An emergency military council was hastily convened at Huaiyang Pass. Apart from Yuan Zuo Zong, who led light cavalry patrolling outside the Hulu Pass, five of the highest-ranking border generals—Yan Wen Luan, He Zhong Hu, Chen Yun Chui, Gu Da Zu, and Zhou Kang—along with the Protector Chu Lu Shan, deputy commanders of the left and right cavalry forces outside Liangzhou Pass, Liangzhou General Shi Fu and Youzhou General Huangfu Ping, as well as the commanders of the four military strongholds—Fu Ling, Liu Ya, Chong Zhong, and Qing Yuan—and over twenty other influential officers like Huang Lai Fu, more than thirty Northern Liang military officers gathered to deliberate. If calculated by the Northern Mang Empress’s standard of counting heads for military merit, anyone who could breach this pass now would truly achieve an unparalleled feat of war.
Xu Feng Nian, who rarely intervened directly in border affairs, called everyone together and proposed a bold strategy far more aggressive than the original plan. It wasn’t just about “Youzhou infantry tilting westward and Lingzhou cavalry tilting northward.” Instead, he intended to make Liuzhou the decisive battlefield for the second Liang-Mang war, its importance even surpassing the yet-to-be-completed Jubei City and the entire frontier beyond Liangzhou. Deputy Commanders He Zhong Hu and Chen Yun Chui opposed the idea, while the relatively younger Zhou Kang, known as the “Brocade Pheasant,” openly supported the young prince’s proposal. Yan Wen Luan and Gu Da Zu remained silent, as this plan was far too risky. Their Northern Liang King was clearly preparing for a head-on, all-out offensive against Northern Mang!
If you throw heavy forces at my Liangzhou frontier, I’ll smash your Southern Court of Northern Mang!
Gu Da Zu, the current deputy commander of Northern Liang’s infantry and once the pillar of Southern Tang, had proposed during the twilight of the Spring and Autumn Wars: “To defend our land, we must fight beyond our borders.” Logically, Xu Feng Nian’s strategy should have appealed to the old general. Yet, after weighing the pros and cons, Gu Da Zu couldn’t help but lower his gaze to the map of the Liang-Mang standoff on the table and said with deep concern, “Your Highness, this move may not be wise. Even if our cavalry in Liuzhou can push deep into the Southern Court’s heartland, north of Jubei City, even with Youzhou infantry reinforcing the defenses at Liu Ya, Fu Ling, and Chong Zhong, we’re still at an absolute numerical disadvantage. No walls can compensate for that. If Yu Luan Dao and Ning E Mei lead their forces westward, the disparity will become even more staggering. Losing Huaiyang Pass and other fortresses isn’t the issue—it’s losing them too quickly, leaving Generals He and Zhou’s cavalry without support. One misstep could unravel everything. Without Jubei City, even if Liuzhou’s cavalry shatters most of the Southern Court, it won’t change the bigger picture.”
Yan Wen Luan, one hand behind his back, pointed at the map. “Let’s look at this differently. Suppose there’s no fighting at Hulu Pass. What if I move all of Youzhou’s infantry—every last man, not just the original thirty thousand—to reinforce Liangzhou’s frontier? Strongholds like Fu Ling and Liu Ya could hold the enemy back more effectively. For instance, I could stay here at Huaiyang Pass, while Gu Da Zu leads troops to reinforce Chong Zhong, and Chen Yun Chui takes Qing Yuan, bridging Liangzhou and Liuzhou. That way, the defensive line north of Jubei City might not be impregnable, but it could buy Liuzhou’s cavalry two to three months…”
Before Yan Wen Luan’s two deputy infantry commanders could speak, Left Cavalry Commander He Zhong Hu interjected urgently, “No, absolutely not! We’re all comrades here, so I’ll speak plainly. If Huaiyang Pass is doomed to fall, how can Liu Ya and Fu Ling hold? Are the three of you planning to hand Northern Mang three chances to ennoble their generals as kings?!”
