“You want to go?”
Yi Yan, who rarely stood without his arms folded in aloof indifference, nodded seriously.
“Catching these bandits is no easy task, and it’s fraught with danger. You should stay in the residence and focus on guarding the house.”
Du Heng was sorely lacking people he could rely on. Seeing Yi Yan step forward without hesitation at such a difficult moment, his heart couldn’t help but warm.
Yi Yan spent his days in the garden teaching his son nonsense martial moves, ate three large bowls at every meal, had a hard, foul temper, and seemed to be missing a screw upstairs—but when it truly mattered, he could still be counted on. Du Heng felt a sense of relief, like an old man reassured.
Still, Du Heng was only human, and he had his own selfish considerations. Yi Yan had been with him for quite some time now. Though his wooden nature often led to situations that left others speechless, he had never once made mistakes in serious matters. Instead, he had always guarded the Qin household and kept the residence safe.
Now that trouble had erupted so suddenly, even though Yi Yan’s martial skills were indeed formidable, Du Heng could not, at such a time, push him into such a dangerous task. After all, Yi Yan was merely a household guard—not like the yamen clerks who drew salaries from the imperial court.
A gentle light flickered in Du Heng’s eyes. “I know you are loyal and brave, but there is no need for you to put yourself in danger for my sake.”
Seeing how deeply moved Du Heng looked, Yi Yan felt somewhat puzzled. He spoke honestly, “It’s not that this humble one wants to share your worries, my lord. I’ve long wanted to deal with these bandits.”
Back then, he had been living just fine as a hunter in his village. If not for the bandits from Qiuyang County crossing the border into Luoxia County and disturbing the common people’s peace, he would never have left the forests to seek work elsewhere.
Hearing this, Qin Xiaoman pressed his lips together. He had always thought himself quite straightforward and not exactly pleasant with words, but seeing Du Heng’s excellent bodyguard like this made him feel, once again, that maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.
People really do need someone worse off to serve as a comparison.
He raised his hand and gently patted Du Heng, who looked as though a basin of cold water had just been dumped over his head. “Since Yi Yan wants to go so badly, you might as well let him.”
Afraid Du Heng would still refuse, Yi Yan added, “When the bandits came to the villages to cause trouble and rob people, this humble one and my brothers also rallied the strong men of the village to resist and block them. My lord may rest assured.”
Du Heng pulled himself out of his earlier emotion. Hearing this, he recalled how Yi Yan had first come to the Qin household. Back then, bandits from Qiuyang County had indeed gone to the border villages of Luoxia County to cause trouble.
The magistrate of Luoxia County was hardly a paragon of integrity. He governed in a half-muddled, half-clear-headed way. When the village headmen reported bandit disturbances, he saw that it involved Qiuyang County and knew that area was a complete mess. So he casually dispatched a few county soldiers to deal with it, perfunctorily brushing the matter aside.
The county office did little to drive off the bandits. Seeing that Luoxia County did not want to interfere, the bandits grew bolder, coming more and more frequently to harass the border villages.
With no protection from the court and no relief from their pleas, the villagers had no choice but to rely on their own strength, organizing teams of able-bodied men to resist the bandits.
As a hunter, Yi Yan belonged to a naturally fierce profession. It was only reasonable that he became a main force in resisting the bandits.
After many rounds of resistance and clashes, the bandits realized that the border villages of Luoxia County were not easy targets. Over time, they no longer dared to risk going there to cause trouble.
Although the resistance was successful, it had drained the villages’ finances, resources, and manpower over the past two years. The villages grew poor and declined, never recovering their former stability.
Many young people had no choice but to go to the county seat to seek work, hoping to reverse their families’ declining fortunes.
Even though the bandits no longer came, the departure of so many young men left everyone uneasy. They feared that if the bandits returned, there would be no young people left to resist them, and the elderly, women, and children would surely suffer.
This was a sword hanging over the heads of those young people who had gone out to make a living. As long as the bandits existed, the threat remained.
Now that there was finally a chance to wipe them out, Yi Yan naturally did not want to let it slip by.
Seeing his resolve firm and unwavering, Du Heng did not dare to be careless. He asked Yi Yan in detail about the earlier efforts to resist the bandits in his village. Only after confirming that it was all genuine did he arrange for the military office to select county soldiers to go suppress the bandits.
The county’s common people had also heard about the tax grain being robbed. Although bandits were rampant in Qiuyang County, every time news of trouble surfaced, it still sent a chill through people’s hearts—let alone this time, when even government grain had been seized.
