Chapter 75: The Dongfang Clan

The following morning, Ye Pei and Zi Qingrong accompanied Zi Qingcheng to the lord’s manor.

No one knew exactly what Ni Manxiu had said to Zi Qiong, but after a night of contemplation, Zi Qiong instructed Zi Qingcheng to summon Ye Pei and his companion back.

“Lord Zi, is there something else you need?” Ye Pei’s demeanor was still far from cordial.

Yet Zi Qiong did not take offense; he smiled and said, “Indeed, my attitude and words yesterday were inappropriate. I hope you can forgive me, Master Ye.”

Ye Pei was a man who responded better to gentleness than force; Zi Qiong’s softened manner immediately dispelled most of his anger.

“Uncle Zi, you’re too polite.”

Soon, the group settled once more in the drawing room, each taking their place as host or guest.

“Master Ye,” Zi Qiong began directly, “what important matter do you wish to discuss with me?”

“To destroy the Lin clan.”

Zi Qiong blinked, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. “You mean—?”

“To wipe out the Lin clan,” Ye Pei repeated for emphasis.

“It’s not that…” Zi Qiong did not appear overly shocked, for his scholarly composure was well established. “With the strength of the Zi family, we’re lucky not to be annihilated by their combined force, let alone to conquer them.”

Ye Pei let out a soft laugh. “The Zi family need not mobilize troops against the Lin clan. All you need is to seize the opportunity I create for you.”

“What opportunity?” Zi Qiong pressed.

But Ye Pei did not answer, instead turning to Ni Manxiu, who was sipping tea nearby. “When the time comes, could you perhaps clear a path for the Zi family?”

Ni Manxiu shrugged. “That’s easy enough, so long as you trust the Zi family to act accordingly.”

Ye Pei smiled. “It’s Qingrong’s idea. She wants Qingcheng to gain some experience.”

He paused, shaking his head with a laugh. “Though… this experience is rather grand in scale.”

“Master Ye,” Zi Qiong could no longer contain himself, “could you please tell me what you plan to do?”

Ye Pei took a sip of tea. “No need to hurry, Uncle Zi. Allow me to explain in detail.”

…

Three days later, Ye Pei set out toward the Lin clan territory with Zi Qingrong.

“Honestly…” Behind them, Zi Qiong’s face was a mix of helplessness and delight. “The younger generation truly outshines us…”

“Hey, Ye,” on the road, Zi Qingrong seemed in high spirits. She lifted the carriage curtain and poked her little head outside. “I wonder what happened to those people you tricked into heading to Dead Spirit Volcano.”

Ye Pei, driving the carriage himself, chuckled. “Who cares about them? By now, they might have realized something was off with the information. But it’s unlikely they’d guess I’m heading straight for their stronghold.”

Despite his words, discovery would spell grave danger.

Ye Pei had not intended to bring Zi Qingrong along, but she insisted. He had considered slipping away quietly, as he had done when he went to the Summer Kingdom’s prison, but Zi Qingrong’s next words dispelled that notion.

“Don’t try sneaking off at midnight. Even if you leave, I’ll chase after you. If I’m not with you, what if I run into bandits or wild beasts…”

“Fine, fine…” Ye Pei yielded instantly. “As you wish, all as you wish.”

This journey’s purpose was to find a fallen tribe belonging to the Lin clan—the Eastern clan.

Ye Pei was somewhat puzzled by the social structure of Yanland; despite its civilization being nearly on par with Wangmai, its tribal system was riddled with flaws.

He sought the Eastern clan based on the information gathered by Wandering Four Myriads, who had traveled extensively through Yanland.

Dongfang Boyi, son of the Eastern clan, whose father Dongfang Yin was once the chief strategist to Lin Jingzhi, the Lin clan lord—a man of immense influence, second only to the lord himself.

At that time, thanks to Dongfang Yin, the Eastern clan was a major force in Lin territory, dominating the eastern lands.

As for why Ye Pei sought this man, the reason was simple: Dongfang Boyi harbored deep hatred toward the Lin clan.

Twenty years prior, a conflict erupted between the Lin and Wan clans along their border. Lin Jingzhi, not yet lord, led Dongfang Yin to resolve the dispute. Wan Yuyao, then lord of the Wan clan, arrived with the current lord Wan Peng. Due to a misjudgment by Dongfang Yin, Lin Jingzhi nearly perished at Wan Yuyao’s hands. Fortunately, Lin Jingzhi’s brother, Lin Hezhi—the clan’s strongest warrior—arrived in time, rescued him, and seven days later assassinated Wan Yuyao in his tent.

Even so, Lin Jingzhi lost an arm.

