“You pride yourselves on being sons of the Li family, viewing all the world’s heroes as mere rabble. However, in this age, those who command armies and govern troops without understanding civil affairs cannot speak of balancing hardness and softness…”

The green-robed elder sat inside an open carriage with a parasol erected on top to block the scorching sun. Forcibly suppressing violent coughing, he spoke with Li Xiu and Li Qi who rode horses alongside. Yun Puzi looked toward Nantang Fortress standing among the peaks and ridges, as if plated with a layer of golden radiance under the morning sun’s illumination.

Although four or five thousand elderly, weak, women and children were still scattered sparsely across a dozen li to the north, the twenty thousand-plus Shuishui County people had still advanced into the region south of Nantang Fortress within the three days Han Qian had stipulated.

The scout and reconnaissance cavalry from the Chuzhou Army and Southern Court Forbidden Army following along the left and right flanks also knew that Nantang Fortress was garrisoned by Chishan Army elite. They stopped twenty li away and no longer pressed forward.

Afterward, as long as Xuanzhou Regional Commander Gu Zhilong didn’t recklessly deploy troops from Langxi or Xuancheng, the Shuishui County people retreating to the region east of Langxi would have no problems.

Under the urging of Feng Yi, Zhang Ping and others, Li Pu finally made up his mind to deploy the Second Corps troops of the Qiuhu Army—mainly composed of aristocratic family clan soldiers—to the outer perimeter. He separately organized a group of small but capable enforcers from the First Corps’ direct troops to forcibly make the Shuishui County people—mainly composed of various families’ sons and family members—abandon bloated, burdensome items. They pushed some overly ornate yet clumsy, oversized carriages belonging to the various families into roadside ditches or used them to fill ravines along the route.

Whether serving as hostages or viewed as burdens in the advancing formation, they forcibly extracted from the slow-moving main force the legitimate branch female relatives and young children of the various families who were often attended by crowds of personal servants, sending them ahead first along post roads and small paths. The chaotic formation immediately became much smoother.

More critically, Han Qian dispatched people to utilize originally abandoned camping grounds, establishing four fixed temporary rest and recuperation points along the route. Any delays or hesitation along the way were strictly forbidden. Those who violated this were decisively driven off the main road. When occasionally arrogant people dared to make a clamor or cause trouble blocking the road, clubs and sticks were unhesitatingly used to beat them…

The chaotic formation of over twenty thousand Shuishui County people quickly became smooth, and speed increased considerably.

Of course, another very critical reason was that the twenty thousand-plus Shuishui County people were mainly composed of aristocratic family sons and personal servants. Even the elderly and young children, and quite a portion of women, children and personal servants had rough literacy. Through constant exposure, they also knew how to follow rules. Their ease of organization was much better than the lower-class populace.

Han Qian, along with Lin Haizheng, Zhao Wuji, Kong Xirong, Wei Chang and other main commanders from the Chishan Army’s First Corps, Guard Battalion, and cavalry battalion that had withdrawn to Nantang Fortress, all stood before Nantang Fortress waiting for the carriage carrying Li Yu to arrive.

Han Qian wore a suit of leather armor with a saber in an ancient, simple scabbard at his waist. His long hair was simply bound behind him with no other decorations—plain as uncarved jade. Standing by the road, seeing Li Yu barely able to walk over even with Li Qi and Yao Xishui forcefully supporting him, he bowed toward Li Yu and the Taoist-dressed, immortal-appearing Yun Puzi at his side, saying: “Han Qian respectfully welcomes the Prince and Palace Envoy Gu!”

This period had nearly drained the last bit of Li Yu’s energy. Opening his turbid eyes, after a long while he sighed: “‘How laughable that the Chu River flows empty and vast, yet cannot wash away the wronged loyal minister’s grievance.'”

These words of Li Yu were a famous verse by a monk-poet from the previous dynasty eulogizing Qu Yuan, the loyal minister of Chu.

