At dawn, amidst the morning mist, a group of riders departed from the southern gate of Hutou City, then parted ways.
Qi Fulongguan had changed into the armor and carried the sword and crossbow of a light cavalryman from Beiliang. He had also received a new household register with a new name: Qi Fulongguan. From this day forth, he was an official soldier of Beiliang’s border army. As he left the city, the young man who had betrayed the Northern Wei often couldn’t help but touch the sword at his waist. The Beiliang saber, famously known as “Xu-style, mighty and heroic,” meant that all contemporary swords were modeled after the Xu family’s design. Qi Fulongguan knew that in the Northern Wei royal court, such a saber would cost no less than five hundred taels of silver, and even then, it was nearly impossible to find one for sale. Many royal family members and grassland nobles took pride in collecting a complete set of Xu-style sabers. Having grown accustomed to poverty, Qi Fulongguan now felt a newfound confidence with this sword, believing himself to be a wealthy man indeed!
Yet there was a secret that thrilled the young knight far more than the saber, crossbow, or his new identity: the Prince of Beiliang had personally imparted to him an unnamed saber manual and a set of Wudang cultivation techniques. At this moment, Qi Fulongguan felt a surge of passion and was willing to fight and die for the young new Prince of Beiliang.
Following the Prince’s orders, he was to escort Princess Hongyan to Liuzhou. Once he delivered the woman of the Yelü clan to the border, his mission would be complete, and he could then directly join the Longxiang Army. What happened afterward—whether he lived or died in the battles between Beiliang and the Northern Wei—would be up to fate.
Yelü Hongcai hesitated for a moment, then turned her horse around and galloped after Xu Fengnian, halting him on the road. She said solemnly, “Are you really just going to let me return to the Northern Wei like this?”
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “What else? Should I ask the Jie of Yuchan Province to ransom you with a mountain of gold and silver? Even if your father were willing to pay, you’d still never make it back alive. If a legitimate princess of the Northern Wei were captured by Beiliang, the Yelü family would surely lose face over such a disgrace.”
Yelü Hongcai seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Xu Fengnian waved his hand dismissively. “Your life or death isn’t that important. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Yelü Hongcai smiled with a hint of intrigue. “I was just about to share some intelligence on the Northern Wei army’s movements with you. Since you’re not interested in my speculations, I’ll forget it.”
Xu Fengnian remained indifferent, his expression calm. “If you keep blocking my way, don’t you fear that I might change my mind?”
The woman with the sable fur headdress narrowed her eyes, her face darkened. She fiercely cracked her whip and rode past him, brushing shoulders with the man she found utterly detestable.
Xu Fengnian and Tan Taijing continued on their way to Huaiyang Pass. Seeing the inquisitive gaze from the master cultivator, Xu Fengnian softly smiled and said, “Given Yelü Hongcai’s scheming nature, I can’t expect her to speak the truth. She might even try to deceive me with false intelligence. Rather than being tormented by her words and plagued with doubt, it’s better not to listen at all.”
Tan Taijing smiled slightly. “My intuition tells me that if she had spoken, it might have been the truth.”
Xu Fengnian replied with self-mockery, “Sounds like I missed out on something big, huh?” Yet he did not call back the princess, who might have, just this once, acted out of genuine goodwill. Tan Taijing smiled again and said no more. Her tall figure, youthful appearance despite her century of life, and her snow-white robes made her look like a magnificent white lotus blooming in the desert as she rode swiftly on horseback. At that moment, she truly embodied the phrase “astonishing as a celestial being.”
After a moment of silence, Tan Taijing suddenly asked curiously, “There’s been much debate in the Northern Wei over whether to strike west at Beiliang or east at the Dongxian of the Liyang Dynasty. If it weren’t for the mysterious Imperial Advisor from the Chess and Sword Bureau and the newly appointed Southern Court King Dong Zhuo both insisting on attacking Beiliang first, it would now be Beiliang watching Dong Zhuo’s forces fall apart in amusement. Moreover, the majority of the Northern Wei generals, Jie commanders, and the most powerful grassland nobles believe that attacking the eastern front would be more profitable. After all, breaking through the Liangliao defense line would allow them to directly threaten Taian City, and even potentially coordinate with Xichu’s restoration efforts in the Guangling region, forcing the Liyang army into chaos and unable to respond on both fronts. Why did the Northern Wei Empress insist on their decision to confront Beiliang despite opposition? Isn’t this exactly what the Liyang Emperor wants—using one wolf to devour another? Besides, even if Beiliang falls, there’s still Chen Zhibao’s Xishu to serve as a buffer…”
Xu Fengnian interrupted with a smile, “It’s simple. The Northern Wei can pour all their strength into attacking Beiliang, but they absolutely dare not charge straight into the eastern front of the Liyang Dynasty. Because they’re too afraid to expose their backs to the thirty thousand battle-hardened Beiliang cavalry. The Beiliang riders are not only highly mobile but also intimately familiar with the desert terrain and long-range raids. The Northern Wei might be able to sit and drink with Gu Jiantang’s twenty thousand troops, but if they tried the same with Beiliang, they’d be devoured down to the bones, then swept through the entire southern territory unchecked. It’s not that the Taiping Commandant and the fat Dong don’t understand the Liyang court’s schemes—it’s that they have no choice. If they don’t swallow Beiliang in one go, attacking the eastern front, which seems easier but has been fortified by Zhang Julu, Gu Jiantang, and Chen Zhibao, would mean the Northern Wei would be locked in a war of attrition with Liyang. And most importantly…”
Tan Taijing suddenly understood and nodded, continuing, “I see. As long as the Beiliang cavalry remains in the northwest, even if the Liyang Dynasty loses the eastern front and even if Taian City is besieged, it still retains the initiative to change the deadlock. But if the Northern Wei succeeds in destroying Beiliang, that initiative shifts to the Northern Wei Empress. Especially if the legendary Beiliang cavalry, known as the mightiest in the world, is completely annihilated. No matter how much the common people of the Central Plains resent the Xu family of Beiliang, their spirit would still be shattered. If even Beiliang cannot stop the Northern Wei’s southern advance, then who can?”
