“These are military supplies and provisions being transported to Xichuan City. Why are you forcibly intercepting them? These are documents issued by the Yingzhou Provincial Office and the Deng-Xiang Defense Command. On what grounds does the Dragon Sparrow Army insist on intercepting and inspecting our vessels? What qualifications do you have? Just because you’re people of the Marquis Linjiang’s household, does that mean you can disregard the law?”
The Yingzhou convoy official, a lean middle-aged man in his forties with a sparse beard on his thin chin, lifted his blue robe hem and ran ashore with uneven steps. He brandished a stack of documents and roared furiously at Li Chong.
Li Chong was sprayed with spittle all over his face and felt only ill luck, regretting following Han Qian to the river embankment to watch the excitement.
The Chu Dynasty’s systems all imitated the previous dynasty. Officials’ regular robes also had strict color distinctions.
Only officials of third rank and above were qualified to wear purple. Fourth and fifth rank wore crimson red. As Recording Aide of the Dragon Sparrow Army holding sixth rank, Li Chong wore a green padded robe under his cold armor for warmth. This was more imposing than Han Qian, who was only qualified to wear a blue robe, so no wonder the Yingzhou convoy official pointed at his nose and sprayed his face.
“Military supplies and provisions for Xichuan City—don’t you know that the waterway to Xichuan City has already been blockaded by the Liang army? Or perhaps you already knew this and deliberately transported these dozen ships of supplies over so these materials could smoothly reach the Liang army’s hands? Zhao Kuo, arrest all these people suspected of aiding the enemy and detain them for interrogation in Xuzhou City.” With a grim face, Han Qian stared at the Yingzhou convoy official and unceremoniously reversed the charge of aiding the enemy onto them. He signaled Zhao Kuo, who followed behind him, to order his subordinates to first detain the Yingzhou convoy official who had run ashore spraying spittle.
Zhao Kuo had not actually followed Han Qian directly for very long. In recent months he had been beside Han Daoxun in Xuzhou, so for a moment he didn’t quite react.
Xi Ren gave Xi Chang and Xi Fa’er a look. The two of them pounced on the man like wolves and tigers.
“You’re making false accusations! Let me go see Defense Commissioner Du. I don’t believe you lackeys of the Marquis Linjiang’s household can fly to the heavens! Intercepting military provisions, causing the garrison at Xichuan to lose morale and the city to fall—you don’t have enough heads to be chopped off!” The Yingzhou official’s face flushed red. He hadn’t expected the soldiers around Han Qian to actually rush at him like wolves and tigers, twisting his arms so he couldn’t move. He could only roar angrily and shrilly like a wild beast trapped in a cage.
Yingzhou was southeast of Xuzhou, the two provinces closely adjacent.
Even though water bandits had appeared in the Han River in the past, at this time the waterway from Yingzhou to Xuzhou had military ships and grain transport ships of all sizes passing through daily. River bandits and water raiders had been temporarily driven out of this region.
This convoy from Yingzhou carried over five thousand shi of provisions and other materials. The convoy guards typically numbered only thirty or forty men. The others were helmsmen and boatmen. When Yang Qin and Feng Xuan assembled over two hundred elite troops and led four war sailing ships to intercept them mid-river, they dared not force their way through and could only dock at the simple wharf by the riverbank to negotiate and protest with this side.
The Yingzhou convoy official just hadn’t expected that Han Qian had no intention of communicating with him at all, nor was he trying to use his power to extort anything. He simply slapped on the charge of aiding and communicating with the enemy and directly detained them all.
At this moment, Yao Xishui ran out of the city. Seeing the Yingzhou convoy soldiers being marched into the city like prisoners of war with bound hands, she was also extremely shocked. Unable to guess what Han Qian intended to do, she asked in a suppressed voice, “Have you gone mad? Aren’t you afraid that when the Xuzhou fleet passes through Yingzhou territory, it will face retaliation from Yingzhou’s local powers? Aren’t you afraid that Xia Zhen, Zheng Hui, and others will shift the responsibility for losing the city in defeat onto your head?”
