Though the sky was cold, there had been no snow.
One could never truly grasp the poetic vastness of stars stretching across the plains without personally journeying to the frontier. Accompanying Xu Weixiong as they left the Protectorate and passed through Huaiyang Pass, Xu Fengnian, with only Chu Luoshan in their retinue, had ventured several miles beyond the pass. Veteran general Yan Wenluan and the newly ennobled Yu Luandao had already departed for Youzhou to assume military command. Before leaving, Yu Luandao had handed Xu Fengnian a memorandum, detailing a strategic analysis of the battlefield in Guangling, with particular attention paid to the string of swift raids conducted by Kou Jianghuai, transforming isolated skirmishes into a broader campaign. Large-scale cavalry battles in open fields were a sight unique to borderlands; within the heart of Zhongyuan, with its dense network of cities and rivers, cavalry found it difficult to maneuver effectively. To wage a truly seamless campaign was a rare feat—not merely winning a few spectacular battles, but maintaining momentum throughout, sacrificing infantry support to fully exploit the mobility of cavalry. This required a general of exceptional talent. Throughout the journey, Chu Luoshan pored over the document under the dim starlight, admiring it greatly, occasionally murmuring in astonishment. When Xu Fengnian and Xu Weixiong paused at a desolate patch of land, Chu Luoshan carefully tucked away the precious stack of Xuan paper, glanced at the sky, and murmured, “Lu Shangxiang’s most celebrated feat was his snow-laden night march on Luzhou, helping Gu Jiantang seize the entire Dongyue without bloodshed. As for me, my thousand cavalry opening the gates of Shu was no small task either. These two campaigns have been endlessly reenacted and analyzed by old scholars of military tactics at the Shangyin Academy and the Imperial Academy over the past decade. But in my opinion, Kou Jianghuai, that untamed prodigy in the newly established Xichu court, surpasses both Lu Shangxiang and me by a considerable margin. It’s no wonder Yu Luandao, a proud aristocrat with lofty ambitions, would lavish praise on a peer from another noble family.”
Xu Weixiong extended her hand and took the stack of Xuan paper from Chu Luoshan, placing it on her knees. She casually flipped through a page and said in a calm tone, “Kou Jianghuai was universally acknowledged as a polymath at the Shangyin Academy, though some scholars found his knowledge broad but lacking in depth. I once played several games of Go with him…”
Xu Fengnian couldn’t help but interject, “Second sister, could this kid actually beat you at Go?”
Xu Weixiong lifted her gaze and stared directly at Xu Fengnian. He chuckled awkwardly and quickly shut his mouth. Chu Luoshan, witnessing this, found it hard to suppress a grin—there were very few people in the world who could make their young Prince of Beiliang feel flustered. Sensing the situation, Xu Fengnian, ever the one to pick on the weak, shot Chu Luoshan a sharp glare. The Protectorate Governor quickly reined in his amusement. After all, how many people in both imperial courts could make the mighty “Lu Qiu’er” feel humbled? Xu Weixiong continued, “Most of my Go opponents were national-level masters. Among them, Kou Jianghuai was undoubtedly the weakest in terms of technical skill and tactical finesse. Yet his thinking was the most unpredictable. His moves defied convention—sometimes producing startlingly brilliant plays, sometimes making inexplicably poor decisions, and sometimes playing unreasonable moves all the way through with unshakable confidence. What truly sets him apart, however, is that he plays with the least concern for winning or losing. Such an opponent would be extremely difficult to handle on the battlefield. Prince Zhao Yi of Guangling has already experienced this firsthand. On the eastern front of Xichu, with inferior forces, Kou Jianghuai captured six strategic strongholds including Huangyan Pass and Dijinze within twenty days. He did not hold onto the cities, instead abandoning short-term territorial gains to maintain overwhelming numerical superiority in individual battles, gradually wearing down the enemy reinforcements through large-scale maneuvers and long-distance raids. This seemingly ‘irrational’ approach to warfare is precisely what we in Beiliang, who are at a disadvantage against the Beiman, should learn from.”
