Ning Emei’s meteoric rise from a low-ranking officer of the sixth rank in the Fengzi Battalion to a deputy general of the third rank in the elite Tiefutu cavalry was undoubtedly due to his proximity to Xu Fengnian. This time, being the first to meet the young prince in the courtyard, though unexpected, was reasonable, as Ning Emei represented the young generals whom Xu Fengnian had exceptionally promoted in recent years. Xu Fengnian’s favor toward Ning Emei was deliberate, a move clearly visible to others. Following closely behind were Chen Yun Chui and Zhou Kang, the two highest-ranking deputy commanders in the Zhongzhong military town, their visit appearing much more conventional.
Xu Fengnian then received Qi Dangguo, Yuan Nan Ting, and others, concluding with a meeting with several officers stationed long-term in Zhongzhong. Throughout these tightly scheduled discussions, Xu Fengnian remained composed and measured. The Zhongzhong generals, unfamiliar with the young prince’s temperament, attempted bold declarations of loyalty, only to be met with a dismissive smile and a swift change of topic. As they left, these warriors, long removed from the traditional politics of Northern Liang, were left uneasy, fearing they had misstepped. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian personally escorted them to the courtyard gate, easing their worries.
This caution was not unwarranted. Since Xu Fengnian’s ascension, whispers of the new Liang King’s “dual tactics of withholding favor and bestowing rewards” had circulated among the frontier army’s upper echelons—with the former directed precisely at these frontier generals. Take Zhong Hongwu, the Huaihua Grand General who treated Lingzhou as his personal garden—did he not meet an untimely end? Even Yan Wenluan, the formidable general entrenched in Youzhou, had his influence curtailed, his elite Tiger Pounce Battalion disbanded, and Yu Luandao groomed to replace Tian Heng as the new cavalry commander. The reassignment of Tian Peifang, Yan Wenluan’s loyal subordinate, and the appointment of the less factional Hu Kui, alongside the earlier placement of Huangfu Ping, signaled a deliberate dilution of Youzhou’s military and political power.
And what of Gu Dazu’s strained relations with entrenched figures like Zhou Kang and Chen Yun Chui? Could this be without Xu Fengnian’s tacit approval? Otherwise, how could an outsider like Gu Dazu, with only a few years in the frontier army, speak so boldly in Zhongzhong’s council hall? The return of veterans like Wei Tieshan, Liu Yuanji, and Lin Doufang would further fragment the authority of Zhou Kang and Chen Yun Chui.
Yet, with or without Xu Fengnian’s presence, Zhongzhong was a world apart. Whether the shrewd Liang King would seize the opportunity to purge the left and right cavalry of Liangzhou mattered little. As long as he remained in that courtyard, even without issuing direct orders, the upcoming battle could be fought.
Among the courtyard’s many visitors, only one significant figure was missing—Gu Dazu.
Xu Fengnian ultimately chose not to summon him, resigning himself to the inevitable rift between Gu Dazu and the local generals like Zhou Kang. This schism, unlike the factional strife of court officials, stemmed from irreconcilable differences in vision—akin to the final divergence between Liyang’s Huan Wen and Zhang Julu. Such rifts were harder to mend.
Alone in the now-silent courtyard, Xu Fengnian paced slowly. Wang Sui’s unexpected westward advance with the Northern Mang’s elite eastern cavalry had placed Northern Liang in an awkward position—a twist of fate. Yan Wenluan had to divert troops to guard Youzhou’s eastern gate, fearing chaos in Lingzhou. This would allow several key Northern Mang figures to slip through the Hulu Pass—perhaps Zhong Tan’s private army, Hong Jingyan’s Rou Ran cavalry, or even the commander-in-chief Yang Yuanzan himself. Yet, even if Dong Zhuo realized the dire situation and rushed reinforcements, the fate of the Northern Mang’s eastern forces was sealed. Yang Yuanzan would reap the consequences of dismantling the Wo Gong and Luan He garrisons—without these defensive strongholds, the Northern Liang cavalry and Youzhou infantry would strike a fatal blow.
The Hulu Pass was decided; the question now was how many Northern Mang leaders Yuan Zuozong and Yu Luandao could capture.
Next, Gu Jian Tang would take the offensive, while Cai Nan and the border armies of Heji would block Wang Sui’s retreat. This opportunity for merit was unmistakably Northern Liang’s gift to Liyang’s northern front—though the capital would surely ignore it, focusing instead on Liangzhou’s fallen Tiger Head City. The newly appointed Huai Governor Han Lin had hinted at the court’s push for military governors—a trend now unstoppable. Though initially limited to deputy governors in princely territories, this move aimed to curb the power of warlord princes. The likely candidate for Northern Liang’s deputy governor? None other than Yang Shenxing, disgraced in Guangling.
Xu Fengnian murmured Yang Shenxing’s name.
