Xu Fengnian led a warhorse from the Youqi Army along the edge of the post road, moving at a leisurely pace. Just as Yang Shenxing had been guarded in his words, Xu Fengnian naturally wouldn’t bare his heart to him either. His next destination wasn’t the heavily pressured Helan Mountain region but Lingzhou, which bore the brunt of the Northern Liang’s tax revenue. The more concealed truth was that Xu Fengnian had already met with Wang Sui. At that time, Xu Fengnian had only brought eight hundred White Horse Righteous Followers, while Wang Sui led the Northern Mang’s Winter Nabu Wang Jingchong and several hundred of his elite private troops. Both sides had detached from their main forces to meet in secret.
Xu Fengnian wasn’t in a hurry to gallop toward Lingzhou. Lost in thought, even after meeting the Northern Mang’s eastern front commander, he still couldn’t decipher what Wang Sui was truly scheming. It had been Wang Sui who initiated the secret meeting, yet when they finally met, he didn’t discuss anything substantial. Their conversation revolved around old tales of the Spring and Autumn era, making it seem more like a distant elder meeting a promising junior. While Wang Sui subtly praised Xu Fengnian, the old man didn’t forget to boast about his own past glories, which left Xu Fengnian exasperated—it reminded him too much of Xu Xiao’s retirement days on Qingliang Mountain. At one point, Wang Sui mocked the declining state of the Liyang court, claiming that each generation of officials and scholars was inferior to the last. He even cursed both Liyang emperors as cowards, saying they only dared to bully the weak rather than confront the Northern Mang head-on. Xu Fengnian didn’t openly agree, but he found the words satisfying. In the end, Wang Sui patted Xu Fengnian’s shoulder with an air of seniority before leaving without another word. The only thing Wang Sui said that truly mattered was that since his western hunting expedition had yielded no gains, the eastern front wouldn’t be eager to provoke Northern Liang anytime soon. Xu Fengnian understood the implication: the Northern Mang’s eastern forces, mostly conservative factions from the grasslands, had no real interest in Northern Liang to begin with. Their focus was on breaking through the Liao defenses to threaten Tai’an City. Wang Sui’s failure at the eastern gate of Youzhou would likely deal a fatal blow to Taiping Ling and Dong Zhuo in the Northern Mang court.
This single statement dissuaded Xu Fengnian from any thoughts of assassination, and he spent the rest of the meeting discussing trivialities with the old man. Thus, his trip to Helan Mountain brought neither surprises nor disappointments. For Northern Liang, battered by the war, no bad news was already good news. As for Yang Shenxing’s arrival as deputy military commissioner, as long as he wasn’t here to sow discord for the court, Xu Fengnian was willing to grant him stability—even help him accumulate achievements to ease his position. The same applied to Han Lin, the economic envoy of the Huai regions.
Such restraint was far from exhilarating and hardly befitting a chivalrous hero.
Xu Fengnian finally mounted his horse. Before urging it forward, he cast a glance eastward.
The tea stall woman sat idly on a bench, watching the scholarly-looking young nobleman ride into the distance. Recalling how he had haggled with her over a few coins, she chuckled. Despite his noble bearing, he was frugal—a rare trait among the privileged.
※※※
Lingzhou’s capital was awash in celebration. The festive atmosphere spread from the top down like a gentle spring rain. The common folk didn’t know why the city had suddenly come alive again, but they speculated it might be due to victories at Liangzhou’s border or Youzhou’s Hulu Pass. Yet, with no official confirmation, no one could be sure. Still, the recent sight of high-ranking officials—especially those from military families—drunk with joy was unusual. Unlike past revelries among peers, this time it was intergenerational, with entire families or allied clans celebrating together. Even rival noble houses, who would normally clash, now passed each other with smiles. As dusk fell, a few riders entered the city just before curfew, heading straight for the residence of Lingzhou’s Deputy Administrator Song Yan. The sharp-eyed gatekeeper noticed these men, though unarmored, carried the distinctive Liang sabers—clearly elite soldiers, not mere retainers. Song Yan hurried out upon hearing the news and was stunned to see Xu Fengnian standing in the street with his horse. Xu Fengnian offered him a spare mount, and the two rode slowly toward the distant governor’s mansion. Song Yan, visibly excited, whispered, “Your Highness, did we truly win?”
Even insiders like Song Yan found the reports from the border hard to believe. Xu Fengnian, for reasons unknown, hadn’t publicized the victories widely. Even high-ranking officials like Song Yan only knew the bare outcomes from sparse intelligence.
Xu Fengnian nodded. “A costly victory.”
Song Yan’s face flushed, his lips trembling. The usually composed scholar was momentarily speechless.
Xu Fengnian sighed. “The war isn’t over, but major battles should cease for half a year. The border troops can rest, but Lingzhou’s workload will only increase.”
Song Yan smiled. “Compared to the other three provinces, Lingzhou remains untouched by war. A little extra work is nothing. Men die on battlefields, but rarely in offices.”
Xu Fengnian hesitated, then said softly, “Xu Beizhi is stepping down as Lingzhou’s governor to replace Tian Peifang as Liangzhou’s governor. But as for his vacant position…”
He trailed off. Song Yan remained silent, neither resentful nor falsely modest.
