Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 19: War Is Coming

Is war coming? As soon as the question left her lips, Qin Qing noticed Ou Yang looking at her with a strange expression. That look seemed to say, “Didn’t Huang Dexia and Liu Chenyong tell you?” SF Express maintained excellent relations with the garrisons along the northern border; in fact, entire villages of able-bodied male slaves—many of whom wore armored armor—were the property of SF Express. It was no secret that numerous high-ranking officials and military commanders from the northern regions held shares in SF Express. Ou Yang felt that SF Express—part government, part business, and part outlaw—with its own armed forces, was highly ambitious and pioneering. Aside from lacking colonial administrative authority, it bore a striking resemblance to the East India Companies of Europe’s major powers in his previous life. Huang and Liu, both products of the Military System, were undoubtedly deeply entangled with that little vixen surnamed Qin. Could it be that he hadn’t even mentioned this to her? Ou Yang did not answer Qin Qing’s question, but the manager of SF Express had already gleaned the answer from his expression. She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the small square, muttering to herself, “We’re going to war—but against whom? Huang Qianzong sent troops under the pretext of a reconnaissance mission, but your target is merely an enemy tribe of just over a hundred households. This time, we’ve captured so many Di and Qiang people as slaves alone—the numbers clearly don’t add up. Are we really going to fight them? No way. Fighting these tribal people who don’t even have iron—that hardly counts as a war.” She stared at the prisoners in the square, then suddenly turned to Ou Yang and asked, “Are we going to fight Xidi?” Ou Yang replied, “This time, we beheaded the Lion Qiang chieftain and a dozen or so of his subordinates. The Di-Qiang tribal elder said he was some kind of prince of the Oak Empire. Did Huang Qianzong really not tell you that?” Qin Qing smiled. “I’m a merchant; I’m only concerned with what I can buy and sell. I certainly didn’t ask where the goods came from.” She walked back to the table, sat down, and continued, “No wonder Magistrate Ou was reluctant to sell slaves and insisted on buying bows and arrows instead.” “Intelligence is opportunity, and opportunity is money.” Seeing Qin Qing pout, Ou Yang decided to tell her the truth. With so many strange Di people’s heads brought back this time, not to mention the shopkeeper, even the ordinary slave conscripts would likely hear about it in a few days. “Nothing has been confirmed yet; it’s merely our speculation. As for the so-called ‘prince,’ that’s just the name the Di and Qiang tribes use for that lion—we don’t know if it’s true or not. Besides, he has only a dozen or so direct subordinates, so it’s more likely to be a fabrication. We also don’t know the true strength of the Oak Empire—whether it’s a worthy opponent for our Huaxia. Whether this war will actually happen is still up in the air. I’m purchasing these bows and arrows simply as a precaution.” “Lord Ou may not know the situation regarding the Oak Empire, but I do. Would you like to hear about it, Lord Ou?” “Huh? How do you know that?” Ou Yang stared at the proprietress of SF Express with a look of shock. “My father once traveled to the West with a merchant caravan and lived there for a while. In fact, I was actually born in the West.” As she spoke, Qin Qing pulled the ponytail at the nape of her neck forward to her chest to show it off: “My birth mother was from the Western Barbarians.” Only then did Ou Yang notice that Qin Qing’s hair wasn’t pure black, but had a hint of light brown; the shopkeeper’s features did indeed have a hint of a high nose and deep-set eyes. Ou Yang rose to his feet and bowed deeply to the ground: “I humbly request your guidance, Manager Qin.” Ever since learning of the existence of a beastman nation in the West, his curiosity about that land had grown ever stronger. Moreover, this intelligence could potentially determine the future strategic direction of the Western Regions—and even the entire Empire. “Intelligence is opportunity, and opportunity is money.” Qin Qing’s eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled, looking like a white-haired fox that had just stolen a chicken. “What price does Lord Ou intend to offer for this information?” Karma struck fast; Ou Yang was left speechless by her retort. Fortunately, Qin Qing had no intention of falling out with him. She stood up and clasped her hands in a bow, saying, “That was just a joke. Please forgive me, Your Excellency.” “When it comes to matters like this, the Empire’s high-ranking officials surely know far more than a lowly shopkeeper like me. In fact, once Your Excellency arrives in Luli, just ask Shangguan, and you’ll learn everything.” Qin