Beyond Yumen Pass, Li Chi and his companions continued to live leisurely and at ease. The situation in Jingzhou had nothing to do with them for now — this had always been the strategy Li Chi had set from the beginning.

Tang Pidi would press against Suzhou to pin down Li Xionghu, creating an opportunity for Prince Wu and Yang Xuanji to come to blows, while the Ning Army would simply watch steadily from where they stood.

From the time Li Chi had first set his sights on this realm, the one thing he had always been doing was this — strike after the enemy has struck first.

But how does one judge when the situation calls for striking first, and when it calls for striking after?

Simple: when you are powerful enough to crush your enemies outright, there is no need to wait — you fight however you wish. Li Chi had been on the far weaker side from the very beginning. When Prince Yu first raised his army, what did Li Chi have in his hands? Even Prince Yu’s power had far surpassed Li Chi’s — and even now, today, could Li Chi’s forces be compared to Yang Xuanji’s? Or to Li Xionghu’s?

And so, holding to the strategy of striking after the enemy required patience as well as formidable planning. Li Chi had even given this strategy a name — the Scavenging Technique.

You fight each other until neither can stand. I will come collect the spoils.

It sounded rather shameless, to be frank, but doing it felt wonderful.

And so while this patchwork Chu army inside Yumen Pass stood on edge facing imminent danger, Li Chi and his companions outside it passed their days in ease and contentment.

The situation across the Central Plains was unfolding step by step, exactly as Li Chi had anticipated. Yet those who wished to deny Li Chi control of the whole of the Central Plains were not only Li Chi’s enemies within the realm itself.

To put it another way — it was not directed at Li Chi personally. It was that the foreign enemies outside the Central Plains would not allow the heartland to reunify so quickly.

If these vast and splendid lands remained in a state of fragmented division, it was the foreign enemies who would be happiest of all.

A powerful, unified Central Plains empire was the foremost enemy in the hearts of the Black Wu people — and the enduring nightmare of every small nation surrounding them.

—

To the east, beyond the Eastern Frontier — the Bohai Kingdom.

The Bohai King Shi Zaixun was displeased in his heart at this moment, yet he also understood that the significance of this assembly was immense.

The reason for his displeasure was simple enough. That the envoy from the Black Wu Empire gave him no face — he could accept that, after all, Black Wu was Bohai’s sovereign overlord.

But even the envoy from the Sang Kingdom gave him no face — and in the eyes of that short Sang envoy, it was as though Shi Zaixun himself was the small one.

What gave Shi Zaixun some slight consolation was that this Sang envoy bowed and scraped before the Black Wu people in a manner even more deferential than his own.

The man sent by the Black Wu Empire was no simple figure — his surname was Kuoke Di.

Since Bohai had submitted to Black Wu, this was the first time a great personage of the Kuoke Di clan had set foot on Bohai soil. So the Bohai King decreed that the most magnificent ceremonies be used to welcome him.

When Kuoke Di Wuyan Liang’s silent and imposing cavalcade entered Bohai, the crowds lining both sides of the road to welcome them gave Wuyan Liang quite a start.

From the welcoming crowds alone, one could see just how much this Shi Zaixun prized appearances.

These were clearly a crowd of gaunt and sallow-faced people, yet each of them had been dressed in brightly colored new garments — and those frail, thin frames could not fill the clothes, making the whole thing look utterly absurd.

Those wretched people were still required to put on expressions of great excitement, singing and dancing along the roadside.

Rather than stirring any goodwill in Wuyan Liang toward the Bohai people, this only deepened his contempt.

The Khan Emperor had given him a task that must be accomplished: to persuade the Bohai and Sang peoples to join forces, to become the vanguard of the Black Wu Empire’s southward march.

After several failed southern campaigns, the Black Wu Khan Emperor had also drawn his lessons.

There must be forces to flank and distract the Central Plains border armies from the sides — let the Bohai and Sang peoples go and fight, wear down the border forces, no matter the cost. Once the Sang and Bohai armies had broken into the Central Plains, the Black Wu army would then advance south.

