The Child Emperor

Chapter 115: Moving Camp

Han Ruzi selected two messengers. The first one was Jin Chunzhong, who showed a clear interest in joining his force. Crucially, the Jin family had no connection to the fate seers, and their involvement in this matter was entirely accidental.

“At the Drunken Immortal Inn in the Xiaochun district, there’s a chef known as ‘Reckless.’ Go and see him, tell him I sent you. If he doesn’t ask anything, you don’t need to say much, just return immediately. If he inquires about me, tell him the truth.”

“No need to hide anything?” Jin Chunzhong was delighted to receive this mission, eager to rush to the Capital.

“No need. Whatever he asks, answer truthfully.”

“Okay, I’ll leave right away.”

“Wait, be cautious. It’s possible that they have already discovered Chai Yun’s body in the city. You…”

“I’ll change clothes, and adopt a different name… I’ll be careful.”

“Also, keep it confidential. Don’t tell anyone the purpose of your entry into the city.”

Jin Chunzhong left without delay, finding a militia member to lead him to the roads, citing that he needed to return home to retrieve some important items left behind as the reason.

The second messenger was Donkey Kid, a simple and impulsive short man who was even less likely to arouse suspicion than Jin Chunzhong. Han Ruzi hesitated before finally choosing him.

Among the army, the Chao family’s father and son were too influenced by the fate seers. Considering the limited time others had spent with them, Donkey Kid seemed the only viable option.

“What’s your name?”

” Donkey Kid.”

“I’m sure you have a real name?”

“It’s just Donkey Kid.”

Even before assigning the task, Han Ruzi began to regret his decision. However, he had no other choices. “What’s your family name?”

“Um… Ma.”

“Yes, that’s your surname. And when your parents called you, what name did they use?”

“Donkey Kid.”

“I’ll give you a name. Are you willing to accept it?”

Lu Xiaor was overjoyed. “Sure! I want an impressive one.”

“Your surname is Ma, meaning horse. How about Ma Chenggong, meaning horse sprinting to success.”

Lu Xiaor shook his head. “That’s not grand enough.”

Being rejected the first time he gave someone a name, Han Ruzi scratched his head. “A horse sprinting on the plains… Ma Pingchuan? You don’t like it either… A horse trampling on the enemy camp. How about you be called Ma Ta…”

“Alright, I’ll be called Ma Da. Sounds much more imposing than Donkey Kid. Haha.”[1]

“As long as… you like it,” Han Ruzi said. Becoming serious, he continued, “Ma Da, We are entrusting you with a task.”

“Who’s we?”

“I am We. It’s the Emperor’s way of referring to himself.”

“Oh, why not just say ‘Emperor’? I’d understand immediately.”

“Okay then, the Emperor has a task for you.”

“Alright, who am I beating up? Those bandits? I’ve had my eye on them for a while.”

“No, no. I want you to go into the city and find someone.”

“Find someone… sure.”

“Go to the Weary Marquis’s Manor in the north of the city…” Han Ruzi carefully explained the location of the Weary Marquis Manor, taking quite some time to ensure Ma Da remembered how to navigate once he entered the city. “At the back door of the Weary Marquis Manor. Remember, it must be the back door. Knock on the door, if someone answers, say you’re looking for Du Chuanyun. If no one answers, forget about it and come back immediately.”

“Got it. And then? Do I beat him up, or do I bring him back?”

Han Ruzi thought for a moment. “You don’t need to do anything. Just meet him once. Du Chuanyun is a young man, about my age.”

Han Ruzi believed that with given the experience of the Du family, they could extract all the necessary information from Ma Da without his explicit instructions.

With everything explained, Ma Da didn’t immediately set out. Instead, he extended a hand. “Give it to me.”

“Give you what?”

“The command arrow.”

“I can give orders in person. No need for a command arrow.”

“No, that’s not what you said previously.”

Unable to do otherwise, Han Ruzi handed an arrow to Ma Da, reminding him, “Return immediately after completing the mission, do not delay on the way, and return the command arrow when it’s done.”

“Do you think I wouldn’t know this?” Ma Da set out. By now, the sky had darkened, and he, along with Jin Chunzhong, traveled through the night. If all went smoothly, they would enter the city by early morning.

What happened next would be beyond Han Ruzi’s predictions. Both the chef from the Drunken Immortal Inn and Du Motian could find Yang Feng, but whether they could bring back timely information was uncertain.

Han Ruzi didn’t want to passively wait. Not long after nightfall, he ordered the entire army to move, heading to Riverside Village which had relatively better defenses, leaving only a few people in the fishing village.

Compared to the fishing village, Riverside Village had an additional layer of wooden fences. Han Ruzi relocated mainly to get his army some exercise.

He appointed Jin Chuiduo’s eldest brother, Jin Chunbao, as the General of the Left, and promoted Chao Hua to General of the Right, each leading twenty ‘hundred-man squads’. These squads were not at full strength, totaling just over five hundred people.

Jin Chunbao was a former member of the Yulin Guards, with some knowledge of military tactics. Together with Chao Hua, they strictly enforced marching rules, especially prohibiting anyone from leaving the formation at will.

Marquis Guiyi and his three wives rode the only mule-drawn cart, complaining all the way, blaming their children, and cursing the untimely death of the Xiongnu Prince Du.

The fishing village was not far from Riverside Village, even closer by land. Before midnight, the entire army reached the destination. Unexpectedly, contrary to Han Ruzi’s expectations, not only did was the army not short in numbers, it grew by a dozen men.