Yingzhou controlled the middle reaches of the Han River waterway. Han Qian had always deliberately promoted the establishment and management of the new Junzhou. Yao Xishui was puzzled why Han Qian would not hesitate to openly break with and antagonize Yingzhou at this time, let alone that if Xia Zhen truly abandoned Xichuan City to flee south, he might shift the responsibility onto this side’s interception of military provisions.
“Come with me, both of you.” Han Qian said to Li Chong and Yao Xishui in a low voice.
Yao Xishui looked at Han Qian hesitantly.
She and Li Chong had been at Canglang City for several days. Han Qian had been indifferent toward them, even sending people to watch their every move. Whatever decisions Han Qian made, he never informed them at all. She didn’t know what surprise Han Qian had in store or what he wanted to say to them.
However, since Yao Xishui and Li Chong dared to bring only two or three people to Canglang City, they weren’t afraid of what Han Qian might do to them. They followed Han Qian back into the city and into his command tent.
“All of you go attend to your duties!” Han Qian dismissed Zhao Kuo, Xi Chang, Guo Nu’er, and the guards in the tent, keeping only Xi Ren by his side. He took out a sheet of paper from a wooden box and spread it on the desk, asking Li Chong and Yao Xishui, “Do you know who this person is?”
Yao Xishui saw that on the paper was a portrait. Compared to traditional portraiture techniques, this portrait was much more delicate and lifelike. She didn’t know if this was a unique painting technique passed down in Han Qian’s school, but it was as if a person’s mold had been directly imprinted onto it.
The portrait showed a young man about thirty years old with a short mustache above his lips, an aquiline nose and deep-set eyes, appearing full of heroic spirit. He only wore ordinary robes and armor, showing no special features.
“Who is this person?” Yao Xishui asked.
“You truly don’t recognize this person?” Han Qian asked.
“Who knows where you got such a portrait? How could we possibly recognize him? You wouldn’t be amusing yourself at our expense for no reason, would you?” Yao Xishui had an exceptional memory and was certain she had never seen this person. She stared at Han Qian asking, not knowing what scheme he had brewing.
“Of course you’re unlikely to have seen this person directly, but think about it—have you heard of someone with these facial features?” Han Qian said.
“Zhu…” Hearing Han Qian say this, Li Chong’s mind seemed struck by a string of sparks. He suddenly thought of someone whose facial features matched this portrait, but for a moment he was stuck unable to recall the name.
“The Liang Emperor’s second son, Prince Yong Zhu Yu?” Yao Xishui exclaimed in shock.
“So it seems the Wanhong Tower also collects intelligence on the Liang state.” Han Qian said with a sneer.
Only then did Yao Xishui and Li Chong realize they had inadvertently leaked a secret of the Wanhong Tower. But Li Zhigao knew these secrets, which confirmed that Li Zhigao did not share everything with Han Qian.
“If you purely want to test something, then we’ll take our leave.” Li Chong said with a stern face.
“Aren’t you concerned at all about where the Left Bureau’s secret agents saw the Liang Prince Yong Zhu Yu?” Han Qian took out a fire starter to light an oil lamp. He brought the portrait to the lamp and set it ablaze, throwing the burning portrait into an iron bucket to burn to ash.
“Where is Zhu Yu?” Li Chong asked in shock.
At this time, the Liang army’s winter offensive was led by Xuzhou Commissioner Han Jian as commander-in-chief, commanding all the army routes. The vanguard general who led forces into the Nanyang Basin was Han Jian’s clan nephew and also a great Liang general, Han Yuanqi.
If the Liang Emperor’s second son—most trusted by the Liang Emperor, who had established outstanding military achievements expanding territory for the Liang state in recent years and personally commanded the Liang state’s first elite force, the Black Armored Corps—appeared in Xuzhou or Ruzhou, it would mean their previous judgments about this war were biased.
“Wancheng!” Han Qian said.
“How is that possible?” Even Yao Xishui couldn’t help exclaiming.
