On the border between the Northern Wilderness and the two Liao regions, a heavily armored cavalry thundered past, almost within sight of the watchtowers of the Liyang border troops.
Leading them was none other than the newly appointed commander of the Northern Wilderness’ eastern front—a legendary figure who, though somewhat akin to the remnants of the Spring and Autumn era who fled north with the Hongjia exodus, was also vastly different. This old man had not settled in the Southern Dynasty but instead roamed the grasslands of the Northern Court alone, much like the Taiping Order’s wanderings through Liyang’s lands. Though nearing fifty, the armored elder still bore little sign of age, his youthful handsomeness faintly discernible. No wonder, over the past decade or so, his romantic escapades had never ceased, to the point where even the Northern Wilderness royal court had heard of an enigmatic old man who had charmed a string of noblewomen. It wasn’t until this man abruptly became the eastern front commander that the entire Northern Wilderness realized—it was him!
Wang Sui!
One of the Four Great Generals of the Spring and Autumn era, alongside Ye Baikui, Xu Xiao, and Gu Jiantang—the youngest and most unrestrained of them all, the Eastern Yue prince consort. Unlike Ye Baikui, who lost his entire kingdom after a single defeat despite countless victories; unlike the Butcher Xu Xiao, who emerged as the ultimate victor but suffered many defeats; and unlike Gu Jiantang, whose reputation was somewhat undeserved—on the battlefields he commanded, Wang Sui was truly undefeated. The fall of Eastern Yue was later blamed on the court’s self-sabotage, falling for Liyang’s schemes of division and stripping Wang Sui of his command. And Wang Sui? He simply stepped down with a flourish and vanished without a trace.
After succeeding Dong Zhuo, Yang Yuanzan, and Liu Gui as the Northern Wilderness’ next front commander, Wang Sui differed from the three in that he had no personal army. Instead, he casually rode an old horse to the border to take up his post. In the faction-ridden eastern front of the Northern Wilderness, Wang Sui neither promoted nor demoted anyone with sweeping strokes, nor did he cozy up to the various military leaders with feasts and drinks. Like an outsider there to watch the show, he remained indifferent to all matters, never interfering in military affairs. *Do as you please*, he seemed to say, as he spent his days wandering idly among the troops, hands clasped behind his back, squinting and hunched. This left the existing factions—some anxious, others resentful—utterly baffled. Soon, the Northern Wilderness warlords grew impatient. *Damn it, if you keep lazing around like this, the emperor might think we’re conspiring to ostracize you, Wang Sui! Then we’ll be unjustly accused—who’ll we complain to?*
So someone proposed that Wang Sui hold a grand border military parade, at least letting him taste the authority of being the eastern front’s supreme commander—as compensation for the old man’s “good sense.”
Thus, today’s spectacle unfolded, with nearly all the Northern Wilderness’ eastern front generals assembled. Yet many veteran border commanders and aging *wanhu* (commanders of ten thousand) watched the man surrounded by his entourage from the corners of their eyes, their lips curling in cold smiles. *Wang Sui’s imposing presence is just for show.*
But even a show is still something. Aside from the elite cavalry hastily cobbled together by various factions, Wang Sui was also accompanied by the Autumn *Nabo* Da Ruzhe Shiwei, the Winter *Nabo* Wang Jingchong, and four or five young *wanhu*.
The Northern Wilderness’ eastern front boasted a nominal strength of 300,000 troops, but in reality, it barely exceeded 200,000. There were twenty-three *wanhu*, and above them, two Northern Wilderness generals whose reputations paled beside Liu Gui and Yang Yuanzan. This was inevitable—while the Southern Dynasty had the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry as a formidable opponent, allowing for occasional hard-fought battles, the tranquil eastern front could only stare down the two “turtles” of Jiaodong Prince Zhao Shui and Gu Jiantang. What military merits could be earned here? Now, under the Taiping Order’s covert directives, the eastern front suffered defeat after defeat, leaving the two generals feeling their dignity had been trampled all the way to Liyang.
Wang Sui suddenly reined in his horse, bringing the entire army to an abrupt halt.
A force of ten thousand cavalrymen transitioning from rapid advance to complete stillness in an instant drew a series of impressed clicks from Wang Sui as he surveyed the scene from horseback. Yet his nonchalant, almost mocking demeanor made it hard to tell if his admiration was genuine. Over the past days, many *qianhu* (commanders of a thousand) who had glimpsed their new commander from afar were left puzzled. *Is this man really one of the Central Plains’ top generals, on par with the Butcher, the old Liang King? Could he just be some fraud from a backwater, here to freeload? Did the emperor make a mistake?*
Wang Sui turned to the two young *nabo* and grinned smugly. “The combat prowess of our Central Plains soldiers has been in decline since the fall of the Dafeng Dynasty. By the late Spring and Autumn wars, it was so dire that three Northern Han infantrymen barely matched one of your cavalrymen. Pitiful, truly pitiful. Honestly, it’s a good thing Liyang took the Central Plains—otherwise, you Northern Wilderness folks might’ve swept south and unified the realm in the chaos. And why did Liyang succeed? Xu Xiao’s Xu Family Army was formidable, yes, but that wasn’t the main reason. It was because Xu Xiao and his army set an example for Liyang, showing its generals one thing: *Oh, so this is how brutally war can be fought, and how men can die!* As the saying goes, *Buddhists fight for incense, men fight for pride*—so Liyang produced a wave of young generals willing to fight and die. What else could they do? Even if they couldn’t match Xu Xiao, they couldn’t lag too far behind, right? Liyang’s first two emperors, whatever their flaws, had sharp eyes. Back in the day, on Eastern Yue’s northern border, I fought Xu Xiao four times—big and small battles alike. Of course, I won every time.”
