Tingshan gained many new graves that day. Within each mound lay two things buried together — one was death, and one was ambition.

Li Chi and Tang Pidi stood before Yu Wenshang Yun’s grave for a very long time without saying a word.

After some while, Tang Pidi looked over at Li Chi: “We should go back. If we stay here much longer, I’m afraid we won’t be able to enjoy our victory wine. There won’t be any joy in our hearts.”

Li Chi gave a low sound of agreement: “Back we go… when you’re feeling low, should I dance for you?”

Tang Pidi: “…”

After a moment, Tang Pidi asked Li Chi: “What were you thinking about just now?”

Li Chi walked and talked: “I suddenly realized that Yu Wenshang Yun was, in a way, another version of me…”

Tang Pidi did not find this a strange thought at all. And in a peculiar coincidence, it was exactly what he himself had been thinking just moments before.

“Every young man in this age of chaos who contends for supremacy — regardless of birth, regardless of name — they are all us.”

Tang Pidi said: “Only we are still alive.”

Li Chi said: “When Prince Wu Yang Jiju sent Yu Wenshang Yun north, what he was thinking was probably — use this young man to send us young men to our graves.”

Tang Pidi said: “My grave is not here.”

He smiled: “It comes in a hundred years.”

Li Chi smiled too.

Tang Pidi tilted his head back to look at the sky, and with a slight smile said: “There are only two things in this world that could kill me.”

Li Chi asked: “What two?”

Tang Pidi looked at Li Chi: “You and time.”

Li Chi laughed: “So there is really only one… it is only before me that you instinctively feel inferior in every way, overcome with shame, and perish of your own accord.”

Tang Pidi: “Too forced.”

Li Chi said: “I won’t change it. Forced is fine.”

Tang Pidi said: “When it comes to natural gifts, there is no point in straining yourself.”

Li Chi curled his lip: “And your natural gift — is it not strained?”

Tang Pidi: “Ugh!”

Li Chi burst out laughing: “So you do have a weak point after all!”

This was a victory worth celebrating. With this triumph, the gates to Yuzhou had been thrown open to the Ning Army.

On the return journey, Tang Pidi sat in the carriage and, after a full night of campaigning, appeared somewhat drowsy — eyes closed, resting.

Li Chi, by contrast, had his eyes stretched wide open like copper bells, and no one knew what was turning over in his head.

After a while, Tang Pidi sighed: “You’ve been staring at me with that look… what exactly do you want to say?”

Li Chi said: “I suddenly thought — is it almost time for you and me to part for a while?”

Tang Pidi said: “Why do I feel the faintest trace of a jilted-wife’s mood from you?”

Li Chi said: “Just the faintest trace indeed…”

Tang Pidi smiled: “We take Anyang, we break the Chu Army, the southern gate is open. If we don’t press our advantage now, someone else will press theirs before me.”

He looked at Li Chi: “We can’t toil and sacrifice endlessly, only to be making the bed for someone else to sleep in.”

Li Chi said: “I’m just venting a little feeling. Don’t mind it.”

Tang Pidi said: “You vent very casually.”

Li Chi said: “Still have to show some reluctance, don’t I? Otherwise it makes me look heartless.”

Tang Pidi curled his lip: “Tch.”

Li Chi laughed. He slowly let out a breath and said: “Going south into Yuzhou from here really will be unfamiliar territory.”

Tang Pidi said: “By the time you come, it won’t be unfamiliar.”

He closed his eyes and paused, then said: “Yuzhou — three hundred and eighty-six cities, large and small. When every one of them is flying the Ning banner, you won’t find any of it unfamiliar.”

Li Chi said: “Then I’d better hurry and have more flags made. I’m afraid our flagmakers can’t keep pace with you.”

Tang Pidi said: “I have the sense that not everything in that sentence was a compliment to me.”

Li Chi said: “How could there not be any compliment? There was absolutely none.”

—

Three days later.

About twenty or so miles from Anyang City, there was a small village — not many people lived there.

Out of fear of being caught up in the fighting, many had chosen to flee temporarily and protect their lives.

Those who remained in the village came roughly in two kinds. One kind had nowhere else to go — no place to take shelter. The other kind had been traveling and had to stop here — having somewhere to keep out of wind and rain was about all one could ask for.

At the village entrance was a small yard enclosed by a brushwood fence. The original owner had already left, and no one knew where they had gone.

The people now staying here had arrived only two days prior, and the villagers still in the area did not dare go and ask questions.