Here, He Zhong Hu hesitated, glancing at Xu Feng Nian and Chu Lu Shan standing side by side. “Your Highness, it’s not that I underestimate Liuzhou’s young officers. In fact, I admire Kou Jiang Huai, Xie Xi Chui—the so-called ‘Twin Pillars of Western Chu’—as well as Cao Wei and Yu Luan Dao. Given time, I might not even be fit to polish their boots. But this upcoming battle leaves no room for error. Northern Mang’s Dong Zhuo and Huang Song Pu can afford mistakes, but Northern Liang cannot! Those young men are… still too young! Besides, Liuzhou already has the steady Huang Song Pu holding the line. Now that Mount Lantuo has defected, Liuzhou’s cavalry is already stretched thin. Apart from the veteran Longxiang Army, the rest are newly formed units without the Tacit understanding forged through battles. If one link fails, the entire chain could collapse.”
Zhou Kang frowned and suggested tentatively, “If General He is worried about Liuzhou lacking a central figure, why not have Commander Yuan personally oversee the situation?”
Chu Lu Shan shook his head. “Yuan Zuo Zong is indispensable for Liangzhou’s frontier cavalry. We need a cavalry commander who can achieve the impossible—making ‘distant water quench immediate thirst.’ Only Yuan Zuo Zong can do that in Northern Liang, not even me. So Liuzhou’s young cavalry commanders will mostly fight independently, from start to finish!”
Military historians universally credit Yuan Zuo Zong as the decisive hero of the Princess Tomb battle, which determined the outcome of the Xilei Wall showdown. Without his long-distance raid, it’s debatable whether the Central Plains would now be ruled by the Zhao or Jiang families.
Chu Lu Shan once achieved the legendary feat of “a thousand cavalry conquering Shu,” comparable to Lu Sheng Xiang’s “Snow Night Capture of Luzhou,” both hailed as classics of the Spring and Autumn Wars. Yet, neither matches Yuan Zuo Zong’s impromptu raid on Princess Tomb—even Chen Zhi Bao later admitted he realized the battle’s significance later than Yuan. Thus, Xu Feng Nian’s first act as heir was appointing Yuan Zuo Zong as cavalry commander, while Chu Lu Shan nominally held the highest military rank. This Fantasy and Reality Intertwined (solid and nominal pairing) proved wise, stabilizing Northern Liang’s border forces without major upheaval.
Xu Bei Zhi, who had just secretly returned from the Lianghuai Circuit’s administrative office, stood silently in a corner, exhausted from his journey, closing his eyes to rest.
Yan Wen Luan, though small in stature, dominated the room with his presence. He tapped the table with two fingers and turned to ask, “Protector Chu, Cao Wei’s ten thousand cavalry drawn from the border forces, Yu Luan Dao’s ten thousand Youzhou cavalry, Kou Jiang Huai’s mixed Liuzhou recruits, Xie Xi Chui’s six thousand from Linyao and Fengxiang, and Ning E Mei’s replenished Iron Pagoda—five young commanders whose combined ages barely equal two Yan Wen Luan’s—are we really betting they can turn the tide? Are we old men of Liangzhou and Youzhou asking too much of them?”
The crux of the debate lay in whether these young men could shoulder the responsibility and honor the sacrifices of Liangzhou’s border troops. If they couldn’t cripple Northern Mang’s Southern Court or isolate its central army, even killing every official in Western Capital wouldn’t alter the The Big Picture (big picture). As Gu Da Zu said, losing Jubei City would doom undermanned Liangzhou, ending the war.
Chu Lu Shan rubbed his hands and smirked, glancing sidelong at the young prince.
