Did Young General Zhao truly believe that because he had made a promise to Han Yao, he was honor-bound to come and collect his candy?

Han Linfeng could not be bothered with the foolish young man, and said coldly: “If you want candy, go buy your own.”

Though he held little real hope for his sister’s betrothal, even if she were released from it, she would neither dare nor deign to reach above her station for a match with the Prince Consort’s household.

If the rumors circulating in the city held any truth, the Empress seemed to harbor considerable resentment toward both Zhao Dong and his son. After all, Princess Yuyang had been married to Zhao Dong for years without producing an heir — a fact that had made the Empress deeply displeased with the Zhao family, father and son alike.

When he had left the capital, he had caught faint whispers of this as well.

A household in such disarray was nothing short of a pit of fire. If his sister were truly to marry into the Zhao family, she would not even have a proper mother-in-law of her own — what would be the point of that?

Having met with a wall of cold indifference from Han Linfeng, Zhao Guibei’s straightforward mind finally bent around a corner, and he began to grasp, however dimly, why Shizi had taken offense.

He said with an expression of awkward urgency: “Shizi, don’t misunderstand. I’m not a child throwing a tantrum over sweets. It’s your sister who insisted I swear an oath that I’d come to collect them, or else I’d be a — … Could you not say something to your sister, and let me off from the oath?”

Well. It seemed that straightforward mind of his had bent around a corner, only to go off in entirely the wrong direction.

Han Linfeng simply turned and strode home at a brisk pace.

Was holding his fragrant wife in his arms and drinking a warm bowl of hot soup not perfectly good? What in the world had possessed him to stand out in the cold wind and bicker endlessly with a fool?

That evening, he drank his hot soup and lay down to sleep contentedly with his wife in his arms.

Deep in the night, when even the servants had all retired, Qingyang — who had been overseeing the transfer of Cao Sheng and the others — came hurrying back with his men in frantic haste.

When Han Linfeng came out to meet him, wrapped in his outer robe, Qingyang wore an expression of deep shame: “Little master, punish me as you see fit — I’ve bungled the task.”

Han Linfeng’s heart tightened. He asked gravely: “What happened? Has something gone wrong with Cao Sheng?”

Qingyang shook his head quickly: “Commander Cao is somewhat weak, but he has been safely relocated to a new place… However, Miss Cao — she has escaped after all.”

It transpired that as Qingyang was escorting the Cao household southward, a sick passenger in the carriage had meant they stopped and started repeatedly along the way.

Cao Pei’er had continued her hunger strike and her troublemaking, sunk in sullen dejection. It was not until they stopped to rest at a campsite — where two children came tugging at her to come watch them dig for loaches at the riverbank — that her mood had seemed to lift considerably.

When they passed through a small market town, Cao Pei’er made a fuss demanding fish paste porridge from a street vendor.

The girl had been in a disagreeable mood for days, refusing to eat, so when she said she wanted porridge, Madam Cao also asked whether they might stop so she could have some. Qingyang, worried about unforeseen trouble, had the porridge brought to them where they were.

Who could have anticipated that at the inn, Cao Pei’er would somehow obtain a packet of knockout drug and dump the entire contents into the porridge pot, then serve it to the two matrons accompanying her.

At this point, Qingyang’s face had flushed dark red with frustration: “I don’t know how much she put in. By the time Madam Cao went to look for her daughter, both matrons were foaming at the mouth, completely unconscious — they were on the verge of dying. It was only because the stableman procured horse urine to induce vomiting that their lives were saved. As for Cao Pei’er — she slipped out through the window of her room, but thankfully the men I had stationed behind the building intercepted her.”

Han Linfeng frowned: “If she was intercepted, how did she still manage to escape?”

At this, Qingyang very nearly choked back tears — the tears of a grown man. He felt exactly like that Monkey from the Journey to the West, enduring eighty-one trials, with every manner of demon and immortal crawling out of the woodwork to torment him.

He said with a miserable expression: “Madam Cao — well, she has always indulged her daughter. Perhaps the constant troublemaking had finally worn her down until she changed her mind entirely, and she decided to let her daughter go seek out Qiu Zhen. She said she would have a talk with Cao Pei’er, and I believed her. But who could have guessed that Madam Cao would shield Cao Pei’er inside the room and let her jump from the first-floor window to escape? There seemed to be someone waiting outside the inn to receive her. I hadn’t anticipated Madam Cao would pull such a move, and the men at the back of the building hadn’t been repositioned in time… Shizi, I have failed in my duty — do with me as you will.”