The outcome wasn’t particularly bad for the Lin clan; they killed Wan Yuyao and seized much of the Wan clan’s territory. Yet Dongfang Yin’s mistake could not be overlooked. Upon returning to the Lin stronghold, he was executed, and the Eastern clan was nearly exterminated, left with only a handful of elderly, sick, and weak survivors.

Since then, the Eastern clan steadily declined. With no one capable of leading, and under the Lin clan’s subtle suppression, they retained a desire for revenge but lacked the strength for retaliation. Today, their tribe numbers only a few hundred, occupying a single small town. Had it not been for the occasional support from the friendly Yin and Xiao clans, their situation might have been even worse.

For Dongfang Yin’s wife, Sun Yanzhuo, that year became an indelible source of pain. Her husband was killed, their land seized, the tribe nearly destroyed, and she was left a solitary leaf drifting in the wind.

Barely escaping the massacre, she endured countless hardships to reach the Xiao clan’s territory. Yet she did not lose hope, for she carried within her the promise of Dongfang Yin’s posthumous child. Would it be a boy or girl? If a girl, the hope for revenge would fade. But fate smiled upon this unfortunate woman; she gave birth to a son, naming him Boyi.

This fragile life was destined for turmoil, for he carried the bloodline of a leader. Though the tribe had fallen, its former glory was but shards of memory. Sun Yanzhuo placed all her hopes on this child, living in seclusion for many years to avoid Lin clan persecution. Young Dongfang Boyi did not understand why, nor his true identity. Only when he was older did his mother reveal the truth. The hatred of losing his father and tribe ignited a burning desire for vengeance. He swore that one day he would kill the Lin clan lord and reclaim their lands.

The Lin clan now knows of Dongfang Boyi’s existence, but they see no threat from a powerless woman and a child with neither land nor title.

Yet this seemingly impossible task was no secret within the Lin clan, though many versions of the story circulated. Wandering Four Myriads, having friendly ties with the Yin clan in Lin territory years ago, pieced together the real story and its details.

At that time, Xing Yan asked Ye Pei why he chose the Eastern clan. Her view was that in the whole Lin territory, many tribes were dissatisfied with Lin Jingzhi, who believed in rule by force. He had angered dozens of tribes, some of them powerful.

Ye Pei’s answer was, “Dongfang Boyi may not seem the best choice, but those tribes have grievances without being pushed to open conflict; Dongfang Boyi’s enmity is a blood feud. His desire for vengeance is far more intense, and he will need my help most on this path. As for the other tribes… I can win them over when the time comes to strike at Lin.”

According to Xing Yan, Lin Hezhi’s martial prowess was terrifying, a true warrior unmatched by thousands. Even Yang Tianrui of the Feng clan, famed as Yanland’s mightiest, was hardly his superior. Defeating him in open battle was nearly impossible.

Ye Pei had been intrigued. “Even I can’t defeat him?”

Xing Yan, knowing of Ye Pei’s journey to the Jade Blade Tomb, replied, “Feng Tanyang definitely couldn’t beat him.”

“Hmm…” Ye Pei was astonished. “Why didn’t any of these people participate in the Wangyan campaign? If they all went, would we even stand a chance?”

Xing Yan explained, “That’s the flaw of the tribal system. Each clan’s strongest warriors dare not leave their territory.”

“Oh, I see…” Ye Pei pondered for a few seconds. “If open conflict won’t work, then we’ll use covert methods.”

To topple the Lin clan, Lin Hezhi must be eliminated.

Xing Yan had emphasized this: internal warfare in Yanland differs from the great Wangyan battles. Many tribes prefer to watch and join the victor, so engagement often involves only a few thousand combatants, rarely escalating to ten thousand. The largest battles reached about fifty thousand.

This brings us to ancient warfare in our country. The scale of ancient Chinese battles evolved from small to large. The number of troops mobilized by participating states was limited by their national strength and system. Many novels or films depict battles of hundreds of thousands or millions, which is unlikely; artistic exaggeration serves entertainment.

The Battle of Muye, where Zhou overthrew Shang, was the largest of the Yin-Shang era. King Wu’s coalition numbered less than fifty thousand. In the Spring and Autumn period, the famous Battle of Chengpu saw the Chu-led alliance muster fewer than one hundred thousand. The Qin army under Wang Jian in the conquest of Chu, the biggest war of the Warring States, reached six hundred thousand. This was the practical limit for an ancient Chinese army.

In ancient warfare, communication relied on flags and drums, supply on men and animals, roads were dirt, movement by foot. Commanding such vast armies was extremely difficult, and only exceptional military geniuses could manage it. In the Qin and Han era, such talent was rare; only Wang Jian and Han Xin truly possessed it. This is why Han Xin could confidently say to Liu Bang, “The more, the better.”