There was no urgent military situation at Jingzi Pass. Li Zhigao and his men, to conserve the horses’ strength, were also traveling slowly along the ruined road in the Dan River valley, waiting for the troops behind to catch up before advancing west together.
After traveling for about two more days, Li Zhigao and Li Chong entered Jingzi Pass. After meeting with Zhang Bao, the Xiangzhou army garrison commander at Jingzi Pass, they summoned Fan Dahei, who had returned from scouting enemy intelligence at Shaoxi Mountain and Wuguan, to learn about the movements of Liang state’s Guanzhong forces in the areas of Shaoxi Mountain and Xiaxiong Valley.
The Liang army had not yet pressed forward in force, but at this time they had already begun small-scale contact battles with Great Chu’s Shouzhou army in northern Caizhou and other areas. At this moment, even though Liang state had only seized the Guanzhong region a few years ago, it was inevitable that Guanzhong forces would assemble toward Shangzhou to exert pressure and restrain the Chu state forces gathered at Deng-Xiang.
After Li Zhigao understood the relevant situation, he first had Fan Dahei withdraw. He personally marked the changes in Liang army deployment around Shaoxi Mountain (Wuguan) on the new topographical map provided by the Left Administration.
“Fan Dahei originally controlled the Scout Office and workshops in the Left Administration, which could be considered quite important. His abilities are also good, yet unexpectedly because of his marriage alliance with Zhang Qian’s daughter, he’s been suppressed by that Han Qian fellow. Now he’s reduced to being worse than even a minor leader. He must harbor considerable resentment. I see Han Qian probably has no intention of using him again in the future. Now when the Longque Army is short of people, why don’t you, elder brother, go find Han Qian and request Fan Dahei to serve under me?” Li Chong glanced at Fan Dahei’s rather desolate figure as he left, suggesting to Li Zhigao. He believed if his elder brother personally raised this matter with Han Qian, Han Qian wouldn’t refuse to release him.
Li Zhigao looked up, scrutinizing Li Chong’s face for a while. Unclear whether Li Chong had privately promised Fan Dahei something, he directly admonished him:
“You think there aren’t enough matters now, not chaotic enough? Don’t stir up trouble for me here.”
After Han Qian returned to Jinling and kicked Fan Dahei and Lin Haizheng aside, arranging others to control the Left Administration’s Military Office and Scout Office, there was an intention to warn and deter other subordinates in the Left Administration. How could he easily agree to let Fan Dahei leave the Left Administration and have a better future under their command?
In that case, how would Han Qian discipline his subordinates in the future?
If they forcibly compelled Han Qian to agree to Fan Dahei coming over, it would only make their already fragile relationship even more precarious.
At other times they could play such scheming games, but at this critical juncture, making such moves—wasn’t that seeking death?
Being reprimanded by his elder brother for no reason, Li Chong’s expression was also embarrassed. In his heart, he secretly resented that it was originally his elder brother who had been too tolerant of Han Qian, allowing the Left Administration to grow powerful. Otherwise, the Left Administration wouldn’t even have had the opportunity to establish itself.
Watching Li Chong leave embarrassed, Li Zhigao didn’t think much more about it and continued studying the surrounding mountain and river terrain. Not until noon when his belly was empty and hunger unbearable did he walk out of the tent.
Seeing Li Chong and Fan Dahei standing in a corner of the camp yard whispering about something, Li Zhigao worried he might ignorantly try to recruit Fan Dahei and ruin relations with Han Qian. He sternly called out: “Erlang, come here.”
“Elder brother, what is it?” Li Chong ran over to ask.
“Arrange for Fan Dahei to immediately return to Shaoxi Mountain to watch the Liang army’s movements. Don’t let him idle about here,” Li Zhigao said.
“Why accommodate that Han Qian fellow?” Li Chong asked dissatisfied.
Li Zhigao glared at Li Chong, telling him to immediately follow his orders.