Han Linfeng understood at once: since Cao Pei’er’s mood had suddenly improved at the riverbank, it could not be unrelated to those two children. Someone must have passed a message to her through them — and given her that packet of knockout powder as well.

As for who could command her obedience so completely, there was no one to consider other than her betrothed, Qiu Zhen.

So the face Qiu Zhen had lost at Fengwei Village had been thoroughly recovered through Cao Pei’er.

Once Cao Pei’er returned to Qiu Zhen’s side, the rumors of a rift between Qiu Zhen and Cao Sheng would collapse on their own without needing to be refuted.

Qiu Zhen could use Cao Pei’er’s voice to fabricate lies — that Cao Sheng had died, for instance — and continue to use the pretense of being Cao’s heir to deceive the world.

Han Linfeng did not reproach Qingyang too harshly. After all, this was not a matter of negligence on his part — Madam Cao had made a deliberate choice to help Cao Pei’er flee, and there had been no way to guard against it.

“Does Commander Cao know of this? What does he say?”

Qingyang replied: “Commander Cao was nearly driven to his death by his own wife and daughter — had the physician traveling with them not administered acupuncture in time, not even a thousand-year-old ginseng root could have brought him back. He immediately wrote Madam Cao a letter of divorce on the spot and told her to go back to her hometown. That Madam Cao is truly a woman of staggering stupidity — she wept and wailed, saying this was a matter between their children, that they as parents had ruined their daughter’s good marriage.”

It seemed both mother and daughter had read too many dramatic tales and had come to believe that Qiu Zhen was a great bird of prey on the verge of spreading his wings — with Cao Sheng merely a stubborn old man standing in the way of the bird’s flight.

If things were as Qiu Zhen described, would he not be a future emperor? And would not Cao Pei’er, having helped him conquer the realm, become the wise and virtuous empress who stood at his side? What mother could bring herself to block her own daughter’s path to glory and riches?

Qingyang reached into his breast pocket and produced a letter, which he handed to Han Linfeng. The letter was in Cao Sheng’s own hand — a few sparse lines conveying a single meaning: his wife was shortsighted, his daughter defiant and unfilial, and she had already placed herself at the mercy of the enemy’s knife. He asked Shizi to exercise his own judgment, and to keep the greater cause foremost in his mind, without any need to spare consideration for him.

Luoyun, listening, let out a long, quiet sigh. The full weight of Cao Sheng’s anguish was contained in those brief lines.

His words “exercise your own judgment” meant nothing short of complete abandonment — he had placed his daughter’s life and death entirely in Han Linfeng’s hands.

When Han Linfeng had finished explaining the whole affair to Luoyun, she felt a tight pressure of frustration building in her chest.

“Does Madam Cao not know that Qiu Zhen had Commander Cao poisoned? Does she not think about what kind of fate awaits her daughter, giving herself to a man like that?”

Han Linfeng said evenly: “The news of Qiu Zhen’s great victory in Jiayong Prefecture has been spreading with great fanfare. Both mother and daughter heard word of it along the way. No doubt the message Qiu Zhen passed to Cao Pei’er painted a grand picture of the future as well — enough to fill one’s heart with hope.”

Though Luoyun could not sympathize with the sort of deep, consuming passion that would drive someone like Fang Er or Cao Pei’er to cast aside everything for the sake of love, Commander Cao’s decision to leave his daughter’s fate in Han Linfeng’s hands had plainly also shoved the dilemma squarely onto Han Linfeng’s shoulders.

If they left the matter entirely alone, Qiu Zhen would be doubly empowered by wielding Cao Sheng’s name as his son-in-law — the consequences were too grim to contemplate. Yet if Han Linfeng acted for the greater good and eliminated Cao Pei’er when the opportunity arose, it would violate the bond of sworn brotherhood he shared with Cao Sheng.

Luoyun was anxious on Han Linfeng’s behalf. She turned it over in her mind and could find no answer for how to resolve such a thorny predicament.

Han Linfeng, however, appeared entirely composed. When Luoyun asked about it, he said with equanimity: “For now, we can only take things one step at a time. Qiu Zhen must not be allowed to make use of Cao Sheng’s name.”