Xu Fengnian sighed. “Thousands of scholars have come to Liang, yet most hold minor posts. It’s like a rich man tossing coins to beggars—hardly befitting the principle of nurturing talent. Though Song Dongming rose to deputy economic envoy, he’s not truly one of them. Like Xu Beizhi and Huangfu Ping, he’s my personal pick. Now that we’ve won, it’s time to reward these scholars. But with only four provinces, official positions are limited. I can’t dismiss locals to make room. So, I’m offering the Lingzhou governorship as bait. You’d be the ideal candidate, but…”
Song Yan finally spoke bluntly, “If I can’t be Lingzhou’s governor, can I go elsewhere?”
Xu Fengnian replied candidly, “Xu Beizhi replacing Tian Peifang is set. Yang Guangdou is the current governor of Liuzhou, and Chen Xiliang will succeed him. Given Liuzhou’s war-torn state, even if I sent you there, you’d struggle to command respect. As for Youzhou, it’s even more martial than Liangzhou. Hu Kui, eager for battlefield glory, will soon return to the front lines. Sending you there wouldn’t suit.”
Song Yan smiled bitterly. “Then I’ll resign myself to it. At least now I know.”
He understood: Liangzhou, Liuzhou, and Youzhou were closed to him, and Lingzhou’s governorship would likely go to an outsider to appease the scholars. The peaceful Lingzhou, untouched by war, was perfect for literati. Northern Liang might evolve into a stable north-military, south-civilian structure. Song Yan wasn’t a blindly loyal man; he knew ambition required rank. If Zhang Julu had remained a minor clerk, could he have shaped Liyang’s destiny?
Xu Fengnian exhaled softly. “If you can endure three more years, I’ll fulfill my promise. If not… with Yang Shenxing’s arrival, I can release you to Tai’an City.”
He added calmly, “This isn’t a test. Since Xu Xiao’s time, Northern Liang hasn’t played courtly games. We’ve too few scholars to waste. If they bloom elsewhere, we won’t stop them—or cut them down with Liang sabers.”
Song Yan leaned back, swaying with his horse. “If I went to Tai’an, would the emperor deign to explain himself to me? Would he let me stand tall in court? Here, I kneel to no one. A scholar should govern on his feet, not his knees. Besides, my rank isn’t low. Unless the emperor offers me a ministry seat—then I might just throw a tantrum to leave.”
Xu Fengnian laughed. “Dream on. Your daughter’s no temptress, and you’re no Yan Ge.”
Song Yan snorted.
At the governor’s mansion, Xu Beizhi, true to form, didn’t bother greeting Xu Fengnian. The latter and Song Yan headed to the study, where they found the governor buried in paperwork amid a chaotic mess of books. Xu Fengnian began tidying while Song Yan opened a window. Only after the cleanup did Xu Beizhi set down his brush, massaging his wrist. He glanced at Xu Fengnian, who grinned. “Song Dongming and Bai Yu are at each other’s throats in Qingliang Mountain. I need you in Liangzhou to mediate.”
Xu Beizhi said flatly, “And who’ll handle Lingzhou’s mess? Handing it to an outsider to placate scholars is asking for trouble.”
Xu Fengnian shrugged. “What do you suggest?”
“Has Li Gongde offered to resign as economic envoy for Song Dongming?”
“He did, but I refused.”
Xu Beizhi sneered. “Afraid of seeming ungrateful? Or worried about Li Hanlin?”
Xu Fengnian stayed silent.
Xu Beizhi snapped, “Deputy administrator is no small post!”
“But not big enough.”
“Then make Song Yan Liangzhou’s governor. I’ll take a sinecure in Qingliang Mountain—still enough to balance things.”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, glancing at Song Yan, who smirked. “Your Highness, who’d refuse a governorship? And Liangzhou’s is far grander than Lingzhou’s. I won’t lie for you. Besides, if Governor Xu ends up demoted, he’ll resent me. I won’t help you persuade him.”
The tension eased. Xu Beizhi, having vented, asked calmly, “Do you distrust Song Dongming, Bai Yu, or both?”
Xu Fengnian sat. “I don’t distrust anyone. But with you in Qingliang Mountain, I’d feel safer at the border.”
Xu Beizhi stared. “Chen Xiliang refuses to leave Liuzhou. You’re just picking on the easier target.”
Xu Fengnian looked sheepish. Song Yan found their dynamic intriguing—almost like rival wives vying for status.
Xu Beizhi’s expression softened. “Liuzhou’s battle was brutal. Both sides threw everything they had.”
Northern Liang, outnumbered, had committed every available force—the three thousand Dragon-Elephant Army, Liuzhou’s two garrisons, reinforcements from Liangzhou, even hastily assembled private troops from the Western Regions and two thousand monk-soldiers from Mount Landuo. Cao Wei’s hidden cavalry had to turn back to reinforce Liuzhou. The narrow victory hinged on every last soldier. Without any one contingent, Liuzhou would have fallen. Thus, the seemingly peripheral Liuzhou had become the decisive battleground.
Xu Beizhi stood, glaring. “Even with pre-war stockpiling and wartime ‘borrowing,’ if Liyang restricts grain shipments, our next battle will cost tens of thousands more lives. What will you do?”
Xu Fengnian sat silently for a long moment. “After I leave this study, I’ll go to Tai’an City.”
Song Yan paled.
Xu Beizhi slammed the desk. “You might stomach the humiliation, but Northern Liang won’t! The souls of Liu Jinü, Wang Lingbao, Tian Heng, and countless others won’t!”
Xu Fengnian rose and left without a word.
Song Yan sighed.
Xu Beizhi shouted after him, “Northern Liang’s cavalry held off a million Northern Mang troops! Would taking Liyang’s Huai regions be so hard?!”
The unyielding figure didn’t turn back.
In the dim corridor, his back seemed slightly bent.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage