Night had long fallen over the Left Prime Minister's residence in Western Jin. Only now did the Left Prime Minister finally set down the official document in his hands and look toward the map of Western Jin hanging on the opposite wall.
Among the southern commanderies, two had already changed colors, their territories mostly seized by the State of Zhao after the garrisons collapsed upon first contact. At this very moment, the various princes and princesses of Zhao commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, advancing along separate axes and striking in concert to tear down Western Jin's cities one after another.
The Left Prime Minister found the coloration of those two commanderies exceptionally glaring and could not help narrowing his eyes, yet he could think of no viable solution.
Just then, the steward entered, presented an urgent letter, and said, "Master, an urgent dispatch from Xiangrong Commandery!"
The Left Prime Minister broke the seal and read it. In an instant, his long brows bristled. "Commandery Governor Zhuang Zhong is missing, and the kin of dozens of capital officials have had their homes raided? What monstrous audacity this Wei Yuan possesses!"
Regaining his composure, the Left Prime Minister instructed, "Send someone to the Right Prime Minister's residence. Tell him we shall attend court a quarter of an hour early tomorrow; this old man has matters to discuss with him."
Early the next morning, before the sky had even lightened, the Left Prime Minister's carriage had already rolled out through the gates on its way to the palace. Upon arriving outside the palace gates, he saw that the Right Prime Minister's carriage was already waiting there.
The Left Prime Minister entered the palace at an unhurried pace and proceeded to the antechamber reserved exclusively for senior grand secretaries. Sure enough, the Right Prime Minister sat inside, with no third person present in the room.
Silver-white charcoal sticks burned glowing red, filling the chamber with genial warmth. The Left Prime Minister took his seat and cut straight to the chase: "It seems Wei Yuan's actions in Xiangrong Commandery have spilled over to you as well?"
Stroking his beard, the Right Prime Minister replied, "My granddaughter's husband and his entire household were dragged off to the Southern Military Affairs Camp, and there is still no word of them. The moment I received the news, I immediately dispatched men to Wei Yuan to demand their release. And guess what? Wei Yuan actually demanded that this old man write a letter in my own hand, sign it, and affix my seal, saying he would only release them once the letter arrives."
The Left Prime Minister gave a cold huff. "Wei Yuan is banking on the Zhao invasion, knowing the court must rely on him to hold the line, which is why he dares to act so lawlessly. You have overseen military affairs for many years—apart from him, does the imperial court truly have no one else at its disposal?"
The Right Prime Minister sighed. "Lü Wenbai, the military commissioner of Yunxiang, already fought one battle with Zhao's army. It ended in a crushing defeat with twenty thousand troops lost, and now he has curled back into a shell to stubbornly defend the two commanderies of Yunxiang, paying no heed to the outside world no matter how completely it gets turned upside down. Wei Yuan, on the other hand, marched into Xiangrong Commandery and established a defense line across three commanderies. Last time, Zhao's army of two hundred thousand was wiped out completely by Qingming. This time, I fear the southern theater will still have to depend on Wei Yuan. Unless Prince Ying or Prince Cheng leads an army south."
The Left Prime Minister pondered for a moment, then said, "As for Prince Cheng's injury, there is no telling whether it is genuine or feigned. But the northern border army cannot easily be moved south, and Prince Ying can be moved least of all. It seems we must endure this for a while longer."
The Right Prime Minister nodded. "Once the dust settles from the war with Zhao, it will not be too late to settle accounts with him."
The Left Prime Minister asked, "What about that grandson-in-law of yours—"
The Right Prime Minister said indifferently, "Just a piece of useless trash; let him fend for himself. My granddaughter is still young; we can simply find her another when the time comes."
Just then, the resonance of a bronze bell drifted in; the hour of the morning audience had arrived. The two grand ministers proceeded into the hall together.
***
Within the royal palace of Zhao, the King of Zhao sat high upon his throne, deliberating on campaign strategies against the State of Jin.
"Has Jin's Northern Legion still made no move?" the King of Zhao asked.
The Minister of War stepped forward from the ranks and answered, "Heavy snow has blanketed the north, and the Liao Clan's offensive has slowed, yet the Northern Legion shows no sign of marching south. It is truly difficult to comprehend."