The chief clerk, Chao Yongsi, ordered someone to bring a nameplate, held up a torch, and verified one team after another. It took more than an hour to figure out that two groups had joined the army along the way, remaining silent until directly questioned. This was discovered only when entering the Riverside Village.

Meanwhile, some people had run away along the way.

Most of the army were local villagers familiar with the terrain. The sentries were of no use, and two of them had even fled.

After thorough questioning, it was finally confirmed that the infiltrators were not spies; they were just too simple and didn’t like to talk.

This was Han Ruzi’s first army, not large in number, but its issues and loopholes were more chaotic than a hundred thousand-strong army. Even so, as the army marched into the Riverside Village, it surprised the few people inside.

Zhang Yanghao dared not return to the Capital, staying in the village to guard the three noble youths. He hesitated whether to kill or keep them.

He had heard about a group of commoners rushing to support the deposed emperor, this was one of the fate seers’ schemes. He wasn’t too concerned, and waited for the Cui clan to take actionn as he believed that would be the decisive force determining victory or defeat.

However, this ragtag group—indeed, they were ragtag, wearing tattered clothes, without a single piece of armor—marched into the Riverside Village in an organized formation, following their commanders and obeying orders. Despite some mishaps along the way, their demeanor was surprising.

After tallying the numbers, Han Ruzi chose an open space to serve as a temporary “command tent.” He assigned guards, with the Generals of the Left and Right standing on either side. The chief clerk stood behind with a pen, and the captains of each hundred-man squad came forward one by one to report their situations and receive new tasks.

The defense of Riverside Village could no longer be lax as before. Both land and water routes required stationed sentries and guards, with squads taking turns resting and on duty.

From a distance, Zhang Yanghao witnessed all this and couldn’t help feeling shocked and terrified. When he returned to his quarters, he tiptoed, no longer daring to regard Marquis Weary as a captive, nor daring to meet him.

After all this commotion, it wasn’t long before daybreak. Han Ruzi slept briefly, just entering a dream when he was awakened.

Lin Kunshan had returned. He brought back a squad of over thirty people, not bandits or ordinary civilians, all dressed in identical blue robes, riding horses, carrying bows and blades. They escorted a horse-drawn carriage, forbidding anyone from approaching.

Lin Kunshan was even more surprised than Zhang Yanghao. When he left during the day, he saw a scattered group, but upon returning, they had to pass through layers of checkpoints. Those who had recently regarded the fate seers as heavenly beings had suddenly transformed into loyal soldiers who insisted on notifying the “Emperor” before allowing them into the fort.

Han Ruzi ordered their passage, and Lin Kunshan first escorted the people from the carriage into an empty room. Then, he came alone to meet the “Emperor.”

“Your servant Lin Kunshan pays respects to Your Majesty.” Lin Kunshan was adept at reading others’ expressions and thoughts. Though he was inwardly puzzled, his outward demeanor became even more respectful.

This small army of a few hundred people was far from being fully formed, and Han Ruzi was well aware of that. However, creating a moment of surprise for onlookers wasn’t a bad thing.

“Has he arrived?”

“He has.”

“Why hasn’t he come to see me?”

“Uh, the situation is special. Your Majesty, please consider going to meet him.”

Han Ruzi glanced at the dozen or so guards on either side and said, “Tell him that everything is back to normal now.”

Lin Kunshan smiled, excused himself, and only returned after a full half an hour.

Prince Donghai had arrived, looking very unwilling. It was quite different from what he had expected. He thought there would be a group of bewitched commoners willingly dying for the “Emperor,” and their entire purpose was to incite rebellion in the northern part of the capital. Whether they had combat capability was not important; the key was to divert some of the Northern Army. However, what he saw was a decent looking army.

Regret set in even before entering the village, but it was too late to change his mind. The thirty guards he brought were too few.

As soon as Lin Kunshan entered, he knelt down, gently tugging at the hem of Prince Donghai’s robe. Glancing at the shabby attendants on both sides, Prince Donghai felt uneasy but also considered them easy to deal with. With a sense of uncertainty, he finally knelt down.

Before Prince Donghai could speak, Han Ruzi stood up, walked over to him with large strides, helped him up with a smile, and then said to the attendants, “This is my brother, Prince Donghai. From now on, seeing him is like seeing me.”

The attendants immediately wiped away their serious expressions, warmly greeted Prince Donghai, and even affectionately patted his shoulders as if it were a casual gathering.

Prince Donghai forced a smile, trying to avoid physical contact.

Han Ruzi asked the attendants to step back, leaving only Prince Donghai and Lin Kunshan.

“You do have some skills,” praised Prince Donghai, looking around the empty thatched hut. “You tamed a group of eunuchs in the imperial palace, and now you’ve managed to tame a bunch of outlaws here.”

“You’re quite capable too. You devised such a complex scheme, circled around, and I still couldn’t escape it.”

They exchanged smiles, then simultaneously dropped their smiles. Prince Donghai said, “I’m here now. Let’s start. The longer we wait, the more prepared the Empress Dowager will be.”

“Don’t be hasty. Our forces are still too small. First, tell me about the situation in the Capital these past few days.”

“There’s not much to say. Chai Yun and a few friends have gone missing. No one has seen them alive or dead. Several families are searching all over the city. But regarding you, there’s no news at all. So, my guess is that the Empress Dowager is already on alert. If you still want to reclaim the throne, don’t hesitate any longer.”

[1] Donkey Kid misheard Ma Ta as Ma Da, which just means ‘big horse’, or ‘first child of the Ma family’. The joke is that after all the effort Han Ruzi took to figure out a name, the most ordinary name was chosen in the end.

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