At the height of summer, the area around the Nanping River was swelteringly hot, the riverside thick with moisture rising from the water. Soldiers who had come from the north could not adapt to the climate at all.

The oppressive, humid heat was unbearable.

Never mind the string of defeats that had sapped the Jizhou army’s morale — no small number of soldiers had also sickened and died from the unfamiliar conditions.

The entire camp had long been rife with anxiety and fear. Those who had started out dreaming of the great glory of serving a future emperor had long since been beaten bloody by reality.

The moment Zeng Ling learned that one hundred and fifty thousand Qingzhou soldiers were approaching from the east, he immediately ordered the army to prepare to withdraw, then hurried off to find Prince Yu, who had only just left.

Halfway there, Zeng Ling’s steps came to an abrupt halt. He had already given the order. If he went now to report to Prince Yu —

Knowing Prince Yu’s petty, grudge-holding nature, even if there was no punishment now, he would certainly find an opportunity to settle accounts later.

The more decisively a leader fails, the more desperately he wants everyone to know who is still in charge.

Prince Yu was exactly like that now. This campaign had exposed the full extent of his abilities, and those beneath him had seen through him somewhat. The worse his position became, the more he needed to project authority — the more he needed people to fear him. In earlier days, he would never have raised his hand against Zeng Ling.

Zeng Ling was Jizhou Military Governor; the Jizhou army was entirely in Zeng Ling’s hands. To deal with Zeng Ling carelessly risked a mutiny.

Zeng Ling stood there, his mind working rapidly over how to smooth this over.

Prince Yu was not far from the point of complete madness. If provoked further, there was no telling what the man might do.

Crown Prince Yang Jing had already ascended the throne and taken the imperial title. Prince Yu’s grand dream of seizing the empire had dissolved into nothing — and what was left? Nothing but a stain that would not last long and was not pleasant to contemplate.

Traces of something having passed through, none of them flattering — like something unpleasant that had been and gone.

So after a moment’s thought, Zeng Ling turned and instructed his subordinates to begin packing quietly, without any conspicuous bustle.

Then he quickened his pace toward Prince Yu, unease stirring in his heart.

In truth, at this point, how could Zeng Ling have no grievances?

The grievances had always been there — it was simply that circumstances changed.

Jizhou was his domain; almost everything there had been built through his efforts. Then Prince Yu arrived — because he was imperial blood, because he held a prince’s title — and took everything Zeng Ling had built, with complete self-assurance.

In the past, Zeng Ling had endured in silence because he too had his ambitions. A military governor, however powerful a regional lord he might be, was still guilty of treason if he raised troops — his name would be branded accordingly.

Military governors everywhere had been sharpening their blades and biding their time, yet not one dared march on the capital — all for fear of being saddled with that damning name.

Once upon a time, Zeng Ling had believed his luck had come: Prince Yu in Jizhou was a gift from heaven. When Prince Yu raised his army, it was legitimate. Let others curse — none of it would fall on Zeng Ling’s head. If Prince Yu succeeded, he would be the foremost minister of the new dynasty; to hold power over the entire court — was that truly just a dream?

If Prince Yu failed, he could fall back and hold Jizhou, resume his role as a regional lord — no, a true sovereign in his own right.

But now things were different. Prince Yu had proven to be all bluster and no substance, and because of wounded pride had turned his fury on Zeng Ling. Zeng Ling’s patience was nearly exhausted.

Yet Zeng Ling also understood that for now, the greater picture had to take precedence. An internal rupture at this moment would only lead to the Jizhou army’s total collapse.

When he found Prince Yu, the man was lying in bed. Zeng Ling called out to him several times, but Prince Yu acted as though he could not hear.

Zeng Ling paused, then knelt and said: “Your Highness — the military situation is urgent. Cui Yanlai’s Qingzhou army numbers no fewer than one hundred and fifty thousand, and they are already at Anyang Prefecture.”

In a flash, Prince Yu shot upright.

“How did he get back so quickly?” Prince Yu said urgently. “He was just defeated by me — his morale shattered, his provisions exhausted. He ought to have retreated back to Qingzhou.”

Zeng Ling replied: “It seems Yuzhou’s Liu Li dispatched men to contact him and provided provisions and supplies — asking only that Cui Yanlai send troops to envelop our army from both sides.”

