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To be fair, these Xiongnu were simply unlucky. They never imagined that the Qiang people were acting as scouts for Fei Qian. So, when they hid in this valley and spotted Qiang figures, they paid them no mind, ultimately leading to them being thoroughly trapped.
Of course, if it had been Han army cavalry searching for them, whether they could have even found this valley would have been a different matter altogether.
Initially, Rinagu had only wanted to test the combat strength of the forces under Fei Qian's command. That's why he had earlier asked whether Fei Qian's men should take action or if the Qiang should handle it. But Rinagu never expected that the result of this test would be like opening a package, hoping for a delightful gift, only to find a terrifying mail bomb inside.
Ma Yan slowly returned. He dismounted, loosened some of the straps securing the horse's girth, pulled some beans from a pouch on his saddle, and fed them into his warhorse's large mouth. Then, he patted the horse's neck, letting the panting, snorting steed rest to the side.
After Ma Yan returned, Rinagu began acting as if he were covered in lice, fidgeting uncomfortably and shifting left and right. Soon, he said, "I'll go ahead to see if they've found the goods belonging to Governor Fei..." Without waiting for a response from Fei Qian, Rinagu urged his horse forward, as if something had pricked his backside.
Fei Qian dismounted and stood beside Ma Yan, looking him over. Ma Yan seemed covered in Xiongnu blood, but no wounds were immediately visible. "Are you alright? Not injured?"
A trace of pride colored Ma Yan's expression as he smiled. "Just a bunch of clay chickens and pottery dogs—how could they harm me?"
Fei Qian gestured with his eyes towards the Qiang chieftain Rinagu, who was noisily interrogating the surrendered Xiongnu in the valley about the location of the goods. "Did you know him before, Chengyuan?" (Chengyuan: Ma Yan's courtesy name).
Even a blind man could have sensed the awkwardness Rinagu displayed after learning Ma Yan's identity. But Fei Qian, obviously unaware of the reason, could only ask Ma Yan.
Could it be that Ma Yan had led men to disrupt Rinagu's operations before?
The dried blood caked on his neck itched somewhat. Ma Yan scratched it, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Hmm, I don't really have any impression of him..."
It had been five or six years since he left Shang Commandery. Many memories had faded, and Ma Yan genuinely couldn't recall any prior interactions with Rinagu.
Well, if even Ma Yan himself can't remember anything, it probably isn't too important. Set it aside for now; we might find out later anyway, Fei Qian thought.
Fei Qian watched the Qiang people rummaging through the valley for the goods, then glanced back at Huang Cheng.
Huang Cheng gave a slight, silent nod.
Internally, Fei Qian commended Huang Cheng. Comrade Shuye's professional skills are becoming more and more proficient...
Soon, Rinagu found most of the goods Fei Qian had lost. However, he still hadn't located that supposedly silver-inlaid copper bowl, the one said to please the White Stone God.
In reality, Fei Qian's original shipment never contained such a bowl. Those goods were never intended as gifts for Rinagu. But humans are strange creatures. Hearing that someone else lost their wallet, most might feel schadenfreude, with only a few asking about the loss or showing concern. However, if one finds a hundred-dollar bill missing from their own wallet, they'd likely ponder for a long time, trying to recall whether they lost it or spent it.
Rinagu was no exception. Knowing Fei Qian had lost goods didn't bother him initially. But upon hearing they were meant as gifts for him—especially when Fei Qian described that exquisitely beautiful silver-inlaid copper bowl—even if a man could tolerate its loss, the White Stone God could not! His fighting spirit instantly soared.
Unfortunately, Fei Qian did indeed possess a silver-inlaid copper bowl—but it was one presented by Cui Hou, not intended for Rinagu.
Such details were manageable. While tracking the Xiongnu, Fei Qian had sent a man back with Huang Cheng. One task was to deliver a message, and the other was to fetch that very bowl...
Seeing Huang Cheng's meaningful look, Fei Qian understood—it had been hidden properly.
Sure enough, under the Qiang's diligent search, they finally found the silver-inlaid copper bowl that Rinagu had been longing for, inside a pouch trapped under a dead horse.
Rinagu held the copper bowl aloft, admiring it, murmuring praises.
In truth, Fei Qian strongly suspected the so-called silver wires weren't pure silver. The lines were very white, without the dark tarnish of silver oxide. Perhaps the artisan had mixed in other metals for appearance, but the effect was undoubtedly excellent. Under the sunlight, the bronze color set off the white lines, appearing solemn and elegant. Even someone with no artistic sense could tell at a glance it was a fine piece.
However...
Rinagu suddenly jumped as if slashed by a knife. Clutching the bowl, he ran to Fei Qian, pointing at a fresh, conspicuous scar on its surface. "Governor Fei... was this... here originally?"
"Ah?!" Fei Qian took the copper bowl, clicking his tongue in regret. "Such a beautiful bowl... sigh... what a terrible shame..."
On one corner of the copper bowl, right over the intricate floral pattern, was a deep gouge—perhaps from a sword slash or an arrow scrape. It had severed some of the inlaid silver wires. No matter how carefully repaired, such a scar could never restore the bowl to its former perfection. It was an eyesore, a cause for pity.
"Perhaps I could exchange it for another for our White Stone brother?" Fei Qian said to Rinagu, his face full of sincerity.
"Really? Would it be exactly like this one?" Rinagu's eyes shifted, a glint of greed flashing in their depths.
"This bowl is one of a kind! If we must exchange it, it would only be for a plain copper bowl without any pattern..." Fei Qian shook his head. "A bowl like this would take a skilled artisan at least a year to make! So, there couldn't possibly be another identical one. It's such a pity that such a beautiful pattern has been damaged like this..."
Hearing there was no second identical bowl, Rinagu fell into disappointed silence.
After much hesitation, Rinagu took back the scarred bowl, unable to bring himself to exchange it for a common one. After all, even with the flaw, this bowl was a hundred times better than any ordinary copper bowl...
Yet as he stared at the bowl, gently rubbing the scratch with his finger as if he could somehow erase it, the mark remained stubbornly deep—no amount of rubbing could make it disappear.
Rinagu suddenly looked up at the Xiongnu kneeling nearby, an expression of extreme disgust involuntarily surfacing in his eyes. "These damned Chinazi (wolf cubs)! I'll kill them all!"
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