Perhaps tired of standing, Chu Luoshan plopped down onto the grass beside Xu Weixiong’s wheelchair, his head still nearly level with hers, a testament to his immense size as the top official of Beiliang. Despite the sparse, dry winter grass, he seemed unfazed. He chuckled, “The situation of the restored Xichu is quite similar to ours in Beiliang—we’ve practically become pitiful comrades-in-arms. Surrounded by two southern armies and several feudal lords, Xichu is like performing a grand ceremony inside a snail shell. If Cao Changqing had personally taken the field, forcing Yang Shenxing’s hand and leading to Yan Zhenshun’s death in battle, that might have been understandable. But now, with only two young generals leading the charge, the Zhao court is already in chaos. Even the once-revered general from the Chunsxue Tower has been forced into action. The war in Guangling won’t last just three months to half a year, as the Ministry of War in Liyang predicted, nor even the year and a half we in Beiliang anticipated. When the last smoke clears, it might take as long as two years.”
Xu Fengnian sneered coldly, “The Zhao emperor has adopted the new era name Xiangfu, hoping for a fresh start. And indeed, there’s a new atmosphere, but not a trace of good fortune. Suppressing Beiliang while allowing Guangling to run rampant—this is all his doing. I wonder if he feels any regret. All he’s left for his son, Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan, is the imperial robe and throne, along with this massive mess.”
Xu Weixiong shook her head gravely, “The Zhao family has always excelled at profiting from chaos in the middle game and delivering the final blow decisively. Though they suffered early setbacks, compared to the old Liyang Kingdom that once ruled from a corner, the Zhao court now holds a much larger domain and can afford to lose more. The only difference is that back then, the Xu family served as their vanguard, and though the previous emperor might have been anxious, he outwardly trusted our father and the Xu cavalry. If the current emperor hadn’t been determined to pin the Xu family to the northwestern frontier, how dare Cao Changqing and the Xichu remnants rise up in rebellion? If Beiliang had dispatched just fifty thousand troops to quell the rebellion, would Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenshun have met such disgraceful ends?”
Chu Luoshan said darkly, “That’s just how it is. The Zhao emperor is determined to make enemies of all under heaven. To him, no feudal lords, no newly risen bureaucrats, no local generals are trustworthy. He wants to eliminate all these threats before his death, leaving his son a clean slate. But the chessboard is too small to contain so many powerful pieces. If he succeeds, Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan could indeed become a pleasure-seeking emperor, content with civil governance and untroubled by military affairs. Gu Jiantang has Chen Zhibao to restrain him, and without Zhang Julu, the civil officials will be too busy guessing the emperor’s will to govern effectively. Once peace is restored, the generals will retire, and the bureaucrats will have nothing left to do but flatter the throne. In the Xiangfu era following Yonghui, aside from currying favor with the emperor, there’s truly nothing else for officials to do. And to think Yuan Benxi could scheme so skillfully.”
Xu Fengnian waved his hand dismissively, “Enough of this talk—it changes nothing. Now, regarding Diao Zhuo’s specific troop deployments, aside from Liuzhou, we have no detailed intelligence. Lu Qiu’er, how long do you think Liuzhou can hold off Liu Gui’s army? And how many Beiman border troops can we draw into Liuzhou?”
Chu Luoshan smiled, “With the young prince’s thirty thousand Longxiang cavalry defending Liuzhou, Liu Gui’s disorganized force of a hundred thousand couldn’t take it even if they fought for a hundred years. In this unprecedented war between us and Beiman, future historians will see that in the early stages, no strategy was truly superior or inferior—it all depends on who can accumulate small advantages across multiple battlefields. At present, Diao Zhuo clearly hasn’t focused much on Liuzhou. By sending Liu Gui, the youngest and most promising of the thirteen great generals, he’s trying to prevent Liu Gui from seizing momentum in the future conquest of Zhongyuan. At the very least, he doesn’t want Liu Gui to rise too quickly. What worries me most is if Diao Zhuo launches a full-scale assault on Youzhou, relentlessly battering its defenses, while stationing the elite forces of Tuoba Pusa and Hong Jingyan along the northern border of Liangzhou to tie down our main cavalry.”