He glanced at Prince Yu and pressed his case: “I beg Your Highness to decide quickly. Now that the Qingzhou army has arrived, the Yuzhou forces on the south bank of the Nanping are likely to attempt a crossing at any moment.”

Prince Yu rose and began to pace back and forth inside the tent. After roughly a quarter of an hour, he turned to Zeng Ling and said: “Issue the order — the entire army falls back. Leave one unit to hold the rear.”

Zeng Ling felt a surge of relief, knowing the immediate danger could be navigated. He immediately called out toward the entrance: “What are you waiting for — go pass His Highness’s command at once!”

The attendant outside spun on his heel and ran.

Only then did Prince Yu seem to come to himself, as though suddenly roused. He reached out and helped Zeng Ling, who was still kneeling, to his feet, wearing an expression of solemnity and deep feeling, and said to him: “Do not blame me.”

Zeng Ling immediately replied: “Your subordinate would not dare. The fault and the error are mine.”

Seeing his subordinate’s attitude, Prince Yu continued in the same tone of weighty counsel: “I reprimanded you in front of the others precisely because I rely on you. Otherwise, why would I single you out to scold? Because you are one of my own people — anything can be said between us.”

Zeng Ling bowed: “Your subordinate is grateful for Your Highness’s generous trust.”

“Go now,” Prince Yu said. “The withdrawal must be handled properly — take every precaution against pursuit.”

Zeng Ling acknowledged the order, bowed again, and finally withdrew from the tent.

Just then, Prince Yu’s son Yang Zhuo entered from outside, his expression aggrieved: “Father — I think Commander Zeng has forgotten his station.”

Prince Yu gave a start. “What do you mean by that?”

Yang Zhuo said: “On my way back just now, I could see that the men in the camp were already packing up and preparing to withdraw. It seems Commander Zeng must have issued the order to retreat before he came to seek your audience.”

Prince Yu’s expression shifted.

Yang Zhuo continued: “Has Commander Zeng forgotten the proper conduct of a minister? In a matter this grave, he dares to act unilaterally without reporting first — showing complete disregard for the proper order of things.”

“Enough!” Prince Yu snapped.

Yang Zhuo froze, immediately bowing, not daring to say another word.

Prince Yu thought for a moment, then instructed: “Go out and look again. If you can confirm that he issued the order to withdraw before he came to see me, come back and report.”

Yang Zhuo gave a sound of assent: “Your son will go and find out!”

He turned and ran out.

Prince Yu’s expression continued to shift. This Zeng Ling — he had never truly trusted him. His own position in Jizhou was essentially that of a cuckoo occupying another bird’s nest. He had always worried that Zeng Ling did not truly serve him with a sincere heart.

When you have taken something from a man, you cannot help but worry that he resents it.

The more he thought, the more wary he grew of Zeng Ling — and then the more resentful.

Then he recalled how, just moments ago, after he had ordered twenty blows of the military rod against Zeng Ling, he had barely walked away before every single civil official and military officer in that camp had streamed out to fuss over Zeng Ling with expressions of concern.

In the eyes of all those people, there was only Zeng Ling — as though Zeng Ling were the one who truly gave the orders. Did they even see him, the Prince, at all?

And those soldiers who had carried out the punishment — those twenty blows had been lighter than a scratch. And when Zeng Ling had just come to see him, had the man looked like someone who had just been beaten?

Whether it was the Jizhou soldiers, the civil officers, or the military commanders — every last one of them watched Zeng Ling’s face before doing anything.

Prince Yu’s humiliation and fury, upon reaching this point, could no longer be contained. He lashed out with his foot and sent the table beside him crashing over.

At the capital, Crown Prince Yang Jing had played him for a fool. Perhaps at this very moment, Yang Jing was laughing out loud somewhere.

Let the Yuzhou army, the Qingzhou army, and the Jizhou army fight each other — best if they all came out the worse for it. Only once the northern military governors had bled themselves dry would Yang Jing be able to send his own troops to subdue them with ease.

The more he thought, the more enraged he became — as though he might burst apart.

Meanwhile, on the southern bank of the Nanping River.

Yuzhou Military Governor Liu Li stood at a vantage point by the river, holding a telescope to his eye and peering across at the Jizhou army’s encampment on the opposite bank.