Panic spread. Farmers no longer dared to bring their grain out to sell, and the county seat once again became quiet.
A quiet county during the autumn harvest was no good sign.
Du Heng immediately went in person to reassure the people, urging them to continue with the autumn harvest and trade.
That day, when the townsfolk saw the county soldiers assembled in formation and marching out of the city with imposing force, they felt somewhat reassured. Still, grain trade in the county did not return to its former bustle.
“Who are you writing to?” Qin Xiaoman had changed into simple clothes and was about to speak with Du Heng when he saw him bent over his desk in the study, writing a letter.
Du Heng answered, “I’m writing to General Weiping.”
Hearing this, Qin Xiaoman sat down beside him. In his memory, the household did not seem to have had dealings with such a figure.
Putting down his brush, Du Heng said to Qin Xiaoman, “Bandits have plagued Qiuyang County for many years. This time they were even bold enough to intercept government grain. Even with Yi Yan leading the team, I fear it won’t be easy to eradicate them.”
Last year, the court had ordered each prefecture to build troop garrison points. The matter was initially carried out with great momentum, but then the political situation at court changed abruptly. The old emperor, alarmed by irregularities in the spring examinations and fearing a palace coup, urgently recalled the troops dispatched by the court to safeguard the capital. As a result, the garrison project was temporarily suspended.
After the former emperor’s death and the new emperor’s accession—along with a series of related events—the current emperor, known for his benevolence and filial piety, remembered that the garrison matter had remained unfinished at the former emperor’s deathbed. Moreover, he himself valued the balanced development of civil and military affairs. Thus, just last month, he picked up the halted garrison project once more.
The matter was still overseen by the former Sixth Prince, now enfeoffed as a prince, Sixth Lord, and the original personnel remained unchanged.
“If we could establish a garrison point in Qiuyang County, would those bandits still dare to come out and commit evil?”
Hearing this, Qin Xiaoman’s face brightened as well. “Court garrisons have soldiers trained daily under proper leadership. They’re far stronger than the county soldiers in the yamen. If they really could be stationed here, they certainly wouldn’t allow bandits to harass the people.”
There were obvious benefits, but Qin Xiaoman also worried, “The choice of garrison location is made by higher authorities. I’m afraid it’s not something we can decide as we wish.”
Du Heng responded, “When General Weiping came to Luoxia County in the past, I once took Yi Yan to check household registrations and caught a glimpse of the general at my uncle’s place. Judging by his bearing, he seemed upright and righteous. I’ll write two letters—one to the Prefect, and one to General Weiping—clearly explaining Qiuyang County’s predicament. If they truly care about the people, they will give it some thought.”
General Weiping was under the Sixth Prince’s command. Du Heng himself had once met Sixth Lord, even exchanged a few words with him.
During the earlier provincial examination held at the prefectural capital, the chief examiner had been Sixth Lord, Prince Nanping. Now, having a request to make, Du Heng had neither power nor influence. All he could do was swallow his pride and mention the prince’s former favor. Even a slight connection was better than begging with empty words.
In truth, he was striving for Qiuyang County. Whether it succeeded or not, at least he had tried every possible avenue.
After finishing the letters, Du Heng dispatched the county courier to deliver them at full speed. At such a critical juncture, the sooner clear news arrived, the sooner he could prepare a response.
After wrapping up that matter, Du Heng noticed that Qin Xiaoman had changed his clothes and asked, “You’re heading out?”
Qin Xiaoman replied, “The headman of Mangping Village is gravely ill in bed. At his age, suffering such a shock—when it all happened because he wanted to deliver the grain tax to the county as early as possible—he’s been lying there in constant anxiety ever since the grain was lost. I’m taking some things to go see him.”
Hearing this, something stirred in Du Heng’s heart. He suddenly smiled and gave Qin Xiaoman’s hand a squeeze. “I’ve been tied up with county affairs and couldn’t spare the time. You’re the one who thought this through.”
Public sentiment was unstable right now. The common people were guarding what little grain they had, afraid something else might go wrong. Farmers were staying behind closed doors, and village headmen no longer dared to transport grain into the county rashly. Everything was steeped in unease.
At a time like this, going to visit the headman who had run into trouble first would also let the farmers know that the yamen still cared about them—and that it did not blame those who had been proactive in delivering grain tax to the county.
Du Heng and Qin Xiaoman brought some simple condolence gifts and went together to Mangping Village to visit the headman. Along the way, they could also inspect the tax-collection teams that had been dispatched to the countryside—killing two birds with one stone.