The King of Zhao frowned. After a moment, he commanded, "Make the two commanderies of Yunxiang our primary axis of assault. I want to see if that old dog Lü can still keep his composure once those two commanderies are battered to pieces!"
Military matters were discussed until midday before the court finally adjourned.
Returning to his study, the King of Zhao summoned Li Chengfeng alone and asked, "Do you know why I slowed our pace and sought by every possible means to draw their Northern Legion south?"
Li Chengfeng replied respectfully, "Western Jin excels at defending cities, and Yingdu is among the world's most formidable fortresses. Our Zhao army, however, excels at field warfare, capable of sweeping across tens of thousands of li without dispersing its martial aura. If Jin's Northern Legion marches south, it forfeits the advantage of fortified cities; facing our Great Zhao elites in open terrain, it will surely be defeated. But if they dig in and defend their strongholds, it will prove exceedingly troublesome."
The King of Zhao nodded. "Your reasoning is sound, but you have put the cart before the horse. The foundation of Jin does not lie in the southern commanderies, nor in Yingdu, but in the 1.2 million stalwart soldiers of the Northern Legion. So long as we lure that legion south and swallow it up—even if we only devour half of it—we snap Western Jin's spine. Without elite soldiers, any fortified city is mere window dressing. If the Northern Legion remains unscathed, then even if I conquer the entire south of Western Jin, I could be driven back to Zhao at any moment. Furthermore, if that army suffers no losses, Eastern Jin, Southern Qi, and Ji will all glare at us hungrily, poised to intervene at any time."
"Your son has learned much."
The King of Zhao was very pleased. "You have grown remarkably fast over these past two years, making me see you in a new light. Those two hundred thousand new troops of yours have been trained well, too. It is just that quite a few unfamiliar faces seem to have appeared in the two commanderies you administer on my behalf?"
Li Chengfeng answered at once, "Those are Qingming's people, surveying ley lines and mining ore in the two commanderies. I took over a hundred thousand sets of equipment on credit from Qingming and agreed to repay them with the mineral yield."
"A fine trade. You may continue it going forward. But remember: keep your priorities straight."
"Your son understands."
"Go on. You may seek out combat opportunities on your own and see if you can harvest any gains."
Li Chengfeng was overjoyed, yet his heart tightened at the same time. The King of Zhao had granted him freedom of action, but with that came full responsibility for every move. Should he suffer a defeat, the throne would likely be forever beyond his reach.
Li Chengfeng departed the Zhao palace. From start to finish, neither father nor son had spoken a single word about Wei Yuan. As for the strategic significance of the Northern Legion, Li Chengfeng had actually known it all along—he had simply not dared to utter it.
***
Wei Yuan strolled through Hanyang Pass. He had visited this city countless times. Its frontier defenses were growing slacker by the day, yet the place flourished all the more because of it. Bustling with people, both sides of the avenues were packed with shops and stalls hawking goods procured from Qingming. Pedestrians came and went, weaving through teahouses and taverns. The pass had become a hub for goods traded between Qingming and Jin, gradually shedding the stern aura of a formidable fortress in favor of the bustling warmth of mortal life.
From a modest eatery ahead of Wei Yuan, Xu Lanshan emerged and waved to him. Wei Yuan followed her inside, where the table was already laden with local snacks. Foregoing any pretense of ceremony, Wei Yuan joined Xu Lanshan in burying his head to eat heartily.
After clearing the entire table in one breath, Xu Lanshan ordered another spread. The shop was crowded with peddlers and laborers; none of them could have imagined that right beside them sat a formidable newly advanced Scenery Command cultivator and a military commissioner of the Great Tang.
Between bites, Xu Lanshan asked, "What brings you to see me?"
Wei Yuan swallowed a steamed bun in a single gulp, straightened his neck, and forced it down whole before speaking: "When are your people pulling out of Hanyang and Huangping Commanderies? The king has already promised them to me; your family's Old Immortal shouldn't have any objections, right?"
Xu Lanshan was gnawing on a crispy-skinned chicken leg, shredding the meat off with her gleaming white teeth. "Ancestor Immortal wouldn't bother speaking up over such a trifle. But some elders down below have deep interests in those two commanderies, and they are unwilling to withdraw."
"Then I'll just have to attack."
"Go ahead and attack, then."
"That would look a bit unsightly for everyone's dignity. How many men do you currently have in the north?"
"Three hundred thousand."
