All banquets must come to an end. Zhao Ningshen was eventually persuaded by Bai Yu to descend the mountain. With Bai Yu’s poor eyesight, he didn’t escort Zhao far. At their parting, Bai Yu suggested that Zhao consider seclusion at Difei Mountain, where the evil dragon had been slain, for his next phase of cultivation. He also cautioned Zhao to keep Longhu Mountain out of the brewing storm for now. With Zhao Danping, the “Green-Word Prime Minister,” backing the Heavenly Master’s residence in Tai’an City, the Liyang court wouldn’t push the Heavenly Master’s residence too hard. Zhao Ningshen remained visibly troubled, clearly uneasy about the White Lotus Scholar being held hostage in Northern Liang. Bai Yu, however, was unfazed and offered a few words of comfort, remarking that whether Xu Fengnian and Northern Liang could even cross the river was uncertain, let alone dismantling the bridge—it was far too early for that.
After Zhao Ningshen descended alone, Xu Fengnian, who had to change into clean robes once more, appeared beside Bai Yu. Zhao’s journey to Difei Mountain, the foremost blessed land of Daoism, was part of a private deal between him and Bai Yu. Longhu Mountain had schemed against the Xu family three times: first by tampering with the old locust tree at the Xiaguan Post in the capital to siphon fortune, second when the seemingly childlike Heavenly Master personally attempted to kill Xu Fengnian, and now with Zhao Ningshen exhausting his golden lotus to manipulate flying swords. Xu Fengnian wasn’t one to let such offenses slide just because Bai Yu remained in Northern Liang to assist in governance. If not for the sake of Zhao Xituan, Huang Man’er’s master, Xu Fengnian would have ensured Zhao Ningshen left Northern Liang with more than he bargained for.
Bai Yu gazed down the mountain path, his poor vision long having lost sight of Zhao Ningshen, and murmured, “As Your Highness said, Difei Mountain is not only a Daoist blessed land but also the vital point where the Liyang Zhao dynasty, rising from the north, suppresses the southern realm. Zhao Huangchao, who secluded himself at Longhu Mountain, failed at the last moment—first his black dragon was wounded by Li Yufu, the Wudang Sect Leader, and then he himself was slain by Your Highness. Now, with Zhao Ningshen quietly entering the still-forbidden Difei Mountain, it’s tantamount to undermining the Liyang imperial family. No one else could pull this off—only Zhao Ningshen is suited. First, he shares the Zhao surname, giving him proximity. Second, he carries the fortune of an entire sect. Moreover, the northern Liyang qi practitioners are nearly extinct, their last remnants exhausted in the Dongyue Sword Pool’s sword-forging, making it hard for them to detect this move.”
Xu Fengnian chuckled, “So the Zhao emperor can scheme, but I, Xu Fengnian, can’t give him a taste of his own medicine? When you first descended the mountain, Bai Yu, you didn’t seek an audience with the emperor but privately met with the Southern Frontier heir, Zhao Zhu. Meeting the flood dragon instead of the true dragon—isn’t that a bid to become a dragon-slaying hero and rise as a minister of the dragon?”
The White Lotus Scholar smiled faintly, “But now I’m trapped in Northern Liang for two full years. Even if I succeed, the glory of turning a flood dragon into a true dragon will be greatly diminished. Doesn’t Your Highness have anything to offer?”
Xu Fengnian turned his head with a playful smirk, “That’s hardly fair, Master Bai. Right now, Zhao Zhu is constantly hindered by Wu Zhongxuan, the Southern Frontier’s top general. The troops he can barely mobilize are the two or three thousand cavalry that first went north to quell rebellions—most of which were borrowed from Wu Zhongxuan. What can you do at Zhao Zhu’s side now, besides staring at each other? Timing is everything. I’m thinking of your benefit. Once you’ve built enough prestige in Northern Liang, Zhao Zhu will naturally entrust you with greater responsibilities.”
Bai Yu sighed wryly, “So I should thank Your Highness for your thoughtful consideration?”
Xu Fengnian grinned, “We’ll be under the same roof for the next two years. No need for thanks—it’s too vulgar!”
As they returned to the thatched cottage, Bai Yu spoke up, “Your Highness, brief me on Northern Liang’s situation so I’m not blindsided when I meet Deputy Chief Administrator Song at Qingliang Mountain. My failing eyes are nearly useless now.”
