In early summer, when the grass grows lush and orioles sing, flowers and trees flourish.
The Northern Nomads rely on the sheep and cattle they raise to survive, so they must be well-fed at this time to fatten them up in preparation for the coming autumn raids, when they will kill, burn, and plunder to store up supplies.
The soldiers of the Dayu Dynasty also get a chance to recuperate and cultivate barren lands, or even return home to visit family.
As a general, Jiang Jizu was long accustomed to war. He picked up a brush to draft a letter home and look for trinkets to send back to Jiang Sheng.
After decades away on military campaigns, other than missing his parents in his youth, he had never longed so keenly to return to Fengjing.
But when duty calls, one is not free to do as they please. In recent years, the fighting with the Northern Nomads had intensified. The lands wrested at great cost during the previous emperor's reign could not be relinquished. The younger generals were brave but inexperienced - someone had to lead at the vanguard.
So many thoughts and longings could only be distilled into letters and collected into exquisite curios to be sent back to Fengjing by official courier, into the hands of his clever, mischievous little daughter.
"Writing home again, General?" The tent flap lifted and the Jin Vice General entered, poorly suppressing a smile. "They say when a man gets older, he thinks most fondly of home. Seems the General has aged quickly these past few years."
"Perhaps the Jin Vice General has already finished cultivating the barren lands." Jiang Jizu set down his brush. "While I miss my daughter, do you not think of your two rascal sons?"
"The General calls them rascals, how could I miss them?" Jin pulled a face of disgust. "Sadly, I haven't been home in two years. If my wife could bear me a daughter now, she would - but the General is fortunate to be blessed with both, a valiant son and a daughter..." He trailed off, visibly searching for the right words.
It was true that Jiang Sheng was neither remarkably beautiful nor gracefully demure, with legs as sturdy as any in the Jiang family.
"Pearls and jade" was probably the most flattering description Jin could muster.
Jiang Jizu shot him a glare. Recalling his plump, greedy little girl, he quickly smiled again. "What do you know? Chubby girls are the easiest to raise, hale and hearty and free of illness - better than anything."
"Yes, yes, the young miss is so sweet and clever, and supplies us meat to eat!" Jin hastily smoothed it over, darting glances around the tent.
That was his purpose in visiting the General today.
After recognizing Jiang Jizu as her father, Jiang Sheng's workshop in Anshui county began supplying not just dried sausage and meat to Fang Heng's company, but also to General Jiang's main encampment.
For this purpose, she had specially urged Uncle Zhang to expand to three workshops, recruiting all the village aunties of Anshui to smoke and dry as much meat as possible.
The advantage was that Jiang Jizu's name resounded mightily in the Northern Frontier. The downside was digging into her savings.
All the sausages and dried meat were provided free of charge.
Jiang Jizu felt bad for his daughter yet couldn't requisition army provisions, so he wrote home asking Lady Jiang to send silver from Yuanyuan Residence.
But Jiang Sheng refused it.
The little girl argued spiritedly, "If I can send Brother Three meat to eat, of course I can send Father meat too. Taking silver from Yuanyuan Residence would be like Father buying it himself, and that would make me feel guilty."
What her brother had, her father should have too.
She loved money dearly, but loved her family more. Banknotes piled up meaninglessly as cold numbers, while bringing fleeting happiness.
Second brother said money must flow.
It could be used to earn more money, or to buy a better life.
Profits from the nine delicacies pavilions were enough to support four workshops in Anshui county, not to mention the increasingly popular Baiwei Sheng in Fengjing.
Left with no choice, Jiang Jizu withdrew the silver, while feeling ever more amazed by his clever, sensible daughter who knew the ways of the world without becoming worldly.
Especially after getting her back following eleven years of separation.
"Reclaimed treasures are more precious than original possessions," he wrote, before looking up at Jin. "The weather has warmed, fresh meats are bountiful, and cured sausages and meats more inconvenient. I've told Anshui to stop the supply until autumn. We'll make do with what we have left."
In theory, fresh meat was preferable to cured.
But some in the camp had acquired the taste, and cured meats had a unique flavor no game could replace.
Jin looked disappointed. "Then this subordinate will return to work the fields."
He truly did turn and leave immediately, wasting no time.
Amused, Jiang Jizu realized the cured meats were more popular than expected. He glanced outside, then flipped open a trunk and dug out two oily sausages from the bottom, the last of the supply.
"Looks like I can't hide these last two." He laughed and put the sausages on the table.
He had to continue the letter home. The trinkets were carefully wrapped in old clothes, the sausages wrapped in greaseproof paper that fluttered in the breeze from the tent entrance.
Everything was perfectly peaceful.
Until the warning horns of an enemy raid sounded.
"General! The Northern Nomads attack, they raid us..." another deputy stumbled in. "The first, second, third, and fifth companies have mustered. Awaiting your orders to engage the enemy!"
Raiding now was highly unusual, when the Northern Nomads should be recovering and breeding their livestock.
Jiang Jizu glanced at the unfinished letter, just two characters left. In the end, he set down his brush, donned his armor and said, "Defend first, send scouts to assess the enemy."
The dazzling sunlight outside shone into the tent. The sausage wrapped in yellow paper looked plump and oily, with rivulets of fat meandering to pool at the end and drip onto the blank space of the letter.
The warning horns blared again and again in different sequences conveying varied meanings.
"A major enemy raid, likely with massive forces," Jin listened closely. "Highly abnormal, extremely so."
"Could they want to seize more supplies, catching us unawares?" Liu Deputy General furrowed his brows.
Jiang Jizu shook his head. "For nomadic tribes, raiding and plunder in winter and spring ease hunger, but summer is harvest season. Losing livestock by attacking us would be a losing proposition."
If raids were truly effective, this tacit truce each summer would have ended long ago.
"There must be some momentous anomaly," Jiang Jizu tapped the table. "We must engage the enemy, retreat is impossible. But we must be prudent and cautious in this battle."
He swiftly issued orders. "Liu Deputy General will lead the first and third companies to engage the left flank. Xu Deputy General will lead the second and fifth to encircle the right. Jin Vice General will lead the fourth company with me for a frontal assault."
The enemy had come, so they must be met. The enemy had charged, so they must be fought.
As border troops, their duty as soldiers was to protect the people and defend their land.
Jiang Jizu spared the unfinished letter no further glance. Gripping his accustomed spear, he resolutely mounted his horse and galloped to war.