One of his generals, also watching, suddenly laughed: “Your Excellency’s stratagem has worked perfectly — it looks as though Yang Jixing is about to run.”

Liu Li smiled faintly: “Yang Jixing is a man of no real ability — nothing but a brute with a measure of physical courage. At best he can serve as a vanguard officer; he is unfit to command troops, let alone to lead an entire army.

“In his days on the northern frontier, his reputation for valor rested entirely on his reckless fearlessness when charging at the front. As a commander, he is several hundred levels below Youzhou’s Luo Geng.”

Liu Li said: “I sent men to ask Cui Yanlai to bring his army and envelop them from both flanks, but he feared a trap and would not come. So I had men trade him thirty thousand sets of Qingzhou army uniforms and banners, then disguised my own troops as Qingzhou soldiers and had them appear outside Anyang Prefecture’s walls.”

“If the man I faced across this river were Youzhou’s Luo Geng, I would still be concerned about whether the deception could hold. But Yang Jixing and Zeng Ling? They will be scared out of their wits by this one move.”

Liu Li smiled, satisfaction plain on his face.

“I traded food for uniforms and banners — Cui Yanlai thinks he got the better of the deal. But he does not know that the real winner is us. Cui Yanlai had the opportunity to join me in enveloping Yang Jixing from both sides and then pressing hard into Jizhou — at minimum I would have given him three-tenths of whatever territory we took. But he feared I was setting a trap and did not come. Instead he got a little grain and congratulated himself. So Cui Yanlai, too, is nothing but a mediocrity.”

After finishing, Liu Li turned and issued the command: “Order the army to feign a river crossing — assemble all the boats and have the troops form up along the south bank. Since Yang Jixing is already frightened, let us frighten him a little more.”

His subordinate acknowledged at once and ran out to relay the order.

Liu Li continued: “Send word to Meng Kedi — have him make a show of preparing to attack as well. The pressure will force the Jizhou army to retreat. Only when the Jizhou army flees in panic and we pursue from behind will we win a great victory.”

“Yes!”

The subordinate received the order and ran off in a hurry.

Liu Li laughed: “As I see it, Yang Jixing is nothing but a common brawler. Zeng Ling has a measure of cunning, but cannot act freely. With discord between the top and the bottom, provisions running short, and the men sick from the climate — how could the Jizhou army not fail?”

He laughed loudly, extremely pleased with himself.

“When I was campaigning north and south alongside Prince Wu,” Liu Li declared with pride, “Yang Jixing was still a brash young fool who knew nothing but fighting. Even Zeng Ling at that time was nothing more than a minor official, dependent on the goodwill of others.”

All the generals broke into laughter with him.

But there was no exaggeration in what Liu Li said.

Prince Wu had campaigned across the land, and Liu Li was the most formidable fighter in his ranks — a man of exceptional talent, equal to any task, undefeated in battle. Otherwise, Prince Wu would never have championed him so forcefully for the post of Yuzhou Military Governor. Yuzhou was too vital to be entrusted to anyone less than a great talent.

Prince Wu knew Liu Li’s capabilities and knew he could hold Yuzhou. And Yuzhou — the breadbasket of Great Chu — could not afford to be poorly defended.

Meanwhile, at that very same time, in the southern reaches of Yuzhou.

Prince Wu had personally led an army of one hundred thousand into Yuzhou territory. The great host stretched out like a dragon, awe-inspiring to behold.

A subordinate handed Prince Wu a water flask. Prince Wu took it and said: “Pass the order — the army is to reach Lai City before nightfall.”

His subordinate asked: “Your Highness — why such urgency?”

Prince Wu smiled: “Liu Li is currently at a standoff with the Jizhou army. Without any mishap, the Jizhou army will be defeated and Liu Li will lead his forces into Jizhou to press the advantage. If we move quickly and take Yuzhou while that is happening, we will be in an ideal position.”

He paused, then added: “Liu Li was trained by me. Defeating the Jizhou army presents him with no great difficulty.”

He took a sip of water, then let out a long breath.

His nephew had now ascended to become the Emperor of Great Chu — a young man with the will and the desire to reverse the dynasty’s decline. His old uncle — and longtime minister — would naturally give everything to support him.

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