Once a powerful warlord in Jizhou, Yang Shenxing had spent the past year in disgrace. His desperate bid to become Northern Liang’s deputy governor was a gamble—both to redeem himself with the emperor and to aid his son, Yang Huchen, the new deputy general of Jizhou. All parties knew this role, whether as governor or deputy, held little real power. Perhaps Yang Shenxing had already resigned himself to death.
From Yang Shenxing, Xu Fengnian’s thoughts turned to the tangled web of Jizhou, then to the broader complexities of Liangliao and Northern Liang itself. The unseen daggers of court politics were deadlier than any battlefield. Jizhou alone involved Cai Nan, the nominal military leader of Huai; Yuan Tingshan, who still commanded the Yanbao Li family’s elite cavalry; Han Fang, the emperor’s ally; Yang Huchen, representing a family’s return to power; the newly enfeoffed Han King; and the bureaucratic interests behind Han Lin. Liangliao, even vaster, was a four-way struggle between Gu Jian Tang, Xu Gong, the veteran Prince Zhao Sui, and the traditional northern scholar faction led by the Peng family. Each figure, seemingly powerful, was in truth constrained.
Xu Fengnian found himself at the courtyard wall, pressing his palm against it and gazing upward.
The empire teetered on the brink.
Recent intelligence and secret court bulletins revealed the Western Chu’s sweeping victories in Guangling. After Cao Changqing’s naval triumph over Zhao Yi, three young Western Chu commanders—Pei Sui, Xie Xichui, and Xu Yunxia—had shattered the southern advance of Wu Zhongxuan’s forces. Xu Yunxia’s lightning raids severed two critical supply lines, disrupting Liyang’s four-pronged encirclement of the Western Chu capital and carving out vital strategic depth. Zhao Yi’s elite mountain troops, isolated and outmaneuvered, were decimated by Cao Changqing’s forces. Only Lu Shengxiang’s daring cavalry thrust into the southeastern front saved Zhao Yi from becoming the second Liyang prince to die in battle.
Though the Western Chu seemed unstoppable, Xu Fengnian knew this was but the fleeting brilliance of a dying flame. Lu Shengxiang’s recapture of Yinma and Yangying was merely a prelude. Once this former vice-minister fully commanded the southern campaign, none but Cao Changqing could halt his advance. Wu Zhongxuan’s stalemate in the north was precisely what the Yan Prince Zhao Bing desired. Xu Yunxia’s next true foe would be Wang Tongshan, Zhao Bing’s fiercest general.
Xu Fengnian smirked. “Poor little beggar, you’re suffering too. Wu Zhongxuan has fully defected to the court—what can you offer him now? The court, though, can grant him titles, honors, even a posthumous epitaph. No wonder you had to cut ties and watch the Western Chu stab him in the back.”
He withdrew his hand, tapping the wall lightly. The sound was dull.
Today, Northern Liang clashed with the Northern Mang’s million-strong army. Zhao Yi, once the wealthiest prince, had exhausted his reserves against the Western Chu. The late Prince Zhao Heng had traded his life for his son’s inheritance. Prince Zhao Ying was the first Liyang prince to die in battle since the Spring and Autumn era. Prince Zhao Sui of Liaodong had lived cautiously for decades. And Zhao Bing, once second only to Northern Liang in military might, had lost Wu Zhongxuan and his northern troops to the court—a devastating blow.
All this was the design of the late Emperor Zhao Dun, Yuan Benxi, and the former Grand Chancellor Zhang Julu.
The current emperor had no hand in it.
Xu Fengnian sneered at the wall. “Zhao Zhuan, you’re a far cry from your father. Once you’ve spent the Yonghui legacy, do you truly believe you can control this empire? Gu Jian Tang, Chen Zhibao, Lu Shengxiang, Zhao Youling, Yin Maochun—which of them will bow to your whims?”
Then he fell silent, asking himself, “And what of me?”
No answer came.
※※※
At that moment, Gu Dazu strode into the courtyard, his voice trembling with excitement. “Your Highness! Two messages—”
Xu Fengnian smiled. “Two? Give me the bad news first, then the good to soothe it.”
Gu Dazu laughed. “Apologies, Your Highness—both are glorious news!”
From Liuzhou: Xu Longxiang, Kou Jianghuai, and Shi Fu led five thousand cavalry to Qingyuan!
From Youzhou: Aside from the missing Zhong Tan and Hong Jingyan’s fleeing Rou Ran cavalry, forty-six Northern Mang generals, including Grand General Yang Yuanzan, had perished!
Sixteen towering jingguan stood in the Hulu Pass!
※※※
In the second year of Xiangfu, against overwhelming odds and the fall of Liangzhou’s Tiger Head City, Northern Liang’s three border armies, with over a hundred thousand dead, shattered the Northern Mang’s three hundred and fifty thousand.
The Northern Liang cavalry reigned supreme.
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