Xu Fengnian momentarily spaced out, inexplicably recalling the blind chess master Lu Xu from Yongzi Alley in Qingzhou. After successfully helping Zhao Xun secure his position as the Prince of Jing’an and orchestrating the thousand-li rescue in Guangling, earning Zhao Xun praise and the court’s trust, Lu Xu caught the emperor’s attention and was summoned to Tai’an City. Despite Xu Fengnian’s offer, Lu Xu chose to go to the capital—a puzzling decision.
Shaking off his thoughts, Xu Fengnian explained, “With Liu Jinu overseeing Hutou City’s defenses, we’re fortunate. Holding out for another half-year isn’t an issue, provided Huaiguan’s three garrisons—Liuya, Fuling, and Tantai—don’t divert troops. If Liucang City in Liuzhou or Xiaguang City in Youzhou is in crisis, any frontline collapse could endanger all three. We’d then have to deploy stationed forces like Jiao Ying Colonel Luo Hongcai or Pearl Colonel Huang Xiaokuai, but until our new city north of Liang is completed, large-scale troop movements and supply logistics would be overwhelming. We might end up too exhausted to respond, and still fail to douse the fire. So while we hold the upper hand on the battlefield, behind the scenes, it’s at best a stalemate. At Hulu Pass, Xiaguang City is the last major frontier fortress. Yan Wenluan has sworn to Qingliang Mountain and the Protectorate that if Xiaguang falls before Hutou City, Deputy Commander Chen Yunhui will deliver his head to Huaiguan.”
Xu Fengnian exhaled slowly, his expression grave. “The Northern Barbarians likely didn’t expect Liangzhou and Youzhou to become such a deadlock. They’re desperate to break it, which is why the Southern Court Prince Dong Zhuo recently sent tens of thousands of his private troops from Hutou City’s north to Liuzhou. Fortunately, Chu Lushan anticipated this and pinned down Dong’s cavalry with eight thousand riders. Otherwise, Liuzhou’s fate would’ve been dire. This unpublicized battle was the most intense since the war began. Though casualties were relatively light, had Chu Lushan failed to preserve his forces while denying Dong’s cavalry a swift breakthrough, even sacrificing all eight thousand to eliminate twenty thousand of Dong’s riders would’ve left ten thousand to infiltrate Liuzhou. Once united with Liu Gui’s forces and Tuoba Pusa’s elites, Liuzhou would’ve been lost, leaving Liangzhou’s western gates wide open for the barbarians. Our new city would’ve been impossible, and the Northern Barbarians could’ve launched a full assault on Huaiguan. But now, with Kou Jianghuai, the rising star of Guangling, as Liuzhou’s new general, reinforcements have reached Qingcang City.”
Bai Yu murmured, “So Commander Chu is truly Dong Zhuo’s nemesis. Had Chu not thwarted Dong in the first Liyang-Northern Barbarian war, Dong might’ve become the youngest Great General in their history. Now, with Chu leading eight thousand riders like divine intervention, Dong has failed again.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, joking, “Of the two fat men—Chu of the South and Dong of the North—ours is fatter, so he’s got the upper hand in fights.”
Bai Yu suddenly sighed with genuine emotion, “I never imagined I’d one day stand alongside legends like Liu Jinu, feared even by the Northern Barbarians; Chu Lushan, the scourge of the Spring and Autumn Era; Yan Wenluan, Northern Liang’s infantry commander; and Gu Dazu, the former Southern Tang’s foremost figure.”
Xu Fengnian laughed heartily, “You’ll get used to it. Having grown up here, I don’t share your awe.”
Bai Yu whispered, “What if one day I grow too attached to leave?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, “Unlikely.”
Bai Yu quickly grasped his meaning—Northern Liang’s odds were slim. Whether he wished to stay or not, circumstances might force him to flee south with other scholars, leaving behind a blood-soaked battlefield. Besides, his ambition lay in the civil court, not military glory. His earlier words were mere sentiment. He nodded, “True enough.”
Approaching the cottage, Bai Yu asked, “Is there a map of Northern Liang’s terrain inside? The Heavenly Master’s residence had a few, but they were outdated and crude, excluding Liuzhou.”
Xu Fengnian led his newly acquired advisor inside, unfurling a map on the table. As dusk fell, he lit an oil lamp. Bai Yu hunched over the table, quizzing Xu Fengnian on border garrisons and troop distributions, even jotting notes with brush and ink. While scholars could theorize about the world from afar, practical strategies required intimate knowledge—especially in Northern Liang, where talents lurked everywhere. To contribute meaningfully, Bai Yu needed a firm grasp of military affairs, lest he embarrass himself before seasoned officials like Song Dongming or Li Gongde.
