A great river divided Yuzhou from Jingzhou. The Army of Heavenly Mandate’s camp lay at the foot of Dunshan on the river’s south bank, while the Ning Army’s camp was spread around Qianxian on the north bank.

The position here was extraordinarily complex and strategically significant — not only was it the border between Yuzhou and Jingzhou, it was also where the borders of Jingzhou and Jingzhou met. Going southeast from Yang Xuanji’s forces led into Jingzhou; going north led into Yuzhou.

The river was wide, blocking the movement of cavalry and infantry, and the undefeated war god Tang Pidi was deployed in fortifications on the northern side. By any assessment, the correct move would be to attack Jingzhou instead.

Yet Yang Xuanji had no desire to. Even with the Great Chu reduced to such a state of weakness, whoever struck at Daxing first would find themselves on the defensive — this was something everyone understood.

If he dared move against Daxing first, Prince Wu Yang Jiju — the man holding back Li Xionghu’s armies — would immediately abandon Suzhou and the southern half of Jingzhou and turn his forces directly against Yang Xuanji.

And Li Xionghu would seize the opportunity to push north, and there was no way he would stand by and watch Yang Xuanji actually seize Daxing.

Once that kind of great battle was launched, it would not be a matter of tens of thousands killed — not even just a hundred thousand. This would be a spectacle of no fewer than two million troops converging on one theater.

Yang Xuanji had roughly five hundred thousand troops on his side. Li Xionghu alone claimed two million. By comparison, Prince Ning Li Chi’s forces were almost negligible.

South of Yuzhou, practically no one cared who Li Chi was. No one thought some so-called “Prince Ning” had any standing to contend for the realm.

A dozen or so li south of Qianxian lay the great river, and along the river’s bank, Ning Army combat soldiers stood in tight formation, at the ready.

Due to the flood disaster in Yuzhou, Great General Tang Pidi had no choice but to split his forces and send them back to assist the disaster victims, which plunged the military situation instantly into a passive position.

Along the riverbank, dense growths of reeds lined both shores, and the hidden scouts of both sides lay concealed within them, watching the enemy’s movements on the opposite bank.

At this moment, for both sides, boats had become of paramount importance.

Fortunately, when Tang Pidi had led his forces back to the north bank, he had brought large numbers of vessels back with him from the south bank. For the Army of Heavenly Mandate, crossing the great river was not something that could be accomplished in a day or two.

In this season of abundant rainfall, with rising water levels in the river, the possibility of building a crossing bridge was negligible.

So this situation had resulted in a temporary standoff between both sides.

Yet Tang Pidi knew perfectly well that Yang Xuanji would not let this opportunity pass. If he couldn’t capture Yuzhou now, there would almost certainly be no opportunity to try again.

Yang Xuanji must at this moment be making every effort to gather boats. The initiative as to when to cross lay entirely with Yang Xuanji.

In a dense reed growth on the north bank of the great river, Cao Lie stood peering through a far-seeing glass toward the enemy forces’ positions on the opposite shore.

Yu Jiuling urged him: “Prince Ning said if you were heading somewhere dangerous, I was absolutely to drag you back.”

Cao Lie: “Not going back.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Doing this worries the Prince, worries all of us. Besides, going over there like this is no different from throwing an egg at a stone…”

Cao Lie turned to look at Yu Jiuling: “I’m from Yuzhou.”

Yu Jiuling opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.

Cao Lie let out a slow breath: “I was born in Yuzhou, grew up in Yuzhou. Even though most of the time those ordinary people had nothing to do with me — I even… I even looked down on them. But no matter what, they are my hometown folk.”

He looked at Yu Jiuling: “They thought me too far beyond their reach to approach. I thought them crude and ignorant, impossible to talk to. If this flood had never happened, I could have lived and died without any connection to those people now swallowed by the water… but they have been harmed, and so I must take revenge.”

He turned to look at the great river: “Whatever you say, they’re family.”

Yu Jiuling slowly let out a breath: “I’ll go with you.”

Cen Xiaoxiao patted Yu Jiuling on the shoulder: “This is too dangerous. You’d be better off going back to report to the Prince.”

Yu Jiuling said: “You think I’d go back?”

Cen Xiaoxiao said: “You don’t have to go.”

