunder: "Kill the thieves! Kill the thieves!"

The people behind the fence fired a volley of arrows and then fled into the mulberry grove behind it. Shen Huan only managed to kill the last one who was left behind; the rest disappeared into the mulberry grove.

"Should we continue chasing?" his subordinate asked as they caught up.

"Four legs chasing two legs in the woods?" Shen Huan spat. "Damn it, these bastards know this place so well, they must be locals. Let's go back and check on Young Master Dou! He absolutely cannot be in any danger, or we're all doomed!"

When Shen Huan returned, Dou Xuan had already been found. He was lying on the ground, one crossbow bolt piercing his thigh and the other piercing his abdomen. The fatal wound was to his head, which must have been caused by the impact when he fell from his horse. His head was already somewhat deformed. Shen Huan reached out and touched it; it was covered in blood, sticky like paste, as if his skull was shattered.

"Let's hurry back to the city and get a doctor to take a look!" someone muttered.

"What are you looking at? It's definitely over now!"

"If he's finished, we're finished too!" Shen Huan stood up. "Don't forget, his own sister is the Grand General's wife!"

There was a deathly silence all around, broken only by the snorting of horses. After a long while, someone whispered, "Why don't we run away? We're doomed if we stay!"

"If you want to escape, then escape!" Shen Huan's face was ashen, but his expression was resolute: "I still have family and land. If I run away, they're all finished. This matter isn't that simple. These assassins are after the young master. We must atone for our crimes by performing meritorious service!"

"Yes, yes! As long as we catch these bastards, we won't have to die!"

"Yes, hurry and chase after them! There's still time!"

Like a drowning person grasping at a straw, everyone sprang into action. Shen Huan led half the men to transport Dou Xuan or his body back into the city and report to Qian Wen, while the other half dismounted and went to the mulberry garden to pursue and try to capture one alive.

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"What? Young Master Dou is dead?" Qian Wen glared at Shen Huan, his face ashen. "Bastard, have you forgotten what I told you before?" "I deserve to die!" Shen Huan knelt on the ground. "However, these thieves were clearly after Young Master Dou. I beg you, sir, to give me a chance to atone for my sins. Once the thieves are captured, it's not too late to face death!"

Qian Wen glanced at Shen Heng on the ground and sneered, "Don't worry, even if you wanted to die, we wouldn't let you die now, otherwise I'd be seen as a traitor colluding with the villains. Bring up anything you found there so we can examine it carefully. Alas, this young master Dou is the younger brother of the Grand General's wife and the Empress Dowager's cousin, and he's died at our hands. Not only you, but I'm also implicated. Forget it, I'll go write a letter of apology and have it sent to Luoyang by fast horse. Truly, a bolt from the blue!"

Half an hour later, the men who went to hunt down the assassin returned, bringing back only two top-string crossbows. These were rather rudimentary crossbows, lacking the firing mechanism of a normal crossbow. Instead, they had a groove on the shaft with a hole at the bottom. A thin wooden stick, roughly the same diameter as the hole, was inserted into the groove. To use them, the string was hooked into the groove, and the thin stick was used to push it out of the hole, firing the arrow. These top-string crossbows were far inferior to the commonly used crossbows of the time in terms of accuracy and draw weight, but they were very simple to make. A skilled craftsman only needed a wooden drill and a short knife. Hunters, farmers, and local estate retinues all possessed these weapons; finding the assassin through these two sources would be virtually impossible.

"It seems the mastermind behind this has planned everything very thoroughly! With our current strength, it's probably impossible to find the real culprit!" Qian Wen sighed. "We can only hope that the General will send someone!"

Shen Huan nodded. He knew very well that Qian Wen meant that it was impossible for him to redeem himself through meritorious service; he should just wait to be convicted and punished.
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Luoyang, the General's Mansion.

