Chapter 141

The snowy night in Liaoyang City was dead silent; Shen Xitang’s cloak was heavy with the stench of blood from Li Rubai’s commander’s mansion. In the secret compartment of the study, the remnants of the *Historical Records of the Eastern Yi* bore margin notes stained with dark brown blood: "In the Wushen year, the Six Fortresses of Kuandian... effectively abandoned six hundred li of territory..." "Lord Thousand-Householder, inspect this." She flicked open the sheepskin scroll from beneath the commander’s desk. "Li Chengliang’s private seal... actually stamped on a border-market tax form of Fushun Pass!" The tip of Xiao Heng’s saber pierced the wall partition, and bundles of promissory notes poured out. Beside the redemption seal of Shanxi’s Rishengchang bank was stuck a piece of bloody Mohe hide—inscribed in Jurchen script with the Ming army’s battle deployment for the bloody battle of the Hun River!