Yu Jiuling said: “What do you mean have to or don’t have to? You want to avenge your hometown folk, and you’re my brothers and friends. Let me ask first — have you ever imagined a day when you’d risk your life for strangers you don’t know?”

Cen Xiaoxiao shook his head: “I never imagined I’d risk my life for them. But that doesn’t stop me from risking my life for them now.”

Yu Jiuling said: “I never imagined I’d risk my life for any of you either, since I barely know you. But that doesn’t stop me from going to risk my life alongside you right now.”

Cen Xiaoxiao said: “If you died for this…”

Yu Jiuling said: “Then wouldn’t I be a great hero?”

He looked at Cen Xiaoxiao, somewhat smugly: “I’ve already got an heir on the way. My wife is with child. What have I got to be afraid of?”

Cen Xiaoxiao was taken aback.

Yu Jiuling grew even more smug: “My wife is a princess. I’d wager you’ll never in your life get to marry a princess.”

Cen Xiaoxiao gave a nod: “Fair enough.”

Cao Lie said: “If it were Prince Ning, he’d also be thinking of ways to take revenge. But for this revenge — if it’s to be taken, the people of Yuzhou go first. Jiuling, you need to go back and report this to the Prince. Don’t act rashly.”

He pointed toward the far shore: “Below Dunshan there’s a county seat. I’ve already asked around — it’s called Lingshan County. Breaking into the Army of Heavenly Mandate’s camp is basically impossible, but if we can find a way to get Zhuge Jingzhan to come into the city, we’ll have a chance.”

Yu Jiuling said: “Then let’s do it.”

Then in an instant he stepped aside, turned back, and looked at Cen Xiaoxiao: “Don’t try that trick of knocking me out and sending me back. Working under Prince Ning this long, you think a cheap trick like that would work on us?”

Cen Xiaoxiao’s hand was already half raised. He lowered it with a slightly awkward look.

Cao Lie looked at Yu Jiuling: “You’re about to become a father.”

He had deliberately said many things just now to distract Yu Jiuling, intending for Cen Xiaoxiao to find the right moment to knock him out.

Yu Jiuling said: “So what you’re saying is — someday in the future, when I’m standing with my child at the graves of you people filling in the dirt and burning offerings, and my child asks me, ‘Father, where were you when your brothers were putting their lives on the line?’ — I’m supposed to say, ‘My child, your father backed down, ran away, lost his nerve’?”

Cao Lie fell silent.

Yu Jiuling said: “You should all know perfectly well — Prince Ning’s people don’t do that sort of thing. Just now you mentioned recklessness — I thought of something my wife once said to me. She said men and women, you know, are always a little different. When women act on impulse, the money is gone. When men act on impulse, their lives are gone… I have to say, my wife sees things clearly.”

Cao Lie drew a deep breath, then said solemnly: “I’m leading this mission. When Prince Ning has led you all out on missions in the past, he must have been thinking about how to get the job done and bring everyone home alive. Now it’s my turn to think about that.”

On the opposite shore.

The Army of Heavenly Mandate’s camp, the central command tent.

Yang Xuanji stood in the doorway watching the soldiers drilling in the camp, but his gaze kept drifting.

Over the past few days, the things Xun Youjiu had said to him kept floating back and forth through his mind.

He knew Xun Youjiu was right. What Zhuge Jingzhan had done in Yuzhou had handed him an infamy that would be difficult to wash away.

He was a man of the Yang imperial family, a man who wished to continue the Yang family’s imperial rule, and a man who wished to open a new era. If an emperor’s reputation was this foul and this rotten, how could such an imperial throne ever be stable?

By the time he fought his way into Daxing and seized the realm and ascended to the throne, there would still be people raising armies in revolt because of the Yuzhou flood disaster, and they would keep coming without end.

Because they would have a righteous cause.

And so Xun Youjiu had said: if he entered Yuzhou, the first thing he should do was kill Zhuge Jingzhan to appease the people’s fury. It seemed like something that had to be done.

Just as these thoughts were turning in his mind, Zhuge Jingzhan came walking in from outside with a smile on his face. He stopped at the entrance and bowed: “Greetings, my lord.”

Yang Xuanji’s face immediately broke into a smile as he stepped out to meet him: “Why is Master not resting?”

Zhuge Jingzhan said: “I’ve rested for several days now. If I don’t get moving, my body and mind will grow rusty. Your subordinate has come to ask whether there is anything our lord needs me to attend to.”