With the magistrate and his husband personally visiting and expressing concern, the headman was moved to tears. His earlier initiative in delivering grain to the county had not been in vain after all.
Before long, word of this spread through all the villages. The county magistrate bringing his husband to visit the farmers not only soothed public sentiment, it deepened the farmers’ gratitude for the magistrate’s compassion and strengthened their trust in Du Heng.
With the county yamen sending troops to suppress the bandits, and additional patrols led by Ma Yingfan stationed along the main roads, farmers and village headmen gradually began hauling grain into the county again, either to sell or to deliver to the yamen.
Only then did the county regain its bustle.
Du Heng had been worrying about how to restore order in the county, never expecting that a simple condolence visit would resolve the issue. His heart finally eased.
A few days later, the assistant magistrate from the military office returned to the yamen with a grim face to report that the bandits were fierce. Of the sixty-man force dispatched, a full third had suffered injuries of varying severity.
“The bandits are hiding deep in the mountains and forests—they’re extremely cunning. Fortunately, Brother Yi Yan is skilled at tracking in forested terrain and led the county soldiers to find their traces. Unfortunately, the bandits know the mountains well. They always strike by surprise, and they flee quickly. In two direct engagements, our county soldiers failed to gain the upper hand.”
Hearing this report, Du Heng felt it was only to be expected, but hearing it out loud still made him sigh softly.
The assistant magistrate bowed to apologize. “This humble one is incompetent and has caused Your Excellency concern.”
“There’s no point in saying that now,” Du Heng replied. “You’ve already put your lives on the line leading the county soldiers against the bandits.”
Given the situation, Du Heng could only adjust his approach. “For now, keep maneuvering against them. Unless you have absolute confidence, reduce direct confrontations. Tie the bandits down so the villages and common people can deliver their grain to the county safely. If we fail to submit the tax grain to the court on time this year, none of us could bear that responsibility.”
“Yes, sir.”
Everyone in the county yamen agreed that this year had been the busiest one yet. Those sent out were living on the edge of a blade; those who stayed behind were drowning in work.
The Revenue Office was busy tallying the grain delivered from the various villages, while the two chief clerks ran back and forth calculating accounts.
For the first time, every department truly performed its duties. There was a palpable sense of resolve—of what it meant to serve as officials and clerks.
In early October, Du Heng was in the administrative hall reviewing the autumn accounts, carefully organizing the tax grain records to be submitted to the prefecture and the court. From far away, he heard Jiang Qi running in haste.
Jiang Qi had just received two letters from the clerks in the reception office of the Ceremonial Department. Before he even reached the stone archway, he couldn’t help shouting, “My lord! An official dispatch has arrived from the prefectural city!”
Unable to hide the smile on his face, he clutched the letters and hurried inside.
Du Heng set aside the thick ledgers he had been working through and rubbed his temples. Just as he was about to look toward the window, Jiang Qi—moving quickly—had already reached the doorway.
So excited was he that he nearly tripped over the familiar threshold.
“An official dispatch from the prefectural city!”
At those words, Du Heng stood up at once, not bothering to scold Jiang Qi for his carelessness. He hurriedly took the letters.
But what arrived was not just correspondence—there was also an official document.
Du Heng drew a careful breath. If an official dispatch had come, that meant his earlier request had succeeded. Had it been rejected, there would have been only a letter, not a formal document.
He tore it open, and sure enough, the court had approved selecting Qiuyang County as the site for the Jintuan Prefecture garrison!
The two replies were from the Prefect and from General Weiping respectively. Du Heng had not expected General Weiping to write back personally.
“Excellent—excellent!”
Staring at the bold, unrestrained characters of the military hand on the document, Du Heng found them more pleasing to the eye than even the finest prose of a top-ranked scholar.
“Jiang Qi—go at once and have the Ceremonial Department post a notice. Let all the people of the county know that the court will be establishing a garrison here. Also add a note encouraging able-bodied men to enlist.”
Now that the matter was settled, the news needed to be released quickly: first, to reassure the people; second, to intimidate the bandits; and third, to let the people of Qiuyang County know about the garrison so they could consider it and be ready to enlist once the general arrived.
Whether General Weiping chose Qiuyang County for the sake of the people, or because he and the Prefect agreed that Qiuyang County was well suited as a garrison site, Du Heng, as the county magistrate, ought to encourage the people to cooperate fully with the general’s work. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to the great favor the general had done him.
