Chapter 118: A New Crisis

"Hurry and clear the battlefield!" Qi Jun patted Deng Fang on the shoulder, then turned to the county soldiers rushing up behind him.

"Tie these Qi rebels up for me!" Xiao Ming dashed over, caught sight of a Qi soldier trembling in terror on the ground, and kicked him hard. Seeming unsatisfied, he swung his scabbard down on the man for good measure.

Zhao Gui also panted as he ran over. Seeing Xiao Ming's men busy binding captives and seizing weapons, he immediately refused to be outdone and ordered his own men to speed up the cleanup. The two men began competing in a race to clear the field, and everyone was immersed in the joy of victory.

Just then, three dark figures emerged from the direction of the Qi camp. Several county soldiers noticed them and immediately raised their bows and crossbows in alert.

"Don't panic! It's me, Liu Biao!" the leading figure shouted, waving his hands as he ran.

"Liu Biao?" Qi Jun recognized the voice, signaled his men to lower their weapons, and spurred his horse forward to meet them.

"Sir, there is a situation!" Liu Biao panted as he reached Qi Jun's horse, speaking before he could even catch his breath. He pulled a letter from his tunic and handed it over.

Qi Jun, seeing the men running with such agility, felt relieved knowing they were unharmed. However, seeing the desperate expression on Liu Biao’s face, he felt a jolt of anxiety and took the letter with a slight hesitation.

He unfolded the letter to find several lines written in the Qi language. Though he could not read them, he guessed it must be intelligence related to the situation in Anqiang. He frowned and looked at Liu Biao, hoping for an explanation.

"Sir, I'm just a rough man. I can't even read the script of the Great Liang, let alone these Qi characters..." Liu Biao shook his head with a bitter smile. "We found this letter on a Qi rider."

According to Liu Biao, because they had failed to enter the city before the Qi soldiers, he, Liu Dong, and Liu Bao had hidden in the nearby mountains, observing the enemy from high ground. They had witnessed everything from the initial siege to the exchange of captives and the final night raid.

However, just before the final wave of the assault, five Qi riders had suddenly slipped out of the camp under the cover of dusk and rain, heading north. Knowing these men were likely couriers, Liu Biao had decisively led his two companions to intercept them. The Qi riders, desperate to deliver their message, did not engage in combat but simply whipped their horses to flee. Liu Biao and his men managed to kill four of them, but one had escaped.

He had recovered this letter from one of the corpses. Judging by the enemy's urgency, he knew it must be critical, so he had rushed back without delay, hoping to find a way into the city to pass the intelligence to Qi Jun. To their surprise, the battle was effectively over by the time they arrived. Liu Biao had seen the firelight from the city walls but had no idea how Qi Jun had managed to crush a force several times larger with only a hundred men. Though overjoyed by the hard-won victory, he suppressed his questions to await orders.

"You've worked hard, Biao. This intelligence is likely very important," Qi Jun said, tucking the letter away and patting Liu Biao on the shoulder. "Go and help Liu Kui clear the battlefield. I will find someone to translate this."

"Sir, you haven't slept for two full days. Should you not get some rest?" Liu Biao asked with concern, looking at the exhaustion on Qi Jun's face.

"It is of no matter. We will deal with this first," Qi Jun replied, waving him off. He turned to Deng Fang. "Go into the city and find Shopkeeper Zhu. I will wait for you at the gate tower."

Shopkeeper Zhu had spent years trading in the Western Regions and the Qi lands; he was the most likely person to understand the language. Qi Jun had remembered him after a moment's thought. Since the previous corrupt officials had fled, merchants like Zhu were eager to fill the commercial vacuum and were desperate for official support from Feng Qinian and Qi Jun, making them highly motivated to assist.

Watching Liu Biao and Deng Fang leave, Qi Jun felt his heart sink again. His intuition told him this letter might herald an even greater crisis. "I wonder how things are at the Commandery..." he murmured, looking toward the night sky in the direction of Ding'an Commandery. The situation there was even more troubling.

Half an hour later, Deng Fang brought a frantic Shopkeeper Zhu to the gate tower.

"Zhu Rong pays his respects to the two magistrates. May I ask why you have summoned me?" Zhu knelt before Feng Qinian and Qi Jun the moment he entered, adding nervously, "I beg your excellencies to investigate—I have never committed any crimes or broken any laws!"

Being dragged from his home in the middle of the night to face the two most powerful men in Anqiang had terrified him. He had spent the journey in a state of panic, guessing what he might have done wrong.

"Could it be the saltpeter and charcoal I sold to Magistrate Qi?" he wondered, his heart chilling. "Magistrate Qi! Is there a problem with that shipment? Please, rest assured, I will refund every penny and cover all losses—please, spare me!"

Feng Qinian looked at Qi Jun in confusion. Qi Jun was equally bewildered by the merchant begging on the floor. Upon hearing the mention of the supplies, Qi Jun realized the misunderstanding and chuckled. "Shopkeeper Zhu, what fault could you possibly have? That shipment was a great help. You are not to be punished; you should be rewarded."

Feng Qinian nodded and stroked his beard. "Magistrate Qi is right. Set your mind at ease. We have summoned you for a different matter."

"That cargo was meant for Magistrate Qi anyway. Any merit belongs to you two, not me!" Zhu said, bowing again in relief. "If there is any way I can serve you, please command me!"

Feng Qinian smiled, satisfied with the man's deference.

"Rise," Qi Jun said, handing him the letter. "Can you read what is written here?"

Zhu looked at the letter, stood up, and leaned in. After a quick scan, he replied, "Your Excellency, this is written in the Qi language. As a merchant who trades with them, I do have a rough understanding of it."

"Then tell us quickly what it says," Qi Jun urged, feeling a spark of hope.

"Yes!" Zhu began to read, but as he scanned the lines, his face drained of color. He looked up in alarm. "Your Excellencies, this concerns military intelligence! I am but a merchant—by the laws of the Great Liang, I dare not discuss state secrets. I cannot read this!"

"Nonsense! Just tell us what it says. You will not be held accountable," Qi Jun insisted, his sense of dread deepening.

Zhu trembled, looking between Qi Jun and Feng Qinian.

"If we could read it ourselves, would we have summoned you?" Feng Qinian snapped. "Speak! And be precise. If you delay military intelligence, you will be punished!"

Zhu lowered his head and read the letter carefully several times before looking back at them with a somber expression.

"The letter states that the city of Anqiang is proving difficult to take. They did not expect the defenders to be so tenacious, nor did they anticipate the use of strange fire and boulder-throwing tactics. Their losses in men and equipment have been severe. They have now decided to launch one final assault and, regardless of the outcome, they are pleading for General Bodo to send reinforcements as soon as possible."