Luoyun shook her head: “What Commander Cao implies in his letter cannot be the answer. If Cao Pei’er were to die at someone’s hand, Qiu Zhen would almost certainly make a spectacle of that as well. He is already a man who has lost everything — his entire family ruined and killed. If he were to add the grief of a murdered beloved to that account, it would only deepen his image as a tragic, heroic figure driven by righteous fury. With that coloring, any act of destruction would seem perfectly justified.”

Han Linfeng reached out and gently touched the ends of her hair where it fell loose behind her: “If only Elder Brother Cao had married someone like you…”

That Cao Pei’er could act with such willful recklessness was inseparable from Madam Cao’s failure to raise her daughter well. In an ordinary household it might not have mattered, but given Cao Sheng’s current circumstances, it had become a fatal weakness.

Luoyun let out a long sigh. From what she understood of Qiu Zhen’s history and character, that sort of man likely had not a shred of tender feeling in him — and Cao Pei’er had almost certainly placed her trust in the wrong person.

But hearing Han Linfeng’s heartfelt remark, she said on purpose: “Very well — I agree to remarry. You can provide the dowry.”

Han Linfeng pinched her cheek: “You actually seized on that, didn’t you? Don’t even think about it. Provide a dowry? Should I give you that ceremonial sword of mine?”

Luoyun reached up and looped her arms around his neck, and with a laugh pressed a kiss to his taut, straight face. He usually seemed quite easygoing — yet whenever words like those crossed her ears, his expression shifted immediately.

Still, the present situation was genuinely troublesome. Luoyun’s thoughts turned over and over, and then she said suddenly: “When all is said and done, the key is not to let Qiu Zhen become too wealthy. Did Elder Brother Cao not give you a ledger of the wealthy gentry who had pledged support from various regions? List out the biggest financial backers and find a way to cut off Qiu Zhen’s flow of funds. And most importantly — Elder Brother Cao absolutely must recover. If he collapses at this critical juncture, the situation will become truly impossible to manage.”

This was purely the logic of a merchant: since Qiu Zhen intended to expand his operation, cut off his ready supply of silver.

Han Linfeng’s eyes brightened involuntarily, and he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Luoyun’s cheek: “That is a fine plan of yours — let me think it through further.”

If Qiu Zhen were allowed to seize the fruits of the rebel army’s efforts unchecked, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Yet Han Linfeng was constrained by his own position — he could not simply go and serve directly under General Zhao Dong’s command. The struggle over the imperial succession was growing fiercer by the day, while the frontier faced threats from both within and without.

What he could do, under the precondition of protecting his household and family, was to handle the finer details behind the scenes for General Zhao Dong, and do what he could to help stabilize the border.

As the warmth of spring arrived and the grass and trees grew lush, the Tiefu people would no doubt be stirring again soon.

As for Qiu Zhen — he had originally thought that making a trip to Qianxi Provisions Camp and blowing the grain stores sky-high would be as simple as splitting bamboo.

He had never expected to be left thoroughly shaken by the impregnable defenses of the Qianxi camp, only to then be slashed by a blade at Fengwei Village.

Worse still, whoever had crossed swords with him not only possessed formidable fighting skills, but had called out his name.

Since his humiliation at Ghost-Child Grove, Qiu Zhen had now slunk back in disgrace a second time, a wound on his back cutting deep enough to expose bone — requiring a physician to stitch it closed with fish-gut thread.

Yet compared to the burning pain of the wound on his back, the fire blazing in Qiu Zhen’s chest was fiercer still: who exactly was that handsome man who had known his name? With skills that capable, it was impossible that he carried no reputation in the Wei army.

Yet no matter how he racked his brain, he could not match the man to anyone he knew. Could it be that young general, Zhao Guibei?

But looking at the man’s features, he appeared somewhat older than Zhao Guibei. And those brows and eyes — they seemed to carry a trace of foreign blood. Yet he had never heard of any foreign ancestry in Zhao Guibei’s lineage.

He summoned his undercover agents who traveled between Liangzhou, and described the man’s height and appearance in rough terms.

The agents were equally baffled, and said only that what he described did not sound like Zhao Guibei.