When Wuyan Liang had departed, he had made a promise to the Black Wu Khan Emperor: this time, he would definitely see the alliance formed, and before this summer, an offensive against the Central Plains would begin.

The Bohai Kingdom — its people looked so poverty-stricken they seemed as though they might starve tomorrow, and yet there were still so many of them.

Bohai was not short of people. The Sang people were fierce and battle-hardened. If this assembly succeeded, it might well be the Black Wu people’s best opportunity yet to take the Central Plains.

Listening to the Sang envoy’s endless, rapid-fire words — not a single one of which he could understand — Wuyan Liang maintained a semblance of courtesy, at least appearing as though he were listening.

The reason he treated the Sang people somewhat better than the Bohai was that he could not do without their fleet on this venture.

The advisor Lü Ye Yan Wan leaned close and murmured into his ear: “This fellow is boasting about how formidable the Sang people are in battle, boasting about how many troops they have, and boasting about how powerful their warships are.”

Wuyan Liang gave a nod and smiled toward the Sang envoy. That single smile seemed to bestow upon the Sang envoy an enormous grace — the man grew immediately animated and spoke with even greater fervor.

Wuyan Liang turned and murmured to Lü Ye Yan Wan: “Why do the Sang people look so short?”

Lü Ye Yan Wan smiled and whispered back: “Your Highness, you cannot expect a hamster bred with another hamster to produce a pig.”

Wuyan Liang could not suppress it — he let out a sharp, involuntary laugh.

The Sang envoy, seeing him laugh, took it as approval of everything he had said and redoubled his efforts all the more.

“Enough.”

Wuyan Liang said: “I have listened long enough. Just relay the Khan Emperor’s intentions to them directly. I wish to go rest.”

Lü Ye Yan Wan rose: “The Prince is already aware of your thoughts and has already come to understand your strength. Now — I shall announce the decree of the Black Wu Empire’s Khan Emperor.”

The Bohai King Shi Zaixun and the Sang envoy Du Yazheng both immediately stood and bowed. Both understood the Black Wu tongue — men of such refined courtesy could hardly ask the Black Wu father-figure to condescend to learn their languages.

“By decree of the Khan Emperor: Prince Kuoke Di Wuyan Liang is appointed supreme commander of this allied force. The two vice-commanders shall be nominated by each of your sides.”

The Bohai King Shi Zaixun immediately said: “Your servant is willing to go through fire and water for the Khan Emperor. I am willing to do battle and seize territory on His Majesty’s behalf — and so this time, I intend to personally lead my troops.”

Lü Ye Yan Wan gave a satisfied nod: “Very well. How many troops can Bohai mobilize?”

Shi Zaixun bowed: “As a first contingent, Your servant will lead six hundred thousand troops to support the Prince. Subsequently, even more forces will be recruited.”

Lü Ye Yan Wan looked toward Du Yazheng: “And Sang?”

Du Yazheng said: “Sang’s naval forces are fully assembled. For this campaign, they shall be led by Great General Chunbian Chili, with a total force of eigh—”

He had been about to honestly say eighty thousand, but Shi Zaixun had just opened his mouth and said six hundred thousand — and even declared he would personally lead the campaign as king. If he now said eighty thousand, this Black Wu prince would certainly be deeply displeased.

And so Du Yazheng quietly changed the number on his own.

“A total force of one hundred and eighty thousand men — though of course this is only the first contingent, since Sang’s forces must travel by sea, unlike land armies that can be deployed directly.”

Having said this, he glanced carefully toward the Prince, his eyes full of apprehension.

Lü Ye Yan Wan looked toward Wuyan Liang. Wuyan Liang gave a nod: “Very well then. The two vice-commanders: one shall be the Bohai King, the other Chunbian Chili. I shall be supreme commander. Once Sang’s warships have arrived, we shall set out.”

He rose: “You may both withdraw and prepare.”

Du Yazheng suddenly seemed to lose his senses for a moment, and in an act of extraordinary poor judgment, blurted out a question: “May I ask, Your Highness — how many troops has the Black Wu Empire prepared for this campaign?”

Lü Ye Yan Wan’s expression turned icy. Before Wuyan Liang could speak, Lü Ye Yan Wan thundered: “You dare.”