Yang Xuanji understood Zhuge Jingzhan’s meaning in an instant, and Zhuge Jingzhan’s own intentions were abundantly clear as well — he hadn’t handled the Yuzhou situation cleanly, and so he feared Yang Xuanji would grow cold toward him.

Coming now served two purposes: first, to see whether Yang Xuanji had had time to think things over; second, to read whether Yang Xuanji’s attitude toward him had changed in any way.

Yang Xuanji smiled: “Has Master perhaps placed a hidden scout at my side, so that whenever I think of sending for Master Zhuge, Master comes of his own accord?”

Zhuge Jingzhan laughed heartily at these words, and bowed: “Whatever arrangement our lord wishes to make, please simply give the order.”

Yang Xuanji said: “I was thinking just yesterday that Master has only just returned from the north, worn out from such a long journey — he ought to rest a few more days. Yet I truly can’t manage without Master, so when I thought it over, I decided to look for something light and easy to ask Master to take care of…”

At hearing these words, Zhuge Jingzhan’s heart gave a sudden tightening.

*Something light and easy?*

Yang Xuanji said: “I call it light and easy, but it is of critical importance. Crossing the river is inevitable, but we lack boats. The grain and provisions haven’t yet arrived at the camp either, and so…”

Hearing this, Zhuge Jingzhan’s heart steadied somewhat. These things could hardly be called light and easy.

Going to tend the horses — *that* was light and easy.

Zhuge Jingzhan said: “The matters of boats and grain, your subordinate will attend to as quickly as possible.”

Yang Xuanji clasped his hands: “That would be most appreciated, Master.”

Zhuge Jingzhan said: “Then your subordinate will take his leave. Advancing into Yuzhou is of the utmost urgency, so your subordinate will do everything in his power to see things handled swiftly.”

Yang Xuanji waved a hand: “Go see to it, Master. If anything comes up, I’ll send for you.”

Zhuge Jingzhan saw that Yang Xuanji’s manner had not changed in any noticeable way, and felt considerably reassured. He turned and left.

After Zhuge Jingzhan was gone, Yang Xuanji said to a guard at his side: “Please ask Master Xun Youjiu to come speak with me.”

Shortly, Xun Youjiu came hurrying over. When he saw Yang Xuanji and made to bow, Yang Xuanji steadied him with a hand: “Come inside.”

Xun Youjiu knew something important was at hand — and it likely concerned Zhuge Jingzhan — and felt a quiet surge of excitement in his heart.

If he was to become an indispensable figure under Yang Xuanji, the only way was to take Zhuge Jingzhan’s place.

Now that Zhuge Jingzhan had made such a grave error in Yuzhou, how could he let this opportunity pass.

“Master Xun.”

After Yang Xuanji had tea poured for Xun Youjiu and dismissed his attendants, he looked at Xun Youjiu and said: “I just now gave both the task of gathering boats and the task of overseeing provisions to Master Zhuge.”

Xun Youjiu’s heart gave a start. What was this supposed to mean?

Yang Xuanji said: “With Master Zhuge away from the camp — and taking his trusted followers with him — the accounts, logistics, and many miscellaneous matters he was managing have been set aside.”

Xun Youjiu immediately understood, and his heart surged with excitement.

Yang Xuanji said: “For this great campaign, nothing can go wrong. So, Master Xun, please go ahead and select some men, and take over these matters temporarily.”

Xun Youjiu bowed deeply: “Your subordinate thanks our lord for this trust!”

Yang Xuanji looked toward the tent entrance, saw no one was nearby, and lowered his voice: “But there is one thing you must remember. You said it yourself — that if Master Zhuge were to… if he were to die, he must die before the people of Yuzhou. You understand what I mean?”

Xun Youjiu pulled aside his robe and knelt: “Your subordinate understands. Your subordinate would not dare act rashly and spoil our lord’s great campaign to push north.”

Yang Xuanji waved a hand: “Go attend to things first. Selecting men takes time — don’t be too hasty, but don’t let things slip either… you understand my meaning. Go.”

Xun Youjiu kowtowed once more, then left the tent.

Yang Xuanji let out a long breath and murmured to himself: “Master Zhuge… truly, this cannot be blamed on me.”

—