This was the northern frontier — many locals were born of mixed marriages with foreign peoples, so there were plenty of soldiers in the Wei army with features suggesting foreign blood. Most simply had deep-set, wide eyes, and that alone hardly made a man remarkably handsome.

In any case, everyone seemed to instinctively overlook the worthless young lord of the Beizhen Prince’s household. After all, sparing even a moment’s suspicion for such a useless fool felt like a waste of mental effort.

Still, Fengwei Village had been formidably well-guarded. It seemed Han Linfeng had no shortage of capable men under him.

Just as Qiu Zhen was turning it over fruitlessly in his mind, the other party of men he had dispatched finally returned without having failed their mission — they had retrieved Cao Pei’er in one piece.

When he saw Cao Pei’er had at last been brought back, Qiu Zhen let out a long breath and came forward with a smile to welcome his fiancée. Yet when he drew close, Cao Pei’er reached out and gave him a sharp, stinging slap across the face.

Caught entirely off guard, Qiu Zhen’s head snapped to one side from the blow. He slowly turned back, eyes narrowing as he looked at Cao Pei’er.

Cao Pei’er stared at him with wide, hard eyes and said coolly: “My father said you had him drugged with knockout medicine. I didn’t believe it at first… but then I looked at what you sent me, and it was knockout medicine too. Tell me — why did you treat my father that way?”

Qiu Zhen pressed his tongue against the cheek that had been stung by the blow, and gave an indifferent smile, glancing at her sideways: “Since you’ve already made up your mind to believe his account, why did you bother coming back?”

Cao Pei’er looked at the man before her — that entirely untroubled, insolent air about him — and felt a tangle of love and hatred rise up in equal measure.

In her heart, she knew well enough that her father’s account was very likely true. Yet she simply could not let go of this man, and she longed for him to produce some forceful, persuasive explanation that would convince her.

She had not expected that after all her hardships in returning to him, what she found was his face wearing an expression of complete indifference. In that moment, Cao Pei’er felt simultaneously anxious and enraged, and her tears ran down beyond all stopping.

Qiu Zhen watched her cry for a while, his lips curved in a faint hook of a smile. Then he walked over and draped an arm around her shoulders, softening his voice: “No one else may understand me — but do you not? My regard for Commander Cao has always been one of deep admiration. It is only that he and I have profound disagreements over the future path of the rebel army. Your father is set on the road of surrendering to the imperial court, holding out hope that the court will change its stance and grant him a title to reclaim the lost territories alongside them. But I carry a blood debt against that cur of an emperor — how could I ever accept surrender? You, of all people, know who I am. I merely had your father sleep for a few extra nights — I never took his life. Why must you stand with your father in doubting me?”

These words stirred a measure of guilt in Cao Pei’er’s heart. It was true — Qiu Zhen and her father had always been at odds over their political convictions.

What was more, every last member of Qiu Zhen’s family had been put to death by the Wei emperor’s order. To ask him to submit to the imperial court — was that not asking him to call his enemy his father? It was true that her father had made things very difficult for Qiu Zhen indeed.

Qiu Zhen knew this woman well. She might look like a wildcat with her claws out, but in truth her resolve crumbled easily, and her infatuation with him was beyond reason. With a woman like this, one must not grovel — show a small measure of vulnerability, offer a little warmth, and she was won.

Sure enough, the moment he mentioned the massacre of his entire family, Cao Pei’er’s voice dropped considerably, and with a look of guilt she said: “My father truly hasn’t been considerate enough of you — but you still shouldn’t have—”

Qiu Zhen cut her off with gentle words: “You haven’t had much formal learning, and your view of things is not broad enough — I would never hold that against you. But those who accomplish great deeds do not trouble themselves with small details. I have now taken Jiayong Prefecture, and the morale of the entire army is high. When I have pacified the realm, I will personally take you with me to kneel before Commander Cao and beg his forgiveness — I will accept whatever punishment he sees fit… But until that day comes, I have no time to manage these personal matters, nor do I wish for the woman at my side to be so lacking in breadth of vision, forever dragging at my heels. Pei’er — will you stand beside me, shoulder to shoulder?”

Cao Pei’er looked at Qiu Zhen as he spoke. His bearing as he said these words was commanding and overwhelming — as though he had already ascended to rule over all the world. If she continued making trouble, would she not be exactly the sort of shortsighted village woman he spoke of? How would she be worthy of standing at the side of such a man, or of bearing the dignity of empress over all the realm in the future?

