The group walked across the grassy plains of Tianjing Pasture, their boots occasionally sinking into the soft earth, water seeping out around them—a testament to the lush fertility of Longxi’s pastures. As the second-largest horse-breeding region in the Northern Liang, after Xianli Pasture, Longxi enjoyed a unique climate where winter and spring blurred together, and summer seamlessly transitioned into autumn. Since ancient times, it had been the primary source of warhorses for every prosperous dynasty. The Great Feng Dynasty had raised three hundred thousand horses in the eastern and western regions of Longxi, establishing the Longyou Horse Supervision Bureau. Emperor Liu Ze, hailed as a ruler who rivaled the founding emperor of Great Feng, had once requisitioned one hundred sixty thousand warhorses from here for his two northern campaigns.
The aristocratic families of the Northern Mang Longguan were, in fact, descendants of refugees who had fled northward during the chaos of the Great Qin Dynasty eight hundred years ago. Tracing their roots, they were all once subjects of Great Qin, scattered between Longxi and Tong Pass.
Among the group, Zhao Lüyuan, the overseer of Tianjing Pasture, appeared particularly uneasy. Behind him stood five or six figures—some holding official positions, like Colonel Luo Hongcai of the Eagle Battalion, all of whom were among the fourteen most influential colonels of Northern Liang. The only one without an official title was Shi Fu, a former general of the Liangzhou Army who had once served as Liangzhou’s military governor. Unfortunately, due to his close ties to the previous Northern Liang Protector, he had resigned before the new Liang King’s succession. Zhao Lüyuan had no idea whether Shi Fu’s reappearance now signaled his downfall or resurgence.
Zhao Lüyuan’s anxiety stemmed not just from the presence of Xu Fengnian but also from the fact that Tianjing Pasture had only managed to muster fewer than five thousand warhorses for this urgent requisition, with barely six hundred of them being top-tier. This fell far short of the Northern Liang King’s demand. If the king had made this request half a year earlier, Zhao Lüyuan could have easily supplied eight thousand warhorses—even eight thousand elite Northern Liang steeds. But the Northern Liang Protectorate had already drained the pasture of ten thousand horses, leaving these six hundred as his last reserves. He had even clashed with the “imperial envoy” from Huaiyang Pass, accusing him of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. He had even threatened to lodge a complaint with the king’s Qingliang Mountain Wutong Court.
Now, with Xu Fengnian standing beside him, Zhao Lüyuan dared not speak ill of the Protectorate. Instead, he muttered self-deprecating apologies. He wasn’t foolish—everyone in Northern Liang, if not the entire world, knew how close Protector Chu was to the new Liang King. They were practically family, despite their different surnames.
Xu Fengnian walked alongside Zhao Lüyuan, followed by the taciturn Shi Fu, Colonel Luo Hongcai, and others, including Zhao Rongguang, the colonel responsible for Liangzhou’s western defenses. Tianjing Pasture was vast and picturesque, with Longxi’s unique climate—long winters, no summers, and frost even in June—making it far cooler than other regions. Yet, while Xu Fengnian remained expressionless, Luo Hongcai and the others appeared restless, and even Shi Fu, who had been out of the military for nearly two years, frowned deeply.
Xu Fengnian gazed at the fertile grasslands, lost in thought. Since the Great Feng Dynasty expanded into the Western Regions, half of the empire’s warhorses had come from the two Long regions. Many nobles and generals had privately bred horses here, competing in wealth and power. Li Gongde, the Northern Liang’s resourceful strategist, had once proposed lifting the horse trade ban to sell second-tier warhorses to the capital’s elite, generating substantial revenue to ease the region’s tax burden. But Xu Xiao had outright rejected the idea. Even after scholars flocked to Liang, many suggested similar strategies, advocating for horse trade without compromising military reserves. Yet, despite the potential benefits, Xu Fengnian had ultimately shelved the proposal after careful consideration.