Xu Fengnian sighed, “Since Zhang Julu took power, he hasn’t been particularly supportive of the military affairs on the northwestern border, but he hasn’t hindered them either. That’s the brilliance of the Chief Minister. He appears to do nothing, as if allowing Beiliang to grow strong like a tiger in the wild, but in reality, he has bought the Liyang Dynasty time to watch the tigers fight from the sidelines.”
Tan Taijing gazed east toward Taian City and murmured, “The Liyang Emperor has already made his choice between family and country. The Liyang Dynasty has brought ruin upon itself.”
Xu Fengnian sneered, “So the court finally gets to watch the show begin, but the greatest unseen contributor will never live to see it. All because the new emperor fears he can’t control the old Chief Minister, fears that too many commoners have leapt through the Dragon Gate. Once these wild carp rise to the halls of power and begin to band together, they become men with nothing to lose—unafraid of death, for they have nothing to hold them back, unlike the aristocratic sons who must consider the interests of their vast families. Even if half of these ten scholars grow fond of the wealth and luxury, as long as two or three remain defiant, unyielding to the emperor and constantly pleading for the people, that’s more than enough to trouble the Liyang Emperor, who rules as a family dynasty. The next emperor, Zhao Zhuan, lacks both the military achievements of the previous emperor who unified the Central Plains and the experience of balancing and suppressing figures like Xu Xiao, Zhang Julu, and Gu Jiantang for twenty years. So Zhao Zhuan’s father, before his death, had to do something to ensure that the entire empire could be safely handed over to Zhao Zhuan. Thus, he painstakingly invited Qi Yanglong, a man already halfway into the grave, to serve as the Imperial Tutor. Once the old man stabilizes the court and dies of old age, Zhao Zhuan will have grown strong enough, with the feudal princes and generals stripped of their military power. With ministers like Yin Maochun, who lack deep roots, assisting him, and by promoting aristocratic heirs to balance the former, he won’t need to work as hard as the current emperor—he can simply lie back and enjoy being emperor. Sometimes, thinking about that man with the green eyes, I can’t help but feel it’s a real shame.”
Tan Taijing sighed softly.
Xu Fengnian added with self-mockery, “I wonder if the Chief Minister feels it’s a shame for Beiliang?”
Tan Taijing smiled and asked, “Still holding a grudge?”
Xu Fengnian exhaled deeply and said firmly, “Of course I do! My grudge is huge!”
Tan Taijing said, “Then it’s fortunate that the Northern Wei has run straight into the blade of Beiliang.”
Xu Fengnian glanced at the sky. Perhaps this year, the snow would not be enough to cover the blood.
※※※
Inside Huaiyang Pass, the Beiliang Protector’s Mansion remained surprisingly humble, which made Huaiyang’s commander, Huang Laifu, feel uneasy. Though not to the point of losing sleep or appetite, every time he attended military meetings at the Protector’s office, he felt out of place. Fellow officers who were close friends couldn’t help but tease him about it. They said that Huang Laifu had finally risen in status, living in a place even more luxurious than General Chu’s residence, and it was a shame the Prince hadn’t given him a general’s title, or else he’d truly be a big shot. Huang Laifu had no chance to defend himself and could only accept his fate. Over time, he became the biggest laughingstock among the northern border garrisons of Liangzhou. However, as the atmosphere of impending war on the border grew heavier, these harmless jabs soon disappeared. Today, Huang Laifu went to the Protector’s Mansion as usual. Recently, several high-ranking generals had gathered there, pooling their wisdom to discuss the Northern Wei’s military deployments and main attack directions. Huang Laifu was a capable soldier but not skilled in verbal debates. He had nothing to add, but listening to the old generals argue gave him a sense of comfort. He felt that as long as these veterans were in command, not only would the Beiliang border army, which was strong and unscathed, hold firm, but even if the vanguard city of Hutou were to fall, he would charge forward without hesitation to reclaim it.