At this moment, the “clop clop” sound of urgent galloping hooves came over. Li Zhigao walked to higher ground and looked toward the southeast, seeing Han Qian and Xi Ren had ridden through the night to reach Jingzi Pass, yet there were no other guards accompanying them.
Li Zhigao was startled, thinking some major incident had occurred. He hurriedly had someone open the stockade gate before the camp yard and walked over to help Han Qian hold the reins to stop the horse, asking urgently: “Did something happen at Canglang? How did you two come alone? Were you attacked by mountain bandits?”
“Let’s go inside to talk,” Han Qian said, glancing at Fan Dahei standing to the side with a similarly surprised expression. He handed the horses to the guards behind Li Zhigao and walked with Li Zhigao toward the main tent.
Seeing Li Chong also about to follow in, Han Qian stopped at the entrance of the main tent and said in a deep voice: “I have important military intelligence to discuss with the Military Supervisor. I ask Brother Li to wait outside for a moment.”
Li Chong’s lips twitched. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Han Qian’s face, wanting to question what he meant by this.
As Recording Clerk, his position was above the various department clerks. At least on the surface, he was a cut above Han Qian’s position as Deputy Commander of the Guard Battalion. What broken matter did Han Qian have to discuss with his elder brother that he couldn’t hear?
“Erlang, wait outside for now,” Li Zhigao said.
Hearing his elder brother say this, Li Chong wanted to temporarily restrain himself, but seeing the maidservant Han Qian had taken from Xuzhou actually follow into the main tent, Li Chong was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He almost wanted to take the sword from his waist and throw it away.
……
……
Entering the simple tent, Han Qian saw the topographical map laid on the long table with freshly marked ink not yet dry. He said to Li Zhigao: “I had Fan Dahei watch Shaoxi Mountain. If there’s nothing unusual, he need not return to report. Yet I didn’t expect that this most honest and loyal person in my household would have much more active thoughts than before.”
Hearing Han Qian’s implication, Li Zhigao also stated his position candidly: “Someone did suggest I take in Fan Dahei, but this matter is ill-timed, so I rebuked them.”
“Fan Dahei is still useful. Why doesn’t the Military Supervisor accept good advice?” Han Qian stared at Li Zhigao’s eyes and asked.
Li Zhigao’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly. He conducted himself honorably and openly, but he also didn’t like Han Qian scrutinizing him so suspiciously. His tone cool, he asked: “You rushed to Jingzi Pass in such haste—it can’t be merely for Fan Dahei’s matter, can it?”
“Does the Military Supervisor know of Palace Attendant Zhang Ping?” Han Qian asked.
The doubtful expression on Li Zhigao’s face deepened. He turned to glance at Xi Ren, then stared at Han Qian’s eyes and asked: “You rode through the night to Jingzi Pass—what exactly is this about?”
Confirming that Li Zhigao actually didn’t know that Palace Attendant Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui had already arrived in Xiangzhou city, Han Qian pulled over a chair and sat down, saying: “Palace Attendant Zhang Ping has been transferred to serve as Household Supervisor for the marquis’s residence. He then adopted Yao Xishui as his daughter. They arrived in Xiangzhou city the day before yesterday. Last night I also went to Xiangzhou city to see His Highness. I found a temporary excuse and rode four hundred li in one day and night to come see you.”
“What?” Li Zhigao was also extremely shocked, his mouth agape, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Li Zhigao was so anxious he wanted to stomp his feet. He hadn’t expected his father and the lady to make such a foolish move. This would completely destroy the Third Prince’s trust in them. But regardless of how angry and resistant the Third Prince would be internally, how could people like Han Qian and Shen Yang easily accept such a result?
The fact that Han Qian brought no other guards, only a maidservant, and rode nearly four hundred li through the night already demonstrated his attitude toward this matter.
And even if they forced Han Qian to accept this, how could they hide it from someone like Shen Yang for long?