Plain-looking Cao Pei’er had always felt a sense of inadequacy before the strikingly handsome Qiu Zhen. If she had neither inner grace nor admirable character, on what grounds could she claim a place beside a man so exceptional?

And so Cao Pei’er had always devoted herself wholeheartedly to being Qiu Zhen’s capable and virtuous support.

Thus when Qiu Zhen posed the question to her, her defiance deflated of its own accord, and she gave a trusting nod — if Qiu Zhen had not a single relative left in this world, and even she refused to support and believe in him, would he not spend half his life in utter solitude?

Seeing the look of tender pity in Cao Pei’er’s eyes, the smile on Qiu Zhen’s face this time deepened with genuine satisfaction. Because he knew: the obstacle of Cao Sheng’s proclamation could now be cleanly and smoothly removed.

What followed unfolded just as Su Luoyun had foreseen. After Cao Pei’er returned to Qiu Zhen’s side, they were immediately wed.

Cao Pei’er then announced publicly that her father was gravely ill and had gone to a quiet place to recuperate. As for the proclamations that had been circulating through various prefectures and counties, she declared that they had been written by someone impersonating her father and were not to be believed.

For a time, word spread through the rebel army that the proclamation written in Cao Sheng’s own hand was a forgery. Since Miss Cao had voluntarily escaped from the hands of the enemy and returned, it proved that there was no dispute whatsoever between Qiu Zhen and Commander Cao — and that the rumors circulating before had been nothing but slander aimed at Qiu Zhen.

Using the occasion of the wedding as cover, Qiu Zhen enriched himself substantially. Many wealthy gentry with close ties to Cao Sheng sent generous wedding gifts.

“Gifts” they may have been called, but in truth they were collateral paid to secure one’s own safety. After all, with Qiu Zhen now advancing with unstoppable momentum, quietly offering silver to keep a path of retreat open for oneself was simply the way of survival in a time of upheaval.

Among the donors, a certain mysterious financial backer contributed by far the largest sum. Once that mysterious backer’s gold and silver were gathered and delivered, Qiu Zhen would be entirely free of any lingering concerns.

In short, Qiu Zhen had at last stabilized the morale of his forces, and within a short time his coffers would be considerably flush. Though the earlier internal strife had cost him some of his momentum, regrouping and rallying was well within reach.

However, the serious wound he had taken at Fengwei Village at the hands of that unknown assailant still required careful recuperation. Combined with the need to procure provisions and weapons, any plan to regroup and press forward would have to wait a while longer.

With Jiayong Prefecture lost to the enemy, the front lines were pressing steadily closer toward Liangzhou. Though the fires of war had not yet spread here, many wealthy gentry and officials had already begun making arrangements to retreat in an orderly withdrawal.

In keeping with the wishes of the Prince Consort’s Princess, many had followed the example of Wang Yun’s household and were retreating to Huicheng at the earliest opportunity.

That city was prosperous and comfortable, and the climate was better than Liangzhou’s. In times of unrest like these, even if the Prince’s household were to temporarily abandon their fief to seek safety, it would be entirely understandable.

Word had it that the rebel forces were savagely brutal. When they swept through Jiayong Prefecture, many daughters of wealthy families had been abducted by those bandit cavalry and used as offerings for the army’s pleasure — some had even been so viciously violated that they had lost their minds.

As for herself, she was old and long past her prime — that hardly mattered. But her daughter was in the full bloom of her youth, and she could not allow the girl to fall into such danger.

Prince Beizhen, however, did not agree. He declared that Liangzhou was his own fief — where was the principle in a lord fleeing before his own people? When the late, noble Emperor Shengde was alive, how valiant and dauntless he had been, leading his army from the front and bearing the risk of capture without ever fleeing in disgrace. As a descendant of the illustrious Han clan under Emperor Shengde, he absolutely could not bring shame upon his ancestors.

And so, on this very day when Han Linfeng brought Luoyun back to the Prince’s residence for a family meal, they arrived to find Lord and Lady in the midst of yet another quarrel over the matter.

In the end, Lord Beizhen could not be bothered to argue further with the Princess Consort, and turned directly to his son: “What is your view?”