Honestly, she wouldn’t be surprised if the Liang Emperor’s second son appeared in Xuzhou or directly with the Liang army commander-in-chief Han Jian—this Liang army offensive was indeed much more fierce than before. But the Liang Emperor’s second son appearing in Wancheng meant that Jinling’s previous judgment of the Liang army’s strategic intentions in launching this offensive was very likely completely wrong.
Previously, everyone believed the Liang army’s intention this time was to control all of Caizhou north of Tongbai Mountain and parts of Guangzhou, controlling the upper reaches of the Huai River, thereby gaining a commanding advantage over Shouzhou in the middle reaches of the Huai River and Chuzhou in the lower reaches.
However, Wancheng was located in the heartland of the Nanyang Basin.
A Liang army figure of higher status and prestige than the Xuzhou Commissioner secretly appearing in Wancheng—what did this represent?
Had the Liang army’s most elite combat power, the Black Armored Corps, already changed uniforms and entered the Nanyang Basin while Chu remained completely unaware?
“I sent secret agents to infiltrate Wancheng and saw this young man appear beside the Liang vanguard general Han Yuanqi. His clothing was ordinary, but some people’s bearing is formed from daily habits. Unless they’ve undergone special training, it’s very difficult to disguise,” Han Qian said. “This person is undoubtedly the Liang Emperor’s second son, Prince Yong Zhu Yu. This also explains why the Liang army’s attacks along the Dan River line were so fierce in the first few days, but after being repulsed, they slowed their offensive. They’re mainly worried their battle intentions might be discovered by Du Chongtao!”
“What do you mean by telling us this?” Li Chong stared at Han Qian and asked.
He had just seen Zhao Kuo and the others dismissed by Han Qian with puzzled expressions, obviously not knowing about this matter.
Yao Xishui saw the portrait had already burned to ash in the iron bucket. This represented that this secret seemed to be known only to the limited few of them. Han Qian did not intend to tell more people this secret. The iron bucket also contained quite a bit of ash—who knew how many matters were rotting in Han Qian’s belly alone.
“I’ve told you two the Liang army’s biggest secret this time. You guess—what exactly is the Liang army’s strategic intention this time?” Han Qian asked Li Chong unhurriedly.
Since the previously judged Liang army strategic intentions were very likely all wrong, but the Liang Emperor’s second son secretly appeared in the Nanyang Basin—what strategic intention did he want to achieve?
Although Li Chong deeply resented Han Qian’s mystification, at this moment he couldn’t help falling into deep thought.
“The Liang state aims for the entire Deng-Xiang region, or even further—to control the provinces of Sui, Ying, Huang, and Jing, enabling their forces to drink directly from the northern bank of the Yangtze River!” Yao Xishui exclaimed in shock.
“Who’s outside?” Xi Ren suddenly called out sharply.
“It’s me,” Zhao Kuo pushed the door open and reported, “The Yingzhou convoy official won’t stop making a commotion, clamoring to see the Young Master.”
If Xi Ren hadn’t suddenly spoken to break the silence, Han Qian would have completely failed to hear Zhao Kuo approach. He scrutinized Zhao Kuo suspiciously for several moments and said, “I understand. If he keeps making a commotion, bind him up and gag him with a wooden ball.”
Waving his hand to signal Zhao Kuo to leave, Han Qian thought for a while, then found a letter from the desk and said to Xi Ren, “Give this letter to Zhao Kuo and have him deliver it immediately to Xuzhou, placing it in my father’s hands. Then have Zhao Wuji take a few men to secretly watch Zhao Kuo. If within two days Zhao Kuo turns back midway, kill him. If there’s no abnormality within two days, let him go.”
“So it seems not everyone around Supervisor Han can be manipulated at will.” Yao Xishui said with a smile after Xi Ren left.
“Miss Yao is not someone in my household. The matters here need not concern Miss Yao.” Han Qian replied coldly.
Han Qian had never trusted Zhao Kuo, but his father was not someone who could be easily deceived by anyone. Since his father allowed Zhao Kuo to remain by his side, perhaps there were other hidden circumstances.
So Han Qian decided to have Zhao Wuji secretly observe Zhao Kuo for two days. If there were no abnormalities, he would send him back to Xuzhou.