"Young Master, we should find him. But how?" Zhao Yuanliang asked.
Shen Yufeng had no immediate answer.
The whole country was hunting the three, including the Xuanjia Army, and they still hadn't been found.
How could one attendant searching in secret do better?
Shen Yufeng had to remain in Jiuzhao City. He couldn't leave his post.
He went to the map and studied it.
At last his gaze stopped on one city.
"Baifeng City..."
"Do you think they'll appear there?" Zhao Yuanliang asked.
Shen Yufeng shook his head. "If Su Jin is looking for me, he'll easily learn that I'm in Jiuzhao City. He'll head this way."
"He probably isn't an ordinary man, and the court won't catch him easily. But the shortest route here passes through three large cities, the last being Baifeng. The mountains around it are difficult and full of fierce beasts. Only one valley offers a short passage."
"Du Wenyan knows a great deal. If he's traveling with Su Jin, and they're looking for me, they may choose that route."
"We can't go out searching blindly. We'll have to wait. Take some people to the entrance of Yinguang Valley. Going directly there is too dangerous. Use my pass to go through Baifeng City, then double back to the valley entrance. That's safest."
"But Yuanliang..." Shen Yufeng paused. "You should know the mountains won't be safe. I don't want to send you into danger, but you're the only one here I can trust completely."
"Don't worry about me, Young Master. If your dream is real, I'd risk my life," Zhao Yuanliang said with a rueful smile. "I only fear he won't come, or something else will happen."
"We have to take that chance," Shen Yufeng said. "We're wagering not only on finding him, but on whether the disaster is coming. We must prepare for both possibilities. We can't sit and wait."
"What will you do?"
"Leave that to me. Have you finished looking into the officers who command troops here?"
"Not all of them, but I have information on seventy or eighty percent."
"How many were promoted from within Jiuzhao City?"
"Fewer than thirty percent of those I found, and their ranks are low. The highest are centurions."
"That will do." Shen Yufeng went to the desk and picked up his brush. "Call those men to my headquarters. Find ten suitable people to go with you. Choose some local goods as gifts before you leave the city."
"If my father's people ask, say I haven't grown used to the local conditions and miss home, so you're taking gifts to visit my parents for me."
He soon finished writing the pass and handed it to Zhao Yuanliang. "I know you're careful, but this matters too much. Don't let your guard down."
"Leave it to me, Young Master."
....
"Why have you changed the guards at the city gates?" Yan Tai demanded in the commander's residence. "Young Lord, the old arrangements worked. Why such a change without discussing it with me?"
More than a dozen craftsmen stood around a large table, busy discussing their work.
At Yan Tai's voice, they fell silent and lowered their heads uneasily.
"And why are these craftsmen here? The city has no need for major building work, does it?" Yan Tai went on.
Shen Yufeng rested a hand on his sword. "Yan Tai, is that how you speak to your superior?"
Yan Tai faltered. "I spoke out of turn. But I have your interests at heart. The duke sent me because you're unfamiliar with the city's affairs. Everything was in good order. I'm worried sudden changes will cause trouble."
Shen Yufeng turned to the craftsmen. "Get back to work. Bring me any problems you find."
Their leader stepped forward nervously. "General, by our calculations, we don't have enough civilian workers in the city to excavate Jiyun Peak. We'll also need..."
He glanced repeatedly at Yan Tai.
"We'll need soldiers to help."
"Excavate Jiyun Peak?" Yan Tai stared. "Young Lord, why would you do that?"
"If the Demon Spring erupts and Jiuzhao City falls, I want Jiyun Peak to hold supplies and serve as a second position where the soldiers and civilians can retreat," Shen Yufeng said coolly. "Any questions?"
"A second position on Jiyun Peak?" Yan Tai felt dizzy.
It was a steep peak nearest the city. To Yan Tai, the idea seemed utterly foolish.
"Yes, and not just a temporary position. It must shelter everyone in the city for a long time," Shen Yufeng said. "Build simple paths and wooden houses, and carve out caves to store supplies. They need only be usable, not elaborate. Finish before winter."
"We're short of labor. Apart from the soldiers guarding the city and changing shifts, everyone else will help build it. Any objection?"
"Of course I object!" Yan Tai shouted. "It's a waste of labor and money. What purpose does it serve? The duke will be furious when he hears!"
"Young Lord?" Shen Yufeng frowned. "I let you call me that in the royal capital. What should you call me here in Jiuzhao City?"
"G-General, but..."
"No 'but.' His Majesty granted me command of Jiuzhao. My orders are military orders. Answer me: will you obey the order to send soldiers to the works, or not?"
Yan Tai gritted his teeth. "I'll obey, but I'll report this to the duke and the court. Young Lord, I'm doing this for your sake!"
"Enough! You threaten your superior? Guards!" Shen Yufeng shouted.
Soldiers hurried in and seized Yan Tai by both arms.
They were ordinary soldiers, but he didn't dare resist.
He thought he understood what had happened.
Shen Yufeng's pride had been hurt, and he didn't want to follow his father's arrangements. He had decided to do something grand of his own.
Yan Tai mustn't provoke him further. Fighting the soldiers would only make matters worse.
Bitterness filled his face.
He hadn't expected the heir, who had seemed so wise at first, to reveal such foolishness so quickly.
"General, please hear me out," he pleaded, but his hopes sank.
Shen Yufeng's expression gave no sign he would yield.
His next order extinguished Yan Tai's last hope.
"Guard him closely. No visitors. Take him away."
....
After Yan Tai was taken away, Shen Yufeng stepped out alone.
The hot wind struck his face, but he felt cold all over.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
Yan Tai was his father's man and the most important link among Jiuzhao City's officers. He truly believed he was acting for Shen Yufeng's sake.
But now he was the greatest obstacle.
Shen Yufeng would hold a banquet that night and find a way to bring the other officers into line.
There were only a little over a hundred days until deep winter. He should be able to keep things under control that long.
If he was wrong, he alone would be punished. If he was right, he might save more than a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians.
It was a risk he had to take.