At this, several *wanhu* in their prime subconsciously swallowed hard, their gazes toward the old man suddenly filled with awe. He seemed to grow taller, his presence overwhelming.
Sunlight glinted off the elder’s armor, dazzling for a moment.
*A man who defeated Xu Xiao! And four times in a row!* Over the past decade or two, which Northern Wilderness general dared claim they could rival the old Liang King? Even the formidable General Liu Gui was only deemed “half a Xu Xiao” by the emperor!
Wang Sui continued, unfazed. “Of course, I always outnumbered him. In the most lopsided battle, I had four thousand men against Xu Xiao’s six hundred. He lost over five hundred.”
The *wanhu* who had just begun to admire the old man nearly dismounted to curse in frustration.
But Wang Sui added leisurely, “If I recall correctly, those six hundred Jinzhou veterans now form the backbone of Northern Liang’s three oldest battalions.”
A chill ran through the crowd.
Wang Sui chuckled. “In the closest battle, I led three thousand against Xu Xiao’s nineteen hundred. I won decisively, losing only six hundred men. Xu Xiao was crushed, his forces decimated again—that’s why he ended up waiting in the rain outside Liyang’s Ministry of War.”
Not just the *wanhu* and the quietly approaching *qianhu*, but even the Autumn and Winter *nabo* listened intently, their hearts stirred.
Wang Sui posed a question to himself. “Was I, Wang Sui, truly a peerless strategist? Among Spring and Autumn generals, perhaps. But anyone who thinks Xu Xiao was incompetent is gravely mistaken. Xu Xiao was the real deal. So what if he lost many battles? He always won the last one—that’s what matters. On the battlefield, don’t emulate Ye Baikui. Learn from Xu Xiao.”
Wang Sui scanned the faces around him, some now familiar, and smiled faintly. “An army isn’t afraid of defeat or death—as long as it has spirit. Even a dead tiger doesn’t topple easily, let alone an army forged from thousands of armored warriors.”
His grin widened. “I don’t know how many of you here are truly willing to die for that old woman. But I do know this: Northern Liang’s three hundred thousand border troops are genuinely ready to die for two men.”
Wang Sui’s gaze sharpened abruptly. “Since arriving on the eastern front, I’ve been lazing around because I don’t give a damn about Gu Jiantang or the two Liao defenses. The army I truly want to fight is the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry!”
His voice dropped low. “Who among you is willing to follow me to take Jizhou, then march to Youzhou and test Yan Wenluan’s infantry?”
The *wanhu* exchanged glances. *Isn’t this a direct challenge to the Southern Court King Dong Zhuo? Doesn’t the commander fear angering the emperor and the Taiping Order?*
Wang Sui reverted to his cavalier tone, smirking. “Seems no one’s interested.”
If this were mere crude provocation, these battle-hardened *wanhu* of the martial Northern Wilderness wouldn’t have been moved, let alone impulsively abandon the eastern front for Jizhou based on an old man’s words.
But the matter was far more complex. Regardless of how Liyang viewed the Liang-Mang conflict, the Northern Wilderness itself was deeply uneasy, yearning for someone to break the deadlock on some battlefield.
Winter *Nabo* Wang Jingchong broke the silence. “General, if someone later questions our actions…?”
Wang Sui snorted. “Question what? If you’re still scared, I’ll say this: I, Wang Sui, will bear all consequences.”
He laughed recklessly. “That said, you spineless lot might take Jizhou—its elites already spent—but can you really face Yan Wenluan in Youzhou? I doubt it!”
Wang Jingchong grinned. “Then shall this subordinate grow a spine for once?”
Wang Sui narrowed his eyes at this Spring and Autumn remnant who had left his homeland young and said slowly, “That… can indeed be arranged.”
Autumn *Nabo* Da Ruzhe Shiwei also chuckled. “Truth be told, what’s between my legs isn’t small. But without lovely women around, I’ve kept it sheathed. Now that we’re talking Jizhou and Youzhou, it’s time to unsheathe the weapon.”
Ignoring the two *nabo*, Wang Sui said, “No rush. You have half a month to weigh the pros and cons, consult your elders if needed. After that, anyone tired of rotting here on the eastern front can come find me. Oh, and bring good wine—I know you’ve hoarded plenty. Fight alongside me, and though I can’t promise you’ll all become generals tomorrow, a promotion isn’t hard.”
He turned east and spat forcefully.
Then the old man turned his horse and rode off slowly.
His gaze drifted toward distant Northern Liang.
*I heard you dabbled in the jianghu out of boredom. Petty jianghu? What does it matter if you can fight ten thousand alone? Can it compare to the clash of armies on the battlefield? To the heroic sacrifice of hundreds of thousands in iron armor?*
*Xu Xiao’s son—how could you be so small-minded?*
*Xu Fengnian, back then, your father lost his Jinzhou veterans to me. If you’ve got the guts, come settle the score.*
*If you lose, accept your fate.*
*If you can still win, then this world should rightfully be yours.*
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