IDWBE -Chapter 166 The Elephant-Taming Guard

The march had been grueling.

There was no such thing as a forced march—just staying alive was an achievement.

Broken wagons or injured beasts were minor issues.

More problematic were laborers and soldiers falling sick or injured. Many had no choice but to turn back or stay in a nearby tribe to recover.

Fortunately, most had some martial training. Their bodies were strong, and without that, this expedition would have been disastrous—they might have collapsed before even meeting the enemy.

“Where’s Consort Wen?”

Lin Yi looked at Hong Ying.

Hong Ying smiled. “Consort Wen went ahead. She’s probably in Chen Xinluo’s tent by now.”

“Sigh,” Lin Yi said irritably, “She just likes doing things her own way. Always the same.”

The group found a mountain stream, and Lin Yi went down to wash at the base of a cliff.

Though they had been careful these days, mosquitoes and other insects had bitten him. Now, wet from water, his whole body itched and ached—but the discomfort didn’t last long.

Chen Dashui from the Lian tribe brought over freshly slaughtered goats. Once the fire was ready, Lin Yi roasted them himself.

Eating roasted meat and drinking, he finally took the time to appreciate the scenery, listening to the timeless silence of the mountains.

The next morning, over two thousand newly joined Lian tribesmen set off again. Together with the 3,000 already in the army, they headed toward Jinji Mountain.

The terrain was mostly flat. Lin Yi traveled light, gradually overtaking team after team of laborers hauling supplies.

When they reached Jinji Mountain, Lin Yi realized that it had taken them nearly a month to cover such a short distance.

On average, they barely traveled twenty li per day!

The marching pace was shockingly slow.

Jinji Mountain wasn’t a single peak but a range stretching tens of li. A canyon in the middle was the only passable route through the mountains.

All over the hills, water otter flags were planted.

He Jixiang had set up camp there, his body skinny, bones protruding.

When Lin Yi entered the tent and saw him putting on clothes, he waved his hand. “Don’t bother. It’s too hot—I can’t take it either.”

He tore off his own clothes as well and lay back on a chair hollowed from tree roots, staring at the white tent overhead.

After this journey, he doubted all those historical depictions of generals waving fans and wearing silk hats.

Only verses like “The Five Ridges stretch endlessly in waves; the Wumeng Mountains loom like mud balls” seemed realistic.

“Thank you, Prince,”

He Jixiang draped a towel over his shoulder and shouted, “According to the scouts, Ayu is still amassing troops. There are already fifty thousand. Besides these 3,000 vanguard troops, another 10,000 troops have entered the Ten-Thousand Mountains. Nearby Qian tribe leaders have also brought their men to join us.”

Lin Yi nodded. “Good. Set them up properly—no trouble. What about Pando?”

Since Qi Peng was in a wheelchair and had limited mobility, Lin Yi had brought Pando, Qi Peng’s big, slow companion, along.

Chen Xinluo said, “Pando went to gather intelligence yesterday and hasn’t returned yet.”

Lin Yi laughed. “They are skilled. Using carrier pigeons, yet no one could tail them.”

Carrier pigeons are fast, but for a secretive group like Qi Peng’s, they weren’t entirely safe. Consort Wen said a seventh-rank master could track the pigeons to the recipient with little effort.

“Prince, I suppose Qi Peng has his own tricks,” Shen Chu, also accompanying the army, smiled. “I asked Mr. Wang Qingbang, and he said he didn’t know either.”

“Who doesn’t have a little secret?”

Lin Yi chuckled. “Take you, for example—you just married a concubine. Your wife in Ankang City doesn’t know, otherwise she’d be furious.”

“Prince…”

Shen Chu froze. That was supposed to be a secret! How did you know?

Lin Yi pointed at Sun Yi. “If he hadn’t told, I wouldn’t know.”

Sun Yi saw Shen Chu’s murderous glare and wished he could disappear.

He silently complained: their Prince was truly unreliable—selling people out so casually!

“Enough. Everyone knows about this,”

Lin Yi laughed at Shen Chu’s red face. “No need to hide. Besides, men having three or four wives is normal. I haven’t congratulated you yet—later, I’ll give you a wedding gift too.”

Lin Yi rarely imposed his moral standards on others—one of the things he liked about himself.

Unless it was something extreme, like human trafficking, pillaging, murder, or abuse.

“Thank you, Prince.”

Shen Chu finally exhaled.

“Alright, I’ve been traveling too long. I’m exhausted. You all may leave; I need a proper rest.”

As for military affairs, Lin Yi decided not to interfere. Outsiders giving orders to professionals usually ended poorly.

So he lay on the hard plank bed and slept soundly.

Late at night, he was awoken by shouting.

Faint pink flames drifted across the sky, dimming their light in thin wisps.

A large crowd gathered, cheering for the Lian and Qian tribes fighting each other.

Hundreds from both sides clashed without weapons, dust flying, blood staining the ground.

He Jixiang, Shen Chu, and others watched without intervening.

Lin Yi washed his face, uninterested in meddling. Surely He Jixiang and the others had their reasons.

Hong Ying moved a chair outside the tent. Lin Yi sat, holding his tea cup, eyes squinting.

“Prince, the Lian and Qian tribes have long been at odds. Meeting now, old grudges flare.”

Shen Chu suggested, “Why not let them settle the feud here, determine a victor, and avoid future problems?”

Lin Yi said, “Do as you see fit, just don’t let anyone die.”

Just as he finished, the ground shook.

Lin Yi jumped up, thinking it was an earthquake.

But the Qian tribes erupted with excited shouts.

Shen Chu leapt onto a tree to look around, then jumped down. “Prince, the Qian elephant-taming guard has arrived.”

“Elephant-taming guard?”

Lin Yi was puzzled.

But seeing swathes of trees falling and hearing the approaching trumpeting, he understood.

Bao Kui beside him explained, “When the nation was founded, Sanhe initially set up command offices. The founding emperor ordered the Qian to catch elephants, one per family, train them, and send them to the capital as tribute. The practice waned over time. Yet the Qian have preserved this elephant-taming guard. In battle, elephant troops are unstoppable.”

“So why didn’t the Ayu troops run when they saw them?”

Lin Yi asked.

Shen Chu smiled wryly. “The Ayu and Nangu tribes also have elephant troops.”