Xu Weixiong nodded, “In the short term, attacking Youzhou would be a foolish move for Beiman, but in the long run, it might be the most effective way to preserve their national strength. Beiliang doesn’t have the vast depth of Zhongyuan. Even with some fortified cities in Youzhou and clusters of military strongholds south of the Hulukou Pass, the claim that the Hulukou alone could consume 160,000 Beiman troops is no exaggeration. But if Beiman has the resolve to sacrifice another 100,000 troops, Youzhou would be effectively destroyed. Then we’d have to deploy our main forces from Liangzhou to reinforce Youzhou. Once that happens, whether Liuzhou holds or not becomes irrelevant. This is precisely why Yan Wenluan insisted on sending Yu Luandao with 30,000 light cavalry to Jizhou. He’s determined to use Youzhou as a shield to buy more time and space for Beiliang, but this is a desperate measure. In the end, it’s just a matter of how much we lose. The Liyang court is content to watch, but Beiliang can’t afford such losses.”
Xu Weixiong placed her hands on the stack of Xuan paper resting on her knees and gazed into the distance. “Chu Guardian insists on turning Liuzhou into a stalemate to draw the full attention of Beiman’s northern and southern courts, hoping to divert their border forces. This is also out of fear that Diao Zhuo might focus solely on Youzhou. Over the past decade, Father has poured countless resources into Youzhou, spending vast sums on soldiers and supplies. Even seven years ago, during the raid led by the Jie Jie Ling of Longyaozhou, he deliberately withheld the Liangzhou cavalry from rescuing Youzhou, watching helplessly as three thousand defenders lost city after city to the northern barbarians in a deadly exchange. He did this to instill fear in Beiman’s hearts toward Youzhou’s defenses, hoping that one day, Youzhou wouldn’t become a fatal weakness.”
Chu Luoshan murmured, “Mercy has no place in command.”
Suddenly, he exhaled heavily, “That old woman has spent years consolidating the martial world of Beiman, and now it’s finally paying off. Along the border, martial experts are stationed at every pass and checkpoint, killing anyone attempting to cross, regardless of identity. Many of our long-hidden agents have been unable to relay critical intelligence. This time, the Qijian Leifu and Gongzhufen sects have mobilized en masse to seal off the border, coordinating with Diao Zhuo’s military movements. This move is ruthless indeed. Our Fusui Bureau has suffered heavy losses, with many years of operations in various provinces being uprooted.”
Chu Luoshan, still crouched on the ground, rubbed his face, “That wasn’t the worst of it. Recently, a spy was deliberately released by Beiman, carrying sixteen severed heads of our comrades from the Fusui Bureau. When he saw me, he wept, saying he would rather die than return to Beiliang if it weren’t for the hope of retrieving those heads. That night, he borrowed a Liang knife and took his own life. No last words, no letter, nothing left behind.”
Chu Luoshan muttered bitterly, “Our new Liang knives haven’t even tasted the blood of the northern barbarians, yet they’re already being used by our own people to kill themselves. If we keep swallowing this injustice, I swear my lungs will burst.”
Xu Fengnian remained silent, his hands hidden within the wide sleeves of his purple-gold imperial robe.
With winter’s arrival, the war in Guangling had temporarily subsided, but the winds of war were now gathering over Beiliang.
This winter had yet to see snow.
And no one knew when it would fall.
But the thirty thousand border soldiers, each with a Liang knife at their waist, were ready to draw their blades at any moment.
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