Han Qian smiled sardonically and said: “My father went generously to his death, never concerned with reputation before or after. Han Qian will also not be confined by such things.”

Seeing Han Qian directly reveal Yun Puzi’s identity upon meeting, Yao Xishui thought that his covert attention to the Divine Mausoleum Bureau’s hidden forces lurking in Jianghuai indeed exceeded their imagination. He also secretly pondered the pointed meaning in these riddling exchanges between Han Qian and Li Yu.

Li Xiu and other young Li clan commanders had fought several contact battles on one flank these days without a single defeat, but at this moment they had no choice but to lead the Shuishui County people to seek shelter under the Chishan Army. With some unwillingness in their hearts, they also secretly scrutinized the Chishan Army commanders behind Han Qian. Seeing Han Donghu, who three days ago had severed Liu Zishu’s arm and been escorted by Zhao Wuji to Nantang Fortress to face accountability, now standing behind Han Qian with armor and clothing in order, they thought Han Qian indeed was one who protected his own.

Of course, the wounded Liu Zishu was a son of the Shuishui families. Those who had to swallow this grievance were the Shuishui families who temporarily had no room to struggle. It wasn’t their place to stand up for them.

Li Yu’s physical condition was very poor—it was inadvisable for him to stand long under the gradually intensifying scorching sun. He and Yun Puzi and other idle personnel first went to rest at the temporary camp the Qiuhu Army had hastily constructed on the west side of Nantang Fortress.

After Li Yu left, only then did Han Qian formally greet the grim-faced Li Pu, Wei Zhen, Yao Xishui, as well as Qiuhu Army commanders Li Xiu, Li Qi, Wei Huang and others.

“Han Donghu, remove your armor,” Han Qian said to Han Donghu behind him.

Han Donghu unfastened his armor and turned around, baring his muscular back to reveal several crisscrossing bloody whip marks that appeared even more hideous and hateful after being treated with medicine.

“Han Donghu entered friendly forces’ camp with men without authorization, causing disturbance. According to military law, he should receive ten lashes and be demoted from military merit officer records to serve as a cavalry battalion soldier in reserve. Please, Marquis Li and Magistrate Wei, examine.” Han Qian said calmly to Li Pu and Wei Zhen.

Li Pu and Wei Zhen could of course see the ugly whip marks on Han Donghu’s back, but was this matter finished just like that?

Li Pu looked toward Wei Zhen. Meeting Han Qian at this moment, his most urgent matter was still to discuss the settlement of the twenty thousand-plus Shuishui County people mainly composed of various families’ clansmen. He also had no way to get entangled over minor details, but didn’t know if Wei Zhen was willing to accept such an outcome.

The veins on Wei Zhen’s forehead twitched several times before he finally pressed down hard the ball of rage in his chest. Lifting his aged face, he cupped his hands toward Han Qian and asked: “Lord Han’s discipline is strict, your military authority orderly. Wei admires this…”

Under another’s roof, one must bow one’s head. Compared to those sons of various families glaring with fury, Wei Zhen had struggled through half a lifetime in the mortal world. He had witnessed the chaotic warfare of Jianghuai, witnessed the rare romantic prosperity of Jinling over the past ten-plus years, and also witnessed how weak and vulnerable aristocratic families’ refined scholars were before bloody military men.

Even if the Shuishui aristocratic families twisted into a single rope, they could hardly withstand the Chishan Army’s military edge. Moreover, they currently had no ancestral estates to rely on, no fortified cities to defend. They weren’t much different from the scattered migrant armies. They still hoped to rely on the Chishan Army to establish a foothold in the northern foothills of the Fuyu Mountains—what grievance couldn’t be swallowed?

Wei Zhen could endure this grievance, and Li Pu was even more noncommittal. Following Han Qian into Nantang Fortress’s crude council hall, he directly brought up the matter of settling the Shuishui County people.