Wei Yuan nodded. For the Xu family to dispatch three hundred thousand private troops to defend the north was truly commendable. Yet this move effectively lightened the Lü family's burden, which was somewhat surprising.
Xu Lanshan said, "Ancestor Immortal's view was that prolonged fighting in the north would shake the foundations of Great Jin, so we contributed troops as well. As for what bargains were struck between the Immortals, I wouldn't know."
When the two finally finished sweeping clean the second table of food, Xu Lanshan asked, "You don't want Hanyang Pass?"
Wei Yuan shook his head. "Looking at the current situation, it is better off in your hands. Even if I want it, that will be a matter for the future."
"This city brings in quite a tidy sum in daily tax silver now."
Wei Yuan smiled. "No matter how much tax silver you collect, won't you end up buying my goods with it anyway?"
Xu Lanshan gave Wei Yuan a searching look. "Those goods of yours—I can make them too. It's not as if I must buy them from you."
Wei Yuan laughed out loud. "You can make them, sure, but yours cost several times more than mine. Besides, if you don't buy, aren't you worried I'll sell them to the Lü family or to Zhao?"
"You really have no bottom line!"
"Senior flatters me!"
"I'm not that old!"
Leaving Hanyang Pass, Wei Yuan had what he needed: Xu Lanshan's fundamental stance.
The various factions within the Xu family were deeply entwined. Many elders were well advanced in years and possessed mediocre cultivation, yet they were likely related to one Scenery Command master or another, or had once taken an arrow or carried foot-washing water for the Ancestor Immortal. Every one of them held formidable seniority, and Xu Lanshan, as a newly advanced Scenery Command cultivator, truly could not order them about. Therefore, if Wei Yuan wanted the population of those two commanderies, he would have to find a way to take them himself, and Xu Lanshan would not interfere.
***
After leaving the snack shop, Xu Lanshan vanished and reappeared directly inside the Pacification Commissioner's mansion. The newly appointed Pacification Commissioner hurried forward to pay his respects, addressing her as "Young Aunt." Barely over a century old, this Pacification Commissioner was one of Xu Lanshan's few direct confidants.
Once the formalities were done, Xu Lanshan instructed, "Gather our troops, assemble them, and conduct training. Should foreign enemies invade with overwhelming force, feel free to pull back first."
The Pacification Commissioner was taken aback. "Wei Yuan is going to attack?"
Xu Lanshan nodded. "Very likely. What is more, I have a faint sense that this is something he is determined to have, so I didn't try too hard to dissuade him."
"Yielding without fighting a single battle seems improper, doesn't it? And once we retreat, where does it end?" The Pacification Commissioner was clearly reluctant.
Xu Lanshan sighed softly. Knowing that this junior shared her own unyielding temperament, she explained, "What Wei Yuan wants right now is people. Those mortals are of no use to us anyway; just give them to him. Once he has the people, he will naturally withdraw."
The new Pacification Commissioner's expression softened slightly. "That is acceptable, then. In any case, there is a vast number of displaced refugees right now, and going to Qingming might even give them a better life."
Xu Lanshan nodded. "It is good that you understand. What is too rigid is easily broken, and an overly stubborn disposition often leads to bitter losses. Don't walk the old path I once did."
"On the contrary, I feel the path you walked, Young Aunt, is the one that lasts the longest!"
***
Meanwhile, Wei Yuan strolled out of Hanyang Pass and soared into the sky. An hour later, he entered the Bishui domain and walked the streets to observe the city.
Bishui City had already taken shape on a considerable scale. On both sides of the streets, the most conspicuous feature outside every household was an enormous water vat, and many homes had more than one.
As Wei Yuan was observing, Li Chengfeng, dressed in plainclothes, hurried over and said, "Lord Wei, to pay a sudden visit without giving any advance word?"
Wei Yuan said, "I hadn't had a close look at your territory yet, so I came over to see."
Li Chengfeng felt a jolt in his chest. Forcing a smile, he said, "It is barren and crude, and right now even water is scarce; there is truly nothing worth seeing. May I ask what guidance brings Lord Wei all this way?"
Wei Yuan said, "Fourth Prince, would you like to add another feat of arms to your crown?"
Li Chengfeng's heart began thumping wildly again. Cautiously, he asked, "What feat?"
"The very one that prince failed to take last time—Hanyang Pass!"
Chapter 751