Finest Servant

Chapter 398 The Search

"I came here precisely for this matter." Lin Wanrong nodded, patting Du Xiuyuan's shoulder with a smile, "Is it about those nomads wanting to play with the cannon?"

Du Xiuyuan looked at him in surprise, folding his hands in salute, "General, your strategic thinking is beyond compare; I'm nowhere close."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "What strategic thinking? Brother Du, don't flatter me. These northern nomads want to borrow this 'F*ck Cannon'; do you think they intend to use it for mountain hunting? They're obviously planning to use our Great Hua's cannons, it's clear as day."

Du Xiuyuan nodded, "Upon receiving your instructions, General, I dispatched personnel to watch over these northern nomads around the clock. When the F*ck Cannon was first delivered to their camp, the northern nomads were amazed. They had probably never seen such an exquisite piece of ironwork before, and immediately treated it like a treasure, allocating a large tent specifically for it. Although these northern nomads are skilled horse archers, they have suffered from our cannons during our battles. Naturally, they are extremely interested in it. It's quite funny. They consider themselves the majestic eagles of the vast plains, yet they don't know how to operate even this simple cannon, unaware of how to load ammunition or adjust its position, let alone fire it."

"Oh, really?" Lin Wanrong thought for a moment, puzzled, "Other people may not know, but the Turkic National Tutor Lu Dongzan is no ordinary man; he's knowledgeable and well-versed in physics. To say he doesn't know how to operate even this simple cannon is a bit exaggerated."

"I'm not sure about that," Du Xiuyuan replied, "Our spies have been watching them closely, including Lu Dongzan and the Turkic special envoy Ashile. They're completely baffled by the cannon. In the end, they had to find a few skilled blacksmiths from the city and reward them handsomely to learn how to operate it. This incident has become a joke known to everyone in the capital."

Lu Dongzan can't really be that stupid, can he? To make such a fuss in the city by hiring craftsmen? Isn't that playing dumb? Lin Wanrong frowned, "What happened later? Did they fire the cannon after learning how to use it?"

Du Xiuyuan laughed loudly, "General, this is a cannon that our Great Hua has long abandoned. How could it be fired? Besides, even if the northern nomads had the courage, they wouldn't dare fire it within the crucial areas of our capital. As for the gunpowder, our control is extremely strict; they wouldn't be able to get their hands on it."

Strict control? Lin Wanrong chuckled. On his way back from Shandong, he had almost been blown sky-high by thousands of pounds of gunpowder, even endangering his fairy sister's life and his own. And this young man dared to talk to him about strict control? If the northern nomads really had collusion with Prince Cheng, obtaining gunpowder would be effortless. Why would they need to buy it openly?

The northern nomads couldn't operate the cannon, and they couldn't buy gunpowder. The people of Great Hua had laughed their fill at their expense. Lu Dongzan's performance was so poor that it greatly surprised Lin Wanrong. A vague sense of discomfort arose in his heart, and he asked, "The northern nomads never tried to fire the cannon?"

"It won't fire, so any attempt is in vain. The northern nomads studied it for a few days, then gradually lost interest. They covered the cannon with cloth and ignored it. These days, they are packing their bags, preparing to return to their land."

Covering the cannon with cloth? Could it be that the northern nomads were so concerned about hygiene that they feared the dust would dirty the large cannon? After all, on the grasslands, these very people used horse dung as pillows to sleep on.

"Brother Du, did your men actually see the northern nomads cover the cannon with their own eyes?" Lin Wanrong furrowed his brows and asked.

"I didn't see it myself, and to avoid alarming the enemy, our spies kept their distance. But judging by the shape of the cover, it must be the cannon," Du Xiuyuan replied.

This was strange indeed. The northern nomads had been lingering in the capital for so long and finally obtained a cannon, so how could they possibly abandon it like this? Lin Wanrong thought for a moment and chuckled, "Brother Du, you said earlier that the northern nomads are leaving the capital. How much luggage did they pack? Were there several large carts to carry everything away?"

Du Xiuyuan exclaimed in surprise, "How did the general know? These northern nomads must be scared of poverty, coming to our great Huá, purchasing many things such as tea leaves and fabric, and filling a whole seven large carts."

"They must indeed be scared of poverty." Lin Wanrong grinned slyly. "Brother Du, when are these northern nomads leaving the capital?"

Du Xiuyuan looked at the sky and replied, "At dusk today, probably just starting now. These northern nomads are strange, preferring to travel at night rather than in the morning. Truly, the ways of foreigners are incorrigible."