As Huang Laifu entered the grand hall of the Protector’s Mansion, where maps of the battlefield were displayed, he immediately sensed something unusual. In the center of the hall stood a massive Huangli wood table, six zhang long. On both sides of the table were many unfamiliar faces. Yan Wenluan, the commander of the infantry forces, an old general from the Spring and Autumn period, was apparently visiting Huaiyang Pass for the first time. Yuan Zuozong, the cavalry commander, had also arrived. Gu Dazu, Zhou Kang, He Zhonghu, and Chen Yunchui, the four old and new deputy commanders, were all present for the first time together. Qi Dangguo, one of the General’s adopted sons and the newly appointed commander of the White Feather Cavalry, stood on one side. Hu Que, the governor of Youzhou, and Huangfu Ping, the general of Youzhou, stood together in a slightly more secluded position. Wang Peifang, the newly promoted governor of Liangzhou, who had already earned fame and success as a scholar of Beiliang, stood nervously in the most remote corner. Clearly, in such a gathering, even the loudest shout from any of these armored officers carried more weight than the voice of a mere civilian official.
But what shocked Huang Laifu the most was the presence of the Second Princess, Xu Weixiong!
She sat in a wheelchair, her fingers interlocked, her eyes fixed intently on the map of the border situation.
The Beiliang Protector held a brush in one hand and an inkstone in the other, the ink within a deep red. Chu Lushan stood beside Xu Weixiong, leaning over the map and drawing lines with a soft voice.
Huang Laifu crept closer quietly. There were already more than twenty people standing on both sides of the table, so he had to squeeze into a small space. Just in time to hear Chu Lushan say softly, “Earlier, one of our scouting units infiltrated the heart of Gusei Province and discovered that Liu Gui’s army has already begun its march. We can now confirm that their target is Liuzhou. In addition to Liu Gui’s three thousand elite troops, the four southern military towns of Wazhu and Junzhi have also mobilized their full forces. The old aristocratic families of Longguan have also sent out three thousand infantry, and we must also pay attention to the eight hundred Qiang cavalry under the command of the Gusei Jie commander. Together, these forces total around one hundred thousand troops heading toward Qingcang City, the current capital of Liuzhou.”
Chu Lushan marked a point north of Qingcang City with his vermilion brush and said, “The three thousand infantry from the Longguan aristocrats are clearly meant to serve as the main force for the siege.”
Then he lightly traced a line between Qingcang City and the Linyao military outpost and continued, “Unsurprisingly, the eight hundred Qiang cavalry will lie in wait here, to block any relief forces from the western line of Liuzhou. If they can win, they will fight; if not, they will retreat. The Qiang cavalry may lack many skills, but their ability to retreat swiftly is second to none. I learned this the hard way more than a decade ago.”
A knowing smile spread among the officers present. In the first great war between Liyang and the Northern Wei, everyone knew that Chu Lushan, also a man of ample girth, had two regrets: failing to kill Dong Zhuo, another fat man, and failing to chase down a retreating Qiang cavalry unit.
Chu Lushan shifted his brush and drew a heavy line between Liangzhou and Qingcang City in Liuzhou. “Liu Gui’s main force will likely pass through here…”
Xu Weixiong frowned and interrupted Chu Lushan directly. “Are we to retreat passively and allow Liu Gui to penetrate deep into Liuzhou? Even with only three thousand Longxiang cavalry, we don’t need to be so defensive.”
Gu Dazu, standing with his hands behind his back, leaned over the map and spoke slowly. “If we can afford to wait on the Liangzhou and Youzhou borders, Liuzhou cannot. The three thousand Longxiang cavalry only need to locate Liu Gui’s main force and destroy it decisively. The remaining scattered forces will pose no threat. We should fight at the enemy’s doorstep. Beiliang has the capability.”
He Zhonghu, the deputy cavalry commander, spoke up. “Don’t be fooled by their numerical advantage. That number isn’t even enough to fill our teeth. Even if Dong Zhuo has hidden plans, according to their current deployment, they won’t be able to retrieve their dead bodies in time within two days’ ride.”
Chu Lushan raised two fingers and pinched the red brush tip, seemingly ignoring the comments. He simply stared at his ink-stained fingers and said calmly, “The bait is too small to lure a big fish.”
Suddenly, Chu Lushan chuckled, the sound standing out in the silent hall.
The Protector raised his thumb and index finger together, smiling as he said, “Our Beiliang cavalry is just too powerful. We must give our enemies just a little hope, after all.”
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