Stopping atop a gentle slope, Xu Fengnian surveyed the verdant landscape before suddenly turning to the aging Zhao Lüyuan with a smile. “Master Zhao, this is actually our second meeting. When I was young, I accompanied Xu Xiao here to escape the summer heat. You had just retired from the border army and taken charge of Tianjing Pasture. Back then, the pasture was in ruins, but you vowed to Xu Xiao that within ten years, Longxi would become the empire’s greatest horse-breeding ground. Do you remember promising him that one day, you’d present the finest steed in the world for my coming-of-age ceremony?”
The old man, who had spent his life with horses, trembled with emotion. “Your Highness remembers… How could I forget? Tianjing Pasture has worked tirelessly to breed fine steeds. For years, I’ve tasked border officers and scouts to capture any exceptional wild stallions they find in the deserts and grasslands. Four years ago, we actually received one such steed. But when Your Highness came of age, I feared you had forgotten the promise and hesitated to send it, not wanting to be seen as a sycophant. In the end, I yielded to Vice-Commander Zhou’s insistence and sent it away. Had I known… Ah, I regret it to this day!”
Xu Fengnian chuckled. “It’s fine. The Northern Liang cavalry owes its strength to pastures like Tianjing and Xianli. To this day, how many battles have I truly fought? Even two second-tier horses would suffice for me. A top-tier steed would be wasted on my hands.”
Sensing Zhao Lüyuan’s indignation, Xu Fengnian waved a hand. “You may all leave. I have matters to discuss with General Shi.”
As the others departed, only Shi Fu remained—a man whose career had been fraught with setbacks. Once hailed as one of Liangzhou’s twin jewels alongside Hu Kui, the governor of Youzhou, Shi Fu had been a young but battle-hardened veteran. The title “twin jewels” originally referred to two rising cavalry commanders during the Spring and Autumn Wars—Wu Qi and Xu Pu—before Xu Xiao’s rise to power. Now, one lived incognito in Dunhuang City in Northern Mang, while the other had gone to Western Shu to serve Chen Zhibao.
Chen Zhibao’s departure from Liang and Xu Fengnian’s succession had marked a turning point for Shi Fu and Hu Kui. While the latter rose to prominence as a regional governor, Shi Fu, despite his higher rank, faded into obscurity. Strangely, neither Qingliang Mountain nor the later-established Huaiyang Pass Protectorate had officially dismissed Shi Fu. Even after Chu Lushan took over as Liangzhou’s military governor, military reports continued to be sent to the “retired” General Shi Fu every ten days.
Xu Fengnian spoke softly, “General Shi, Western Shu has dispatched ten thousand elite troops to Guangling Province, with Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongchu serving as deputies under an outsider, Huyan Rou. Meanwhile, at the border between Northern Liang and Western Shu, Chen Zhibao has placed a young man named Che Ye in charge of Shu’s northern gate. What are your thoughts on these two moves?”
Shi Fu’s frown deepened, but he remained silent.
Xu Fengnian waited patiently, seemingly determined to hear the former Shu King’s confidant speak—as a test of loyalty. But Shi Fu clenched his teeth, unwilling to betray Chen Zhibao, who had mentored him. Even if it angered Xu Fengnian, Shi Fu would not cross that line.
When no answer came, Xu Fengnian pressed, “If I said your entire clan of three hundred could safely relocate to Western Shu, would you go?”
Shi Fu hesitated before replying bitterly, “Unlike Wei Fucheng, Dian Xiongchu, or Che Ye—who came alone from Northern Mang—my family is a prominent clan in Liangzhou. Even if I were willing and Your Highness permitted it, many elders would refuse to leave their homeland. This has little to do with whether I could regain power in Shu. Frankly, even if we moved our ancestral tablets there, three of my peers and four nephews serving in the border army would likely stay in Northern Liang. The clan would fracture before even leaving Liang.”
Xu Fengnian smirked. “At least you’re honest.”
Shi Fu smiled wryly. “There’s no point hiding it. I know there have been spies from the Fushui Bureau in my family for years. Not because I’m perceptive, but because Chu Lushan personally ‘confessed’ to me before becoming Protector. These past two years, I’ve barely slept soundly. Ironically, during my border patrols, even deep in Northern Mang territory, I slept better on horseback than I do now in my own bed.”