"Not incorrigible, but rather, they have become exceedingly cunning." Lin Wanrong chuckled, swung himself onto a horse left behind by Xu Zhen, and said, "Brother Du, gather our men, let's go catch some thieves."

"Catch thieves? General Lin means to—" Du Xiuyuan suddenly realized, regretting, "Ah, how did I not think of that? Brothers, gather quickly!"

Du Xiuyuan's soldiers were all seasoned veterans brought by Lin Wanrong from Shandong, well-trained and quickly assembled. In no time, thousands of warhorses neighed, and hoofbeats thundered, heading north from the city.

As dusk approached, and the roads were empty, it was a perfect time to gallop. After a while, they hadn't spotted the northern nomads. Du Xiuyuan was anxious as fire; if not for General Lin's timely reminder, he almost fell for the northern nomads' trick. If they couldn't retrieve that object, he wouldn't know where to put his face.

Lin Wanrong, riding alongside him and noticing his anxiety, laughed, "Don't worry, the northern nomads are carrying something heavy, even if they had the best horses, they couldn't get far. Hey, look ahead—"

Du Xiuyuan looked in the direction General Lin was pointing, and not far away, dust was rolling. Dozens of fast horses were pulling four or five large carts, and the riders atop the horses were tall and robust, clearly the Turks.

"Charge—!" Du Xiuyuan shouted excitedly, and like an arrow released from its string, his horse bolted forward, followed by thousands of cavalrymen, raising a thick cloud of dust on the highway.

From a distance, Du Xiuyuan could see clearly those high-nosed, deep-set eyes; they were indeed the Turks. These northern nomads seemed unaware of the pursuit behind them, the five large carts maintaining a tight formation, neither fast nor slow, blocking Lin Wanrong and the others' path.

Lin Wanrong's brow furrowed as he grabbed Xu Zhen, who was following him. "Little Xu, take five hundred brothers, cut through the shortcut, and search another fifty miles. When you find the northern nomads, seize them without hesitation."

"Halt! Halt quickly!" Du Xiuyuan spurred his horse forward, leading dozens of soldiers to the front of the horse team. The riders reined in their stallions, pulling hard on the reins. The tall and spirited warhorses tossed their heads, uttering a long neigh. Their front hooves leaped, their heads turned, and their manes fluttered in the wind, facing the northern nomads' horse team directly. The move was clean and beautifully executed, so smooth that even Lin Wanrong couldn't help but inwardly praise it.

The northern nomads' horse team slowly stopped, and from the midst of the ranks, a fast horse leaped out. Other Turkic people led their horses back, and Lin Wanrong saw that the leader was Lu Dongzan, the National Tutor of the Turkic Khanate.

Lu Dongzan placed his right hand on his chest in greeting, speaking in awkward Great Hua language, "Respected Sir, I am Lu Dongzan, the National Tutor of the Turkic Khanate, here on the orders of Bilge Khagan to visit Great Hua and build a long-lasting friendship between our two nations. Having successfully completed my mission with the Emperor's permission, I was about to return to the Turkic lands. But you have suddenly blocked our way with your soldiers. May I know your intention?"

The northern nomads were treacherous, and Du Xiuyuan had nearly been deceived. Anger bubbling within him, he snorted coldly, "You want to return to the Turkic lands? Leave what belongs to Great Hua and then go!"

"You jest, Sir," Lu Dongzan smiled, glancing at Du Xiuyuan and pointing to the carts behind him. "These goods indeed belonged to Great Hua, but we have traded horses and curved blades for them. Now, they are ours. If you wish to retrieve what belongs to Great Hua, I'm afraid you will be disappointed."

The cavalry had already surrounded the horse team. Du Xiuyuan, not wanting to waste words, waved his hand, "Search!" Hundreds of soldiers dismounted, ready to approach the carts.

With a swish, the Turkic people's curved blades were suddenly drawn. The horses neighed in unison, and the riders stood with blades in hand, an intimidating and murderous presence.

Du Xiuyuan's men were unhesitant, thrusting forward with long spears and sabers, meeting the Turkic people's challenge. Du Xiuyuan grunted, "What's this? Do you intend to go to war with Great Hua?"

A trace of pride crossed Lu Dongzan's face: "The matter of war is not something you can speak of lightly. You have blocked our Turkic envoy for no reason. Are you challenging the Turkic Khanate? If you do not withdraw, I will protest to your Emperor. Can you bear the consequences of damaging relations between our countries?"