“Since the Military Supervisor didn’t know about this, let me speak plainly. If there’s anything wrong, please don’t hesitate to instruct me, Military Supervisor,” Han Qian said.
“You also go out,” Li Zhigao hesitated for a while, then signaled for the two guards standing in the corner to leave.
“The Military Supervisor may already know that the lady hasn’t made the Third Prince her only choice. I must ask the Military Supervisor—do you have any better choices?” Han Qian stared at Li Zhigao and asked. “Saying this, the Military Supervisor won’t think I’m sowing discord, will you?”
“Speak freely. I can judge for myself,” Li Zhigao said in a gloomy voice.
“Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the Third Prince’s succession struggle gains momentum, the heir to Marquis Xinchang probably won’t be the Military Supervisor, will it?” Han Qian asked.
“Saying this serves no purpose. Just get to the important points,” Li Zhigao said with a gaunt expression.
“His Highness may become a puppet, but absolutely not at this time,” Han Qian said, no longer beating around the bush. “Our greatest support right now is Emperor Tianyou’s expectations for His Highness. But Marquis Li and the lady are singlemindedly focused on restricting Han Qian, singlemindedly wanting to control everyone in their hands, yet they’ve forgotten this fundamental point—even acting without any scruples. They are truly insufficient to scheme with! If everything is led by them, the enterprise will surely fail, and we will all die without a burial place!”
Hearing Han Qian speak to this point, Xi Ren was also extremely shocked. She had never imagined that Han Qian rode swiftly to Jingzi Pass actually to turn Li Zhigao against them?
“What do you intend to do?” Li Zhigao asked with a stern face, remaining calm.
“It’s not what I intend to do—it’s what the Military Supervisor must do!” Han Qian said.
“Then tell me what I can do?” Li Zhigao said.
“If His Highness’s ambitions are stifled and he becomes purely a puppet, there is absolutely no hope of winning the succession struggle. To succeed, we must first return authority to His Highness. Zhang Ping, Chai Jian, Yao Xishui, and all of us can only assist him—we must not presume to be the host. Only then can we get Shen Yang, Guo Liang, Gao Chengyuan to work with us in unity of purpose and common cause. Only then will the Longque Army have the possibility of further growth, rather than being trapped struggling beneath a woman’s skirts,” Han Qian said.
“How do we return authority?” Li Zhigao continued asking.
“Have His Highness select young men from military households’ children as personal guards. Young men’s blood hasn’t yet cooled—they don’t know betrayal, only loyalty. Make Zhang Ping and Chai Jian know their limits. Besides assisting His Highness, they must not have other transgressions or ulterior motives…” Han Qian said.
“How can this be achieved?” Li Zhigao asked.
“The Military Supervisor leads one hundred absolutely reliable direct troops and tricks Li Chong into returning to Xiangzhou city with us,” Han Qian said.
Xi Ren’s heart was still pounding. Han Qian wasn’t simply seeking Li Zhigao’s support—he was directly inciting Li Zhigao to stage a “military remonstrance,” forcibly isolating Chai Jian, Zhang Ping, and others from the Third Prince’s side.
“…” Li Zhigao pondered for a long time, also remaining silent.
Han Qian continued: “If we can return authority to His Highness, the Left Administration will spare no cost to coordinate with whatever meritorious achievements the Military Supervisor wants to accomplish with his troops this winter. After this battle, the Left Administration will also spare no cost to ensure the Military Supervisor can lead his troops to garrison Junzhou. Furthermore, I believe the Military Supervisor also knows that since Han Qian has already come alone to see the Military Supervisor and made this clear, I’ve already made my decision with no other considerations…”
Hearing Han Qian offer such conditions while also threatening with words, Xi Ren nervously stared at Li Zhigao, not knowing whether he would be moved—whether he would be successfully “turned” by Han Qian’s threats and enticements. Otherwise, neither she nor Han Qian should expect to leave this place alive.