Han Linfeng set down his chopsticks and answered with respectful deference: “It is still too early to speak of retreat. After all, the Prince Consort’s great army has not yet arrived. I have faith in General Zhao — we might as well wait a little longer.”

The Princess Consort, seeing that Shizi was not speaking in her favor, gave a cold snort: “Even if you feel no tenderness for your sister, you ought to show some care for your wife. I’ve heard that Fengwei Village was also raided by bandits. Luoyun is beautiful, and helpless with her blind eyes — are you not worried she might fall into the rebel bandits’ hands?”

Though Luoyun had already recovered her perception of light and dark, she had not been making it known everywhere, since her sight had not yet fully returned.

Hearing her mother-in-law speak of her blindness, she simply gave a gentle smile and said in a soft voice: “I follow Shizi’s lead entirely. Since he says there is no immediate danger, I am too lazy to worry about such things…”

The Princess Consort gave a cold laugh: “Yes, of course — everyone knows you are the model of a virtuous wife. You took the blame before, helping Feng’er transport the grain without saying a word to me — if you ask me, it isn’t just that you’re too lazy to worry about things. That mouth of yours is lazy too.”

By now, the whole circle of military families throughout Liangzhou knew that Su Luoyun had helped Han Linfeng transport grain under the guise of purchasing household goods. Han Linfeng had also announced publicly that he had used this cover to prevent the rebel forces from intercepting the grain shipment.

Yet Luoyun had not breathed a single word of it to the Princess Consort beforehand. Even when the Princess Consort had sent people to reprimand her several times, she had not offered so much as a syllable of rebuttal — her lips had remained sealed shut.

The result was that when the truth finally came to light, the Princess Consort, having had people go and scold her so harshly before, found herself in the rather uncomfortable position of having no dignified way to step back down.

Luoyun knew the Princess Consort was picking fault again, and gave a gentle smile: “As for what Shizi was actually transporting — I didn’t even know myself. In terms of having a lazy mouth, he is the greatest offender of all. He had me believing all along that he truly was buying things on my behalf, and I got my hopes up for nothing. I was lucky that Mother later sent people to reproach me, so I came to understand the Wang household’s tradition of frugality, and I felt genuine remorse — I was already thinking that I ought not to ask Shizi for so many things. Otherwise, after waiting all that time for nothing, I’d have had a proper quarrel with Shizi over it.”

Luoyun’s words were slicked through and through with smooth, oiled tact: first she absolved herself entirely, then she turned the Princess Consort’s earlier act of sending people to scold her into a worthy and well-placed reprimand, and finally concluded that both she and her mother-in-law had alike been deceived by the man’s silence.

Ever since Han Linfeng had spoken to her — telling her not to treat herself as his aide or advisor, charging ahead of him in everything — Su Luoyun had taken the lesson to heart. From then on, every time a flood of trouble bore down on them, she would push her husband out to meet it without a shred of mercy.

Today at the family reunion dinner, the moment she saw the Princess Consort about to make things difficult, Luoyun promptly sacrificed her husband as a shield, and pushed the blame for keeping his parents uninformed squarely onto Han Linfeng.

Han Linfeng accepted the enormous burden his wife had just shoved onto him with perfect equanimity: “Ah Yun is right. Military intelligence like this was naturally not something I could share with her beforehand. If Mother wishes to lay blame, lay it on me.”

The Princess Consort was not so easily caught, and gave a cold snort. However, the opening she had raised had now been deflected and dispersed by the couple’s easy back-and-forth, and she could not very well raise it again to make things hard for her daughter-in-law.

Since Lord Beizhen refused to budge on the matter of going to Huicheng, she had no desire to speak further with either of them. She turned her attentions instead to lavishing food upon her own son, Han Xiao.

Han Xiao’s academy had recently begun a long holiday, so he had been staying at the Prince’s residence these past few days.

He had little interest in his elder brother’s affairs, and showed no reaction whatsoever to the approaching threat of war — finding it all rather needlessly alarmist.

He was a lover of refined, elegant pursuits, and now that he had some free time back home, he found the residence somewhat lacking in refinement — his sister-in-law, he felt, was a rather common sort of woman who had introduced a certain vulgarity into the atmosphere.

And so the young lord set his heart on organizing a poetry and painting society within the family residence — gathering together the talented gentlemen of Liangzhou, and displaying a measure of the cultivation he had been honing during his time in Huicheng.