Once the location was chosen, the higher authorities acted with decisive speed.
On the eighth day of the tenth month, General Weiping arrived in Qiuyang County with his troops.
Du Heng had never liked the pomp of leading officials out to the city gates to welcome superiors. The county was busy enough as it was. Yet this time, he changed his usual stance and went to the city gates early in the morning to receive them.
The garrison would not be stationed inside the county seat, but at Feixia Plain, thirty li outside the county, designated as the garrison site.
The troops did not enter the city. They were sent directly to the garrison location, while General Weiping alone brought a few attendants to the yamen to handle the paperwork.
From far outside the city gates came the thunder of galloping hooves. Before long, several towering figures rode into view.
The common folk of the county were seeing, for the first time in their lives, a general clad head to toe in armor—thick brows, big eyes—and to their surprise he bore more than a passing resemblance to the door gods pasted on gates during the New Year.
“Your subordinate, Du Heng, together with the county officials, respectfully welcomes General Weiping.”
Most military men disliked scholars. Feng Wanhe sat astride his horse, lowering his gaze to Du Heng below, who was performing the salute. Seeing that Du Heng had a face like polished jade and the unmistakable air of a learned man, Feng Wanhe’s expression immediately cooled.
He had assumed the magistrate of Qiuyang County would be a bearded, potbellied middle-aged man. He had not expected someone so young. No wonder that old man Qi Kaisheng had spoken well of Qiuyang and urged him to garrison here—it turned out this young magistrate suited his tastes.
As for whether the prince truly valued him, that was still hard to say.
After entering the county, Feng Wanhe hastily went through the court’s procedural paperwork, then flicked his sleeve and prepared to head straight for the garrison site.
Du Heng quickly said, “General, you have traveled far and endured much hardship. Why not rest a while at the county office and have a cup of tea?”
“There is no existing garrison in Qiuyang. The troops must build their own encampment.”
Feng Wanhe carried the chill of the battlefield in his voice. “Would this general sit here idly drinking tea while my soldiers labor to build quarters? Civil officials are always fond of these trivial formalities. I am a rough man of the martial path—fine tea does not agree with me.”
“It is this subordinate’s lack of foresight. I beg the general not to take offense,” Du Heng said at once.
What had been nothing more than routine courtesy had earned him a thunderous rebuke. Du Heng could only apologize immediately, then add carefully, “I will dispatch men at once to assist the general with building the garrison.”
Armor plates clinked with a cold ring as Feng Wanhe moved, but he did not accept Du Heng’s goodwill. “You should first see to the affairs of your own county. Not causing trouble for the stationed troops would be the greatest assistance of all.”
With that, Feng Wanhe strode off in long steps without waiting for Du Heng to speak again.
Inside the county office, the assembled officials all breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The General Weiping held a rank of fifth grade—his authority was formidable indeed, his presence so overwhelming that it left people scarcely daring to breathe.
The group was thoroughly cowed, privately pondering that once troops were stationed in the county, the days ahead would likely be difficult. Only Jiang Qi felt a quiet resentment. Upon returning to the administrative hall, he said,
“General Weiping truly puts on an imposing show of authority. My lord merely followed routine courtesy and kindly invited him to have a cup of tea, yet he struck such a display of stern righteousness, as though my lord were corrupt and beneath his notice.”
Du Heng had been somewhat tense, but hearing Jiang Qi speak up for him, he let out a small laugh.
“General Weiping is a soldier who has been to the battlefield, and his rank is fifth grade—four grades higher than mine. If he wishes to give someone a cold face, he is free to do so. As someone so lowly, how could I expect a superior to treat me with warmth? You may say such things before me, but do not go repeating them outside and stirring up needless trouble.”
“This subordinate understands. I simply feel wronged on your behalf,” Jiang Qi said.
Du Heng let out a breath. He hardly had time to dwell on whether he felt wronged; his mind was full of the county’s endless, tangled affairs. “From the looks of it, General Weiping has no intention of sending troops to help suppress the bandits with me. Still, with a garrison stationed here, at least the county should be more secure going forward.”
Jiang Qi said worriedly, “But wasn’t the primary reason for requesting troops precisely to deal with the bandits?”
Otherwise, what local official would willingly have a rough military officer stationed in the county—one with higher rank than himself and the power to apply pressure at any time?
Du Heng looked at Jiang Qi. “If he looks down on me and refuses to act, so be it. But surely there must be someone he does not look down on.”
He called Jiang Qi closer and whispered a few words into his ear.