Du Yazheng gave a start and immediately folded himself into a deep bow.

Wuyan Liang raised a hand to stop Lü Ye Yan Wan from pursuing his anger. He gave a perfunctory reply: “Military secrets of the Black Wu Empire — how could those be so readily disclosed to you?”

With that, he turned and left.

Watching Du Yazheng’s mortified embarrassment, Shi Zaixun felt a warmth of satisfaction in his heart.

He said to himself — these Sang people are truly foolish. They have absolutely no self-awareness.

The Black Wu Empire’s soldiers — what noble, exalted warriors they were. How could they possibly go on campaign alongside Sang people and Bohai people?

He truly believed this.

—

Returning to the palace quarters, Wuyan Liang spotted a strikingly beautiful young woman ahead of him, and asked about her.

Lü Ye Yan Wan quickly sent someone to inquire, and before long the reply came back — she was the Bohai King’s favored consort.

Wuyan Liang smiled, gave Lü Ye Yan Wan a look, and Lü Ye Yan Wan of course understood the meaning of that glance. He turned and instructed someone to go to the consort and say that the Black Wu Empire’s prince wished to summon her.

Before long, this news reached the ears of the Bohai King Shi Zaixun.

He shot to his feet — but very quickly, he sat back down.

After a very long silence, Shi Zaixun gave an order: “Go… send fine wines to the Prince. And select singing girls and dancing girls to be sent over as well, for his entertainment.”

The ministers around him looked at him — a few faces showed confusion and outrage, yet none dared say a word.

“I am going to the camp to prepare for the campaign.”

Shi Zaixun rose: “I will not be returning to the palace for the next few days. When you send the singing and dancing girls over, offer my apologies to His Highness the Prince on my behalf.”

Having said this, the iron-faced Shi Zaixun strode out of the palace in great steps.

He brought the Imperial Guards and his generals with him straight to the camp, and truly did not return to the palace for several days running.

—

In truth, before Wuyan Liang’s arrival in Bohai, the Black Wu Khan Emperor’s decree had long since been delivered to Bohai.

And so Bohai’s forces had been readied long since, able to depart at any time. On the Sang side as well, the order from the Black Wu people had come five or six months ago, and their naval forces were also prepared. As long as this assembly went smoothly, in seven or eight days their fleet could reach Bohai.

After Du Yazheng returned to his quarters, the messenger sent back with a report departed not long after.

Some ten-odd days later, the Sang Kingdom’s fleet arrived at Bohai’s Leishi City. To avoid Wuyan Liang detecting that their forces fell short of one hundred and eighty thousand, the Sang general Chunbian Chili ordered that without permission, soldiers were not to disembark freely.

Two days after that, Wuyan Liang and his two vice-commanders agreed upon the route of advance.

Bohai’s six hundred thousand troops would storm the border passes of Yanzhou with all their might, and must break into Yanzhou within one month. The Sang naval forces would make landfall one hundred and thirty li northwest of Longtou Pass.

The Central Plains had no ocean warships and could not possibly stop the Sang people from coming ashore. At that point, the Sang and Bohai forces would strike from two directions, and Yanzhou would fall.

In an instant, the northeastern reaches of the Central Plains were shrouded in stormclouds.

With the Sang people’s fleet in play this time, the Black Wu people’s confidence surged greatly.

The Central Plains had no naval forces, no warships that could match the Sang battle fleet — which meant that along the entire Central Plains coastline, it was virtually undefended.

The two allied forces could strike Yanzhou from inside and outside simultaneously, and once Yanzhou fell, the Sang forces could be transported by ship to make landfall at Jizhou — at which point they could strike Longtou Pass from inside and outside as well.

Wuyan Liang was supremely satisfied with this plan.

Aboard the great ship, Wuyan Liang felt the sea wind, and his heart opened wide.

It was his first time sailing out to sea as well. The feeling was beyond words.

“Central Plains…”

Wuyan Liang rested his hands on the ship’s railing and gazed toward the coastline appearing dimly in the distance.

He murmured to himself: “This time — how will you stop us?”

—