Just as Xu Feng Nian was about to speak, Xu Bei Zhi finally broke his silence. “Back when the Great General led the Xu family army across six states, even Chen Zhi Bao, Chu Lu Shan, and Yuan Zuo Zong were mere youths. Xu Pu, Wu Qi, and even Yan Wen Luan were considered young generals then. That’s why the Liyang Ministry of War sneered about ‘baby officers and twenty-something generals.’ Kou Jiang Huai, Xie Xi Chui, Cao Wei, Yu Luan Dao, and Ning E Mei aren’t armchair strategists. Apart from Cao Wei, all have illustrious records. Even the once-obscure Kou and Xie were trusted by Cao Zhang Qing to command Western Chu’s eastern and western fronts. Why can’t Northern Liang trust them?”
Xu Bei Zhi smiled slyly. “Is it that Liuzhou’s cavalry is too weak? Inferior to Western Chu’s patchwork forces?”
Without waiting for an answer, he stepped forward. “Northern Mang’s Taiping Order’s cautious strategy aims to grind down Northern Liang’s cavalry piecemeal outside Liangzhou. But it also forces us into their game. Frankly, if we choose to slug it out north of Jubei City, everyone here will die—it’s just a matter of when. Instead of planning how to lose less disgracefully or trade our border army for ten or twenty thousand Mang cavalry, we should think about winning—winning so decisively that both Northern Mang and Liyang have no choice but to concede.”
Xu Bei Zhi pointed at the table, his smile vanishing. “The opportunity is here! Right before us!”
Xu Feng Nian looked at him and smiled.
Yan Wen Luan, He Zhong Hu, and the other veteran generals weren’t hotheaded youths. Xu Bei Zhi’s words didn’t stir them recklessly but made them more cautious.
Zhou Kang, known for his aggressive “best defense is offense” stance, chose his words carefully, aware today’s decision might determine Northern Liang’s fate. “Their talent is undeniable. But can leaderless Liuzhou cavalry really outmaneuver Huang Song Pu?”
As the sole civilian official, Xu Bei Zhi did something that amused the roomful of decorated generals—he pointed at the Northern Liang King. “Ask him. Today’s debate is his doing.”
Pale-faced Xu Feng Nian chuckled. “Kou Jiang Huai and Xie Xi Chui’s tactics are well-documented in intelligence reports. One excels in unorthodox strategies, the other in conventional warfare. The turning point in Western Chu’s campaign was when Kou left the battlefield in anger—details aside, their coordinated defense against Yan Zhen Chun, Yang Shen Xing, Lu Sheng Xiang, Wu Zhong Xuan, and Chen Zhi Bao was remarkable. Even as Liyang gained the upper hand, Western Chu held its ground. I look forward to their reunion in Liuzhou.”
Xu Feng Nian added, “If Liuzhou faced Dong Zhuo’s unorthodox tactics instead of Huang Song Pu’s steadiness, I’d share your concerns. My real worry is Xia Na Bo Zhong Tan, who turned Mount Lantuo against us.”
Chu Lu Shan said darkly, “So His Highness prepared a ‘feast’ for Zhong Tan. The ninety Wu family cavalry outside Liangzhou, led by Xu Yan Bing, will head west to ambush him with Cao Wei.”
Xu Feng Nian gazed at the map of Northern Mang’s Southern Court. “Northern Mang’s military is formidable, but its court is riddled with strife. By making Liuzhou the linchpin, I aim to force the conflict between the Yelü and Murong clans, the Southern Court and Northern Court, into the open—preventing the old woman who threatened to sell our heads by weight from suppressing dissent.”
Yan Wen Luan nodded thoughtfully. “An… intriguing approach.”
Then, with a complex expression, he looked at his old comrades. “We’re old. We can still ride, shoot, and kill, but compared to Yu Luan Dao’s generation, we’re past our prime.”
Outside, the autumn wind rose.
The aging general Yan Wen Luan gazed out, murmuring, “Old is old. Let’s give the young one last push.”
Xu Feng Nian addressed the room. “I believe Liuzhou’s youth will surprise us, and I trust you all to hold Jubei City.”
He paused, then pressed his hand firmly on the Liang-Mang map. “If you need one reason: Northern Liang’s cavalry is peerless under heaven!”
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