Xu Fengnian leaned opposite him, murmuring, “After Gu Dazu, the father of strategic theory, joined Northern Liang, my mentor Li Yishan collaborated with him to divide our defenses into fourteen key zones. Stationed commanders like Jiao Ying Colonel Luo Hongcai, overseeing one such zone, outrank peers like Huang Xiaokuai. After Chen Xiliang’s reshuffle, most new commanders are in their prime, some under thirty, their families long loyal to Northern Liang and eager for battlefield glory. They cherish their forebears’ legacy, making them reliable. Recent academy debates accuse me of favoring military lineage over scholars, but with the barbarians at our gates, I’ve no choice but to trust these men.”
Setting down his brush, Bai Yu traced the map with ink-stained fingers and asked casually, “Is Xu Beizhi, the Governor of Lingzhou, responsible for Liuzhou’s grain supplies?”
Xu Fengnian pondered the subtext but found none and nodded, “You’ve surely heard his nickname. We’ve been buying grain from neighboring regions openly. Many ‘cowardly’ families fleeing Northern Liang are actually Fushui Fang spies, aiding greatly in procurement. Liangzhou and Youzhou are self-sufficient, so Liuzhou’s supplies aren’t yet critical.”
He smirked, “If Liyang cuts off our grain, we’ll simply take it—or ‘borrow’ it. Whether from Huaidong, guarded by Cai Nan’s hundred thousand troops, or Chen Zhibao’s Western Shu, I’ll dare it!”
After Yin Changgeng’s mediation, Han Lin’s appointment as Huaidong’s Chief Administrator was a minor boon. Playing good cop to Northern Liang’s bad cop, Han Lin could have all the scholarly prestige and imperial loyalty he wanted—Xu Fengnian didn’t care for reputation. As for Chen Zhibao’s ambitions and Xie Guanying’s schemes, Xu Bing was stationed at Lingzhou’s southern border with his junior Han Laoshan. Without Chen Zhibao present, Western Shu’s northern gates wouldn’t stop Northern Liang’s ‘borrowing.’
Bai Yu studied Liuzhou’s vast expanse and asked, “Yang Yuanzan attacked Hulu Pass’s natural defenses, taking Wogong and Luanhe. Yet Liu Gui, whom the Northern Barbarian Empress trusts more, has idled in Liuzhou, forcing Tuoba Pusa’s intervention and Dong Zhuo’s private troops. Is Liu Gui, hailed as half a Xu Xiao, truly so inept?”
Xu Fengnian explained, “Liuzhou lacks natural defenses, forcing open battles. Liu Gui’s numerical superiority—three thousand private troops, four southern forts, three infantry divisions from southern nobles, and eight thousand Qiang cavalry—was nullified when the Qiang were annihilated by the Dragon Elephant Army. With Qingcang City’s fate secondary to cavalry battles, Liu Gui dares not act rashly against our thirty thousand Dragon Elephants.”
Bai Yu mused, “Hesitation is wise, but a single decisive strike is key.”
Xu Fengnian frowned, “We’ve debated Liu Gui’s potential tactics extensively at Huaiguan.”
Bai Yu, leaning too close to the lamp, adjusted it and nodded, “Naturally. With Chu’s success, Kou Jianghuai’s arrival, and Liuzhou’s capable leadership, our position seems stronger than Liangzhou or Youzhou’s. But precisely for this reason, Liu Gui will act. His patience suggests he’s waiting for Dong Zhuo and Yang Yuanzan’s fronts to falter…”
He shook his head, correcting himself, “No—he’s definitely waiting.”
Xu Fengnian fell silent.
Bai Yu looked up, eyes gleaming, and asked gravely, “What if Liu Gui sacrifices sixty thousand infantry to bait us into attacking Qingcang, discarding his mixed cavalry to preserve only his elite riders and Tuoba Pusa’s forces? Could the Dragon Elephant Army resist the lure? Even if they could, could Kou Jianghuai? If either takes the bait, would the other have the resolve to abandon them?”
He fixed Xu Fengnian with a stare, “Has Northern Liang received any intelligence about the Northern Barbarian Empress reprimanding Liu Gui, or southern ministers condemning his inaction?”
Xu Fengnian’s heart clenched.
Bai Yu set down the lamp and said flatly, “Then Your Highness must spare no effort to reinforce Liuzhou.”
Silence filled the cottage, broken only by the occasional crackle of the lamp’s wick.
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