Qing continued, “The Oak Empire was founded in the second year of the Hezhong and Tai era by the so-called ‘Lion Clan’ orcs from the West. Within its borders, there are all kinds of people, including the Di Yi tribes. It is said they worship some god of war, which is why they are so battle-hardened. Though the nation has existed for only a little over eighty years, its territory is reportedly comparable to that of our Huaxia’s Nine Provinces, making it the foremost power in the West. I am not sure of the exact population, but I imagine it must be over ten million.” Ou Yang asked curiously, “With such a large population, why does the prince have only a dozen or so subordinates? Could it be that the Lion I slew was merely a figment of someone’s imagination?” “Was that Lionman slain by Lord Ou?” Qin Qing asked in surprise. “Your bravery is truly extraordinary. If it was a Lionman, then he was indeed a prince. In the Oak Empire, all Lionmen are considered royalty; any male Lionman, with the exception of the usurper emperor, may be called a prince. It’s said there are over twenty thousand adult princes alone. Each has some subordinates, the number of which depends on their own abilities, lineage, and merits. For a prince who’s just come of age, having only a dozen or so subordinates is quite normal.” “So, the so-called Orc Prince is actually just a low-ranking officer?” As Ou Yang asked, he thought to himself: ‘If that lion’s status isn’t as high as I imagined, then this battle isn’t absolutely necessary.’ “There is a slight difference. Every five years, the Oak Empire holds a grand tournament. Any male member of the royal family who is confident in his martial prowess may participate, and the winner becomes the Pseudo-Emperor for the next five years.” Qin Qing used a neutral title when referring to the Emperor of the Oak Empire. “However, in recent decades, the Orc armies have been invincible in the West, and the number of princes has been growing. It’s said that even Lionmen must now meet stringent requirements to participate in the tournament. For example, they must possess immense power and an army, as well as have achieved outstanding military merits. That lion-man you slew—traveling all the way to the East, so far from his homeland, with just a dozen or so followers—was clearly a young man eager to expand his influence. A guy with that kind of drive—if allowed to grow unhindered—might just become the next Orc Pseudo-Emperor.” “How strong was that lion-man?” Qin Qing asked Ou Yang. “Very strong. I can’t tell how he compares to a powerful Tiger Qiang, but he instantly killed five shield-bearing Yi warriors at the time. If it weren’t for a stroke of luck, I’d probably be dead by now,” Ou Yang replied honestly. “You do have your handgun, after all. Now you understand just how terrifying the Lionmen are in the West, don’t you? It’s said that in battles involving more than a thousand Lionmen, the Orcs have never lost, no matter who their opponent was.” Qin Qing smiled and concluded, “Minister Ou has found a formidable opponent for Huaxia.” “It was merely the bravery of a commoner,” Ou Yang dismissed it with disdain. “A powerful nation derives its strength from its comprehensive national power, not from the bravery of a few tens of thousands of barbarians.” Qin Qing wasn’t entirely sure what “comprehensive national strength” meant, but she could piece together a rough idea by breaking it down. She knew Ou Yang was reproaching her for seemingly boosting the enemy’s morale. “You are absolutely right, Magistrate Ou. I spoke out of turn.” Suddenly, there was a loud “thud” as the barbarian who’d been sent to inspect the furs barged into the room without a second thought. “Here he goes again…” Qin Qing rubbed her temples, clearly exasperated by these Di Yi who knew absolutely nothing about Han etiquette. “My lady…” Just as the barbarian was about to report, Qin Qing cut him off: “Go receive twenty lashes first, then come back.” The barbarian froze for a moment, glancing at Qin Qing in confusion. Seeing her face as cold as ice, he shuddered involuntarily, dared not ask any further questions, and hurriedly bowed low before turning to leave. Qin Qing then smiled at Ou Yang and said, “I have failed to discipline my subordinates properly; I hope you won’t hold it against me, Magistrate Ou.” Ou Yang gave a soft chuckle but did not reply. Hu Lanshan, standing nearby, was so frightened he could hardly sit still; he had followed the barbarian into the room without announcing his presence. The sound of a whip cracking against flesh echoed from below. After Zhenzhen had endured twenty lashes, the foreigner returned, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Ou Yang saw streaks of blood seeping from his back—clearly, the beating had been severe. Qin Qing said to the foreigner with a cold expression, “If you dare to be rude again, you can go get yourself killed!”