The Chishan Army had organized nearly thirty thousand troops, and the Qiuhu Army had three thousand elite. Although in the short term they couldn’t bear too many casualties and didn’t have surplus materials to assault fortified cities like Langxi, Xuancheng, Changxing, and Anji defended by Xuan-Hu regional provincial forces, controlling the entire territory of old Guangde County between Langxi and Anji posed no problem.

The old Guangde territory, including the northern foothill mountains of the Fuyu Mountains and the southern foothill hills of the Jieling Mountains, had a depth of approximately sixty to seventy li.

Li Pu didn’t want to completely submit to the Chishan Army, so the Qiuhu Army and Shuishui County people needed to obtain a foothold in this region.

The Chishan Army had to support nearly three hundred thousand elderly, weak, women and children—the pressure was enormous. Han Qian also had no intention of making things difficult for Li Pu. Entering Nantang Fortress, he spread out a detailed map of old Guangde County territory recently produced on the long table, pointing to a mountain valley basin seven or eight li around located between Jinzhong Ridge and Xuanjiao Ridge on the southern foothills of the Jieling Mountains, saying:

“This place is called Sitian Mound, located in the southeastern foothills of the Jieling Mountains, belonging to Changxing County of Huzhou. The Xu clan is its leading望 family, having built a fortress. Currently they have over four hundred garrison troops. Though the land is broad and relatively flat, it’s crisscrossed with ravines. Arable land is approximately over ten thousand mu. It’s surrounded by precipitous mountain ridges that are easy to defend and difficult to attack—crossing Zhuomu Ridge to the north leads to Yangxian County of Runzhou, exiting Xuanjiao Ridge to the east leads to Changxing County of Huzhou and Lake Tai. If the Qiuhu Army occupies it, you can hunt mountain goods and stream fish for sustenance, collect grain from Yangyang and Changxing County, and might be able to endure the famine period…”

The Chishan Army bore the burden of providing for nearly three hundred thousand elderly, weak, women and children. Han Qian wouldn’t take on the responsibility of providing for the Qiuhu Army and twenty thousand-plus Shuishui County people. Allocating Sitian Mound in the southern foothills of the Jieling Mountains to the Qiuhu Army was also in hopes they would interfere less with each other. At the same time, Sitian Mound also needed the Qiuhu Army to dispatch elite forces to assault and capture it themselves. At most, his side could provide some intelligence support.

Li Pu lowered his head to study the topographical map. Although circling from Nantang Fortress to Jinzhong Ridge would still require walking over a hundred li, currently the twenty thousand-plus Shuishui County people had all entered the region controlled by the Chishan Army. In the short term, there was no worry of loss. The Qiuhu Army’s three thousand elite could freely assault Sitian Mound.

However, this also meant the Qiuhu Army would tear relations with Huzhou’s local forces before the Chishan Army did.

Of course, beyond this, they had no better choice.

The specific military campaign plan and whether they definitely had to capture Sitian Mound to establish a foothold still required withdrawing to召集 the Qiuhu Army’s officers and officials for detailed discussion. Li Pu still had other questions to ask Han Qian. Staring into his eyes, he asked:

“You are the Suppression Commissioner. Without a word of notice, you led the Chishan Army to withdraw from Jinling’s outer perimeter. How do you plan to explain this to Yueyang, to His Highness?”

“The Chishan Army’s thirty thousand officers and soldiers, together with the Qiuhu Army’s three thousand elite, are all loyal to His Highness, loyal to Yueyang—isn’t that an explanation?” Han Qian looked at Li Pu and asked calmly. “If we cannot even preserve ourselves, how can we speak of suppressing rebellion and punishing traitors? The Marquis led the Qiuhu Army to withdraw, presumably you also understand these principles. Why ask such a redundant question?”

The veins on Li Pu’s forehead twitched. In his heart he cursed wildly: You son of a bitch, you son of a bitch! I didn’t want to be dragged to death by you, yet I’ve become proof of your brilliant wisdom and infallible strategy?