There were over a hundred guards — every one of them with the look of a vicious, ferocious man.

And the person these guards were protecting was a very young woman.

“Miss Changsun.”

Someone came running in quickly from outside, stopping at the doorway and bowing: “Something… something has happened.”

Changsun Wuyou immediately pulled open the door to the room, asking urgently: “Is — is — is there news of the Supreme Commander?”

The man who had come to report was named Yu Wenzhao Chao, a commander under Yu Wenshang Yun.

Some days prior, he had been ordered to take men to Jizhou to escort Changsun Wuyou out of the city.

Back then, in order to get Changsun Wuyou out safely, Yu Wenshang Yun had gone to considerable lengths and effort.

But it could not be denied — his preparations had worked.

Her escort, Zhan Li, had taken only two or three people and quietly protected Changsun Wuyou as she left the city. Following the prearranged route for several days, they encountered Yu Wenzhao Chao.

Yu Wenzhao Chao said: “The Supreme Commander… has been defeated. The Ning Army has taken Anyang. According to reports, the Supreme Commander has fallen in battle. Miss, we should escort you across the river and back to Jingzhou now.”

Changsun Wuyou’s face went pale as a sheet — yet she appeared completely without any expression of emotion.

Her eyes were red. Both eyes — there was no white left visible in them at all. Only red.

“There is no rush. Please find a way to confirm it for me, and then we will discuss whether to leave.”

“Yes…”

Yu Wenzhao Chao’s own grief was nearly more than he could bear. Of course he understood the weight of what was pressing on Changsun Wuyou.

He clasped his fists: “I will find a way to send people into Anyang to verify as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

Changsun Wuyou bowed in thanks.

Two days later, the man Yu Wenzhao Chao had sent returned, and informed Changsun Wuyou that the Supreme Commander had indeed fallen in battle on Tingshan in Anyang.

Changsun Wuyou listened to the end and still appeared without much emotional change. She bowed in acknowledgment.

She turned back into the room and sat before the mirror. She arranged her hair into a married woman’s style, and took out a white garment she had spent the past two days making herself, and put it on.

She rose and walked to the doorway.

The Chu Army soldiers in the courtyard, upon seeing her clothes and her hairstyle, all went still for a moment.

Then Yu Wenzhao Chao dropped to one knee: “We pay our respects to the Supreme Commander’s wife!”

Every man went to one knee, clasped their fists: “We pay our respects to the Supreme Commander’s wife!”

“I will not seek death. I will not follow the Supreme Commander in passing. For the remaining years of my life, I will do one thing only — by every means and method, I will find a way to kill Li Chi and avenge the Supreme Commander.”

Changsun Wuyou bowed deeply: “You have called me wife today. I ask that you stay and help me from this day forward.”

Yu Wenzhao Chao said: “My lady — we swear we will!”

Changsun Wuyou said: “Escort me back to Jingzhou. We need to plan carefully. In Jingzhou, I will have the power to act.”

—

At the same time, in Anyang City.

Li Chi looked at Cui Kuoyuan: “This battle to break Anyang — Mister Cui, you have earned great merit. May I ask what you need?”

Cui Kuoyuan bowed: “This commoner has only one thing to request of His Highness the Prince of Ning.”

Li Chi asked: “What is it?”

Cui Kuoyuan said: “I wish to serve the Prince of Ning.”

Li Chi said at once: “My gratitude, Mister Cui. This is also a blessing for the people of Anyang. What plans does Mister Cui have in mind? Please speak freely — I will make arrangements.”

Cui Kuoyuan said: “I am at His Highness’s disposal.”

Li Chi thought for a moment, then said: “The Supreme Commander will soon be heading south. Anyang will be the rear support base for the Supreme Commander’s campaign. How would Mister Cui feel about staying in Anyang?”

Cui Kuoyuan said: “His Highness trusts me with this — I will not fail that trust.”

Li Chi gave a sound of agreement, swept his gaze across the assembled people, then spoke: “In that case — I hereby announce that from this day forward, Mister Cui will serve as Prefectural Governor of Anyang.”

Everyone bowed in acknowledgment.

Some among them felt it was imprudent to directly appoint such a new person to such a role — but the Prince of Ning had made his decision, and there was no good way to voice objections directly to his face.

There was worry too. To entrust such an important place as Anyang to someone who had only just pledged his loyalty — it was hard not to feel uneasy.