Jiang Qi’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “My lord can rest assured and leave it to this subordinate.”
Du Heng acknowledged him with a wave of the hand, sending him off to carry out the task.
After leaving the office, Du Heng dragged his exhausted body back to the residence.
Seeing him home so early, Qin Xiaoman asked, “Why are you back already? Didn’t you invite General Weiping to a public banquet?”
Du Heng looked at Qin Xiaoman and immediately leaned over, draping himself against him. “What banquet? I suggested the general have a cup of tea and got scolded in front of all the officials. Where would I find the chance to invite him to a banquet? I’m afraid he’s thoroughly annoyed with me, thinking I’m trying to curry favor.”
Qin Xiaoman snorted. “He wrote to you personally before. I thought he was someone easy to get along with.”
Du Heng shook his head. “Military officers often have strong tempers; they’re not like scholars with their winding airs. It’s nothing, really. In any case, he’s arrived in the county. I can say I’ve achieved at least half of what I hoped for. I’m exhausted.”
Qin Xiaoman saw the dark circles under Du Heng’s eyes. One issue in the county followed another without pause; life was no longer the leisurely existence of their days in Luoxia County. It was no wonder that even someone who rarely complained of fatigue now felt worn down.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, he pulled Du Heng over and said, “Then let me rub your back and massage your legs.”
Just seeing Qin Xiaoman speak so gently already made Du Heng happy.
He was about to say there was no need, but Qin Xiaoman had already dragged him into the room, pushed him onto the couch, and truly began kneading his calves.
After a whole day of tension, being massaged like this actually loosened the hardened muscles a little.
Leaning against the pillow, Du Heng felt as though a sleep switch had been flipped—his body instantly lost the energy to get back up.
He let himself go slack for a while. “Back when I was studying at White Banyan Academy, there was once an official who came to lecture us. All my fellow students admired his refined speech and his having already entered officialdom. But he said that the finest days of his life were the years he spent studying at White Banyan Academy.”
“Back then, none of us understood what he meant. Only later, when each of us entered office or settled into our lives, did we realize that his words had come straight from the heart.”
Qin Xiaoman knew Du Heng was feeling reflective. As he continued massaging Du Heng’s legs, he said, “I used to think that once you became an official, you wouldn’t be as exhausted as during the civil examinations. I never expected that the real exhaustion would come afterward.”
Du Heng smiled at him. “Regretting it?”
“Not really,” Qin Xiaoman replied. “You don’t know how envious the people back home are when they write to us. Whenever anyone mentions the Qin family, they always bring you up.”
He added, “And when we first came to Qiuyang County, it was such a mess. Now, when I go out, I often hear people praising you.”
He did not know the phrase to share in another’s glory, but he felt immensely proud all the same.
Listening to Qin Xiaoman recount the talk outside, Du Heng wore a smile on his face.
After talking for quite a while, Qin Xiaoman realized that Du Heng had not replied. When he looked up, he discovered that Du Heng had already closed his eyes, his breathing steady and even.
Qin Xiaoman stopped his hands. It was late autumn now—Qiuyang County’s climate was mild, but the weather was no longer warm.
He fetched a blanket and gently draped it over Du Heng.
Qin Xiaoman did not leave. Instead, he sat by the edge of the couch, quietly watching Du Heng sleep.
The sleeping man’s features were clear and refined, still pleasing to the eye.
It had been a long time since he had looked at Du Heng like this.
Back in Tianwan Village, his heart had been restless with curiosity and fondness for Du Heng. He would always sneak into Du Heng’s room at night just to steal a look at him while he slept.
Du Heng was thin-skinned and afraid Qin Xiaoman would misbehave. His sleep was light, and he often caught Qin Xiaoman red-handed the moment he crept in.
The more he was forbidden, the more Qin Xiaoman’s heart itched.
The two of them had no shortage of battles of wits and nerve.
Later, once they were together and his heart had settled, it was instead Du Heng who often watched him while he slept.
Now, as Qin Xiaoman once again quietly looked at the defenseless Du Heng, his heart no longer carried that youthful urge to lay hands on him.
Looking at that face, what filled him instead was calm and warmth. Rather than taking advantage of the moment, he wanted more for Du Heng to sleep peacefully and soundly.
Perhaps passionate love fades as time passes, but it does not disappear—it transforms into a steady, flowing companionship that lasts a lifetime.
Qin Xiaoman brushed aside the stray hair that had fallen across Du Heng’s forehead, then gently placed a kiss there.