Xu Fengnian neither confirmed nor denied Chu Lushan’s espionage, shifting the topic instead. “Tianjing Pasture currently has eight hundred White Horse Righteous Cavalry, Luo Hongcai’s three thousand four hundred riders, the local Longxi garrison, and Zhao Rongguang’s two thousand—still short of eight thousand. I can wait only three more days. By then, one of Liangzhou’s eastern gate colonels, Xin Yinma, will arrive with three thousand elite cavalry, barely pushing us past ten thousand. Do you think this force, hastily thrown into Liuzhou’s battlefield, will be a timely rescue or too little, too late?”
Shi Fu countered, “If I speak bluntly, will Your Highness truly listen?”
Xu Fengnian replied coolly, “Speak first. You’re neither a veteran like Yan Wenluan or Chen Yunshui nor a trusted insider like Chu Lushan or Yuan Zuozong. You don’t yet have the right to demand my full attention.”
Shi Fu sighed but spoke slowly. “In my view, this ten thousand won’t be enough to turn the tide in Liuzhou, let alone the broader Northern Liang conflict. If I were Your Highness, I’d go further—dispatch Vice-Commanders Wang Zhi and Huang Xiaokuai from Lingzhou, with Colonel Jiao Wuyi’s forces as the main contingent. Not only should Liangzhou’s cavalry rush to Liuzhou, but Lingzhou’s capable riders should also head north. After defeating Liu Gui’s western army, they must quickly fill the void south of Huaiyang Pass and beyond Liangzhou’s borders…”
Suddenly sensing Xu Fengnian’s killing intent, Shi Fu calmly added, “I didn’t know the full situation before, but after seeing Tianjing Pasture’s depleted numbers, I can guess Your Highness and the Protectorate’s plans. You needn’t worry—I won’t interfere.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, crouching to pluck a blade of grass and chew on it.
Shi Fu continued, “Ultimately, the war between Liang and Mang will see victories and defeats across three fronts—Liangzhou’s borders, Liuzhou, and Youzhou. But the true deciding factor is Liangzhou’s frontier. If we lose there, Northern Liang loses the foundation built by the Great General and Your Highness over two generations. Your Highness’s gamble—sending Commander Yuan’s ten thousand Snow Dragon Cavalry and two heavy cavalry units to Youzhou’s Hulu Pass to crush Yang Yuanzan’s eastern army—is bold and brilliant. But warfare requires both orthodox and unorthodox tactics. Winning battles isn’t enough if we lose the war. History is full of generals who won battles but doomed their kingdoms. Before the decisive battle at Xilebi, the world favored Western Chu, which had won a string of minor victories. But the Great General sacrificed troops to encircle Xilebi, even luring Chu’s elites into secondary battles just to create gaps in their defenses. Commander Yuan’s triumph at Princess Tomb is proof.”
Xu Fengnian abruptly stood. “General Shi, I’m entrusting this ten thousand to you. Within three days, you must lead them to reinforce Qingcang City and the Dragon Elephant Army in Liuzhou.”
Shi Fu froze, bewildered by both the responsibility and why Xu Fengnian wouldn’t lead them himself.
Spitting out the chewed grass, Xu Fengnian said gravely, “This morning’s report: Tiger Head City has fallen. The Northern Mang army presses against Huaiyang, Liuyá, and Fuling.”
Shi Fu paled. “How could Tiger Head City fall so quickly?!”
Xu Fengnian turned northward. “Dong Zhuo is a madman. He dug sixteen tunnels, sacrificing five thousand men—only for us to discover he’d actually dug thirty-eight. Twelve stopped outside the walls, and under relentless assaults…”
He trailed off.
Shi Fu muttered, “That bastard… that goddamn lunatic…”
Xu Fengnian turned back. “I’m heading to Huaiyang Pass immediately. Shi Fu, from this moment, you’re reinstated as Liangzhou’s military governor. Not just this ten thousand—all Lingzhou cavalry entering Liangzhou will be under your command.”
Shi Fu exhaled heavily and clasped his fists. “This general obeys!”
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