In terms of eloquence, how could Du Xiuyuan match Lu Dongzan, a talent in governance? Although a life-and-death battle between Great Hua and the Turkic was inevitable, he couldn't act rashly against these visiting envoys. Du Xiuyuan hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

"Brother Lu, after just a few days, your Great Hua language has become so fluent. I'm truly impressed," Lord Lin, riding a white horse, came smiling from among the soldiers, looking quite carefree.

Upon seeing Lin Wanrong arrive, Lu Dongzan's face changed momentarily but quickly returned to normal. He clasped his hands across his chest and greeted, “I'm at a loss to welcome the esteemed Lord Lin. My apologies for not having received you further on the way.”

“Haha, Brother Lu, your command of the Great Hua language is even more authentic than mine. It seems this trip to Great Hua was not in vain!” General Lin said with a playful smile. His eyes fell on Du Xiuyuan, and he paused before shouting, “Du Xiuyuan, I told you to look for the Persian cat, what are you still doing here?”

“Persian cat?” Lu Dongzan glanced curiously at him and said seriously, “Lord Lin, you've come at the right time. This general suddenly and inexplicably blocked our Turkic delegation's way and wants to search my carriages. My Lord, is this how Great Hua treats its guests?”

“Oh, is that so?” Lin Wanrong feigned surprise and smiled, “Brother Lu, this is actually a misunderstanding. Here's what happened: A few days ago, His Majesty bestowed me a Persian cat, a tribute from Persia. Coincidentally, my seventh wife is very fond of the little creature, unable to sleep without seeing it a few times a day. Yesterday, she took it out for a stroll, but the creature mysteriously disappeared near here. Ah, I won't hide it from you, Brother Lu, I am most fond of this wife. For this Persian cat, I've deployed troops, searching this area for two days and nights without even drinking water. Having to serve the Emperor and my wife is not easy for me. You, on the other hand, enjoy the company of those norther nomads beauties, drinking and enjoying yourself every night. Brother Lu, please let it go, for we are fellow men.”

“This…” General Lin's “appeal to emotion” left Lu Dongzan somewhat at a loss, who then said hesitantly, “Your lady lost the Persian cat yesterday, but we only arrived today. How could the cat be hiding in our carriages?”

“You never know, that little creature has legs, and it runs faster than a donkey. I couldn't catch it, and it escaped.” Lin Wanrong chuckled, “Never mind something with legs; even something without legs can run on its own. Brother Lu, do you believe it?”

Lu Dongzan pretended not to hear his words and shook his head, “Lord Lin, if these were my belongings, I would not only allow you to search but would even give them to you for free if you wanted. But these gifts are prepared for Bilge Khagan. If they were searched, I'm afraid it would be highly disrespectful.”

“Is it really that serious? It's just a search for a Persian cat; it won't ruin anything. If your Bilge Khagan blames us, tell him to come to me directly. I am a very hospitable person, as you know, Brother Lu. How about this: I'll give you time to think it over, and I'll count to five. If you don't object, I'll take it as consent.”

Lu Dongzan hesitated for a moment, and just as he was waiting for Lord Lin to count one, two, three, four, he heard Lord Lin directly shout, “Five! — Oh, Brother Lu, I knew you would agree. You're so straightforward. Du Xiuyuan, what are you standing there for?”

People said Great Hua was a land of etiquette, but how did it produce a maverick like Lin San? Other than admiration, Lu Dongzan felt nothing but admiration.

Seeing Du Xiuyuan leading men and horses to search the large carriages, Lu Dongzan's face remained composed, showing not the slightest sign of nervousness. Lin Wanrong seemed unconcerned as well, smiling and saying, “Brother Lu, do you still have any of that pungent herb? Could you spare a few ounces for me? I'm quite craving it.”

“I don’t have any left either,” Lu Dongzan shook his head. “This thing is extremely precious. Even Bilge Khagan doesn’t use a few pounds in a year. What we had was given to you some days ago.”

“Is that so?” Lord Lin smiled mysteriously. “A few days ago, a certain personage also invited me to taste this pungent herb. Brother Lu, do you know who he was?”

Lu Dongzan's face changed, and he stammered a few times before forcing himself to say, “Is that so? I didn’t know. Oh, My Lord, how is the search going? We must hurry on our way.”

Hundreds of soldiers turned the numerous large carriages upside down, but their search yielded nothing. Du Xiuyuan came over with a dejected look, “General, we didn't find your wife's Persian cat.”

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