In the morning, her new dress was finally finished. Her maids filled the bathtub with hot water and scrubbed her until her skin turned red. Then they trimmed her nails, combed her hair, styled it into a beautiful bun, and applied expensive perfume. When everything was done, dozens of robes made of the finest Shu brocade were laid out for her to choose from, followed by jewelry, each piece inlaid with the most precious pearls and gems, even surpassing those in the Emperor's palace.

"You need not worry!" the head maid said with pride. "The finest pearls in the world come from Jiaozhou, and every year, foreign merchants who come to Panyu present the General with their finest treasures and spices. The General's treasury is filled with all kinds of treasures; even the Emperor's concubines cannot surpass you in this regard!"

"Alright, you can't say such things outside, it's presumptuous!" Although she stopped the maid's boasting, Dou Yun still felt a special joy welling up inside her. Truly, no woman doesn't want to surpass her sister in beauty and status, even if the other is the mistress of the West Palace, the Empress Dowager. While she was unlikely to surpass her sister in status, she had at least won in terms of jewelry. This small victory made Dou Yun feel extremely pleased.
"Where is the General?" she asked casually.

"He left the city early this morning; I heard he went to inspect the newly built granary in Luokou!" the maid replied.

"He insists on doing this himself!" Dou Yun frowned slightly. "He's clearly a general, yet he's even vying to do the work of the chief craftsman. Really!"

"Madam, did you know? These days, there are rumors circulating in the streets of Luoyang that before the General rose to prominence, he was a craftsman, which is why he has such a fondness for construction!"

"Nonsense!" Dou Yun sneered, "My husband is clearly from the Wei family of Ye City, how could he be a craftsman? He does enjoy construction, but that's because it's useful for the country and the people's livelihood. What does it have to do with his background? Send someone to the Commandant of the Capital Region to find out a few of those petty people who are spreading rumors behind my back and punish them severely!"

"Here!"

Dou Yun sneered. Although Wei Cong was not the kind of noble young master she had admired when she was a girl, now that she had married him, his interests were inextricably linked to hers. She wanted the world to know that no matter what Wei Cong was like in the past, anyone who dared to talk about him now would pay the price.

"Madam!" The head maid rushed in, curtsied to Dou Yun, and said, "An envoy has come from Runan—"

“Runan, it should be Ah Xuan who sent it. He should have arrived by now!” Dou Yun stood up excitedly. She had always liked this younger brother who was only a year younger than her. “Where is the messenger? Tell him to come see me!”

“But, but—” the maid hesitated.

"But what?" Dou Yun said arrogantly, "The General has gone to Luokou and won't be back until at least tomorrow. With him away, I am the head of the household! Bring the messenger here now!"

"Yes Yes!"

Huang Ping entered with the messenger, his face etched with obvious worry: "Madam, I have some bad news. Please accept my condolences."

"Please accept my condolences?" Dou Yun's smile hadn't completely faded. "What do you mean?"

"Young Master Dou, that is, your younger brother, has been assassinated!" Huang Ping said in a low voice. "When he went out to ride a horse, he was shot by a group of assassins behind the fence with crossbows. He was hit by two arrows, fell off his horse, and his head was also broken! He was already dead when he was sent back to the city!"

Dou Yun only heard "Your brother has been assassinated," and she didn't hear anything else Huang Ping said after that. Her ears were ringing, the world was spinning, and she felt like the whole world had turned upside down. She swayed a few times and fell backward, but fortunately, the maidservant who was with her caught her. In the ensuing chaos, everything fell into disarray.

"Madam, Madam, are you alright? Quick, quickly, call the doctor!" Huang Ping hurriedly shouted. But before the doctor arrived, Dou Yun pushed aside the maid beside her and stood up: "Someone, someone prepare the carriage!"

"Carriages and horses?" The maid was stunned. "Where are you going?!"

"I want to go to the palace and see the Empress Dowager!" Dou Yun's face was already covered in tears. "Ah Xuan can't be harmed like this. The mastermind behind this must be exterminated along with his entire family!"

(End of this chapter)