“Xu Ji.”

Li Chi looked at the teenage boy Xu Ji.

Xu Ji quickly stepped forward and bowed: “Your subordinate is here.”

Li Chi said: “With Mister Cui serving as Prefectural Governor, if I were to leave you in Anyang to assist him, would you have confidence in yourself?”

Xu Ji went still. Everyone else went still too.

If it could be said that Li Chi’s appointment of Cui Kuoyuan as Prefectural Governor to administer Anyang was motivated by the need to stabilize Anyang quickly — that was understandable.

After all, Cui Kuoyuan was an Anyang native with considerable influence in the city, and the people would find it easy to accept a local man as their magistrate.

But Xu Ji?

Xu Ji was barely fourteen or fifteen years old. Was the Prince of Ning truly going to entrust him with serious responsibilities as well?

“Your Highness.”

Ye Celeng quickly stepped forward, bowing: “Your Highness, please reconsider. Xu Ji is still young and without experience — he cannot be given important responsibilities.”

Xu Ji glanced at his brother-in-law, and there was no particular reaction from him.

“If a person’s ability is dismissed because of their age, that is prejudice from the outset. Do any of you know my age?”

Everyone looked at each other — no one dared answer carelessly.

Li Chi asked again: “Do any of you know the Supreme Commander’s age?”

Tang Pidi gave a slight smile.

Li Chi said: “If youth is a disqualification, then I, the Prince of Ning, am the first disqualified. After that comes Supreme Commander Tang Pidi.”

He turned and looked at Xu Ji: “Do you yourself think you can?”

Xu Ji bowed: “Your subordinate believes — yes.”

Li Chi burst into laughter. After a moment he said to Xu Ji: “Then you can. Mister Cui will serve as Prefectural Governor of Anyang — the chief official of Anyang. You will serve as Vice-Governor of Anyang. Working together with one heart, govern the territory, with the welfare of the people as the first priority — and ensure the Supreme Commander’s supply line has no worries.”

He looked at Cui Kuoyuan: “Mister Cui — within the territory of Anyang, in all non-military matters, you have sole authority to decide.”

Cui Kuoyuan’s eyes opened wide in an instant. He swept his robe aside and knelt to the ground: “Your subordinate Cui Kuoyuan bows in gratitude to our King’s generosity in recognizing this subject — bows in gratitude to our King’s trust.”

Li Chi reached down and helped Cui Kuoyuan to his feet, then led him to stand before Xu Ji and said: “Xu Ji is not yet fifteen, but he has sufficient ability and sufficient wisdom. I am leaving Anyang in your two hands.”

Cui Kuoyuan and Xu Ji bowed together in acknowledgment.

That day, Li Chi announced the official appointments for Anyang City.

He also announced the decision that the Ning Army would march on Yuzhou.

Tang Pidi would serve as Commander of All Forces — with authority over every matter, without need to send dispatches back to Jizhou for approval.

Not only military affairs — in every place Tang Pidi was stationed, he had authority to decide all matters himself.

The vanguard commander of the southern expedition would be Luo Jing. Gao Zhen was reassigned under Luo Jing’s command as deputy vanguard commander.

Cheng Wujie and the others were also transferred under Tang Pidi’s command.

After making all the announcements, Li Chi spoke before everyone assembled: “Where I am not present, the Supreme Commander’s word is final — without question.”

“Where I am present — in military matters, I defer to the Supreme Commander as well. This is something the Supreme Commander and I agreed upon long ago. It will not change now, and it will not change in the future.”

He added weight to his words: “No matter what the future brings — it will never change.”

On that day, everyone present carved those words deeply into their hearts.

The standing that Li Chi had built for Tang Pidi within the Ning Army was singular and absolute. He wanted every single person to know Tang Pidi’s unique and irreplaceable position.

Tang Pidi stood there without the slightest gesture of deflection — perfectly composed.

When all the announcements had been made, Li Chi and Tang Pidi climbed to the top of Anyang’s walls and gazed south toward Nanping River.

Li Chi turned his head and glanced at Tang Pidi: “Nothing you want to say to commend me?”

Tang Pidi said: “The Prince of Ning did everything right — it is all what you should do.”

Li Chi: “…”

Tang Pidi smiled, raised his hand, and pointed south toward the river bank: “You said — where you are not, everything is up to me. Where you are, it is yours. Where you are not, it is also yours.”

His hand swept across the horizon: “All of it is yours. My word.”

—