Two days later, Li Zhigao also led over ten guards to Jingzi Pass to rendezvous with Han Qian.

“I met with Defense Commissioner Du Chongtao. From beginning to end he barely said a word, but everyone else was chattering away, giving all sorts of reasons why they disagreed with the Dragon Sparrow Army garrisoning the three western Deng counties. They wanted us to camp at the western foothills of the Dahong Mountains!”

Li Zhigao entered the camp compound that Han Qian had ordered people to tidy up somewhat. He saw that the compound had been formed by enclosing a relatively intact residential courtyard in the town, using wooden palisade walls to block the gaps in the damaged courtyard walls. Many chevaux-de-frise and caltrops had also been constructed on the outside to prevent large enemy forces from rapidly approaching the compound, giving the Dragon Sparrow Army troops an initial place to deploy.

Li Zhigao handed his snow-covered cloak, horsewhip and such to his guards. Sitting down boldly by the brazier burning charcoal, he spoke about the results of going alone into Xiangzhou city to meet Du Chongtao.

“Their excuses were nothing more than worrying that north of the Han River, Your Highness might encounter enemy danger, and that Xiangzhou couldn’t bear such responsibility…”

“Although Du Chongtao didn’t directly state his position, what the others said should represent his attitude as well.” Han Qian stared at the charcoal burning vigorously in the stone brazier and said unhurriedly.

“Regardless of Du Chongtao’s mentality, if we truly agreed to have the Dragon Sparrow Army camp at the western foothills of the Dahong Mountains, that position is on the eastern bank of the Han River, in the southeastern direction of Xiangzhou city and south of Zaoyang. It’s actually at the southernmost part of the entire Deng-Xiang defense line. Further south is Yingzhou.” Li Zhigao saw that Han Qian’s desk had a topographical map of Deng-Xiang. He spread out the map and pointed out where Du Chongtao wanted them to camp, saying, “Du Chongtao actually wants to use the Dragon Sparrow Army as the rear guard of the forces assembling on the western flank this time. Perhaps he doesn’t think the Dragon Sparrow Army has any combat capability at all, or perhaps other factors are at work!”

Li Zhigao struck his palm with his fist in frustration. He was unwilling to accept this arrangement, but currently in Xiangzhou, he could only come discuss this matter with Han Qian.

“Yes, this way the discrepancy from what we envisioned is too great.” Han Qian said with furrowed brows, also finding it quite troublesome.

Emperor Tianyou remained clearheaded. He hadn’t directly appointed Third Prince Yang Yuanpu as commander-in-chief of the various armies on the western flank just because he was his own flesh and blood son. He had merely added the title of Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Northwestern Campaign. The position of Campaign Commander-in-Chief was still held by the experienced and distinguished Deng-Xiang Defense Commissioner Du Chongtao.

Therefore, after the Dragon Sparrow Army reached Xiangzhou, they would still be under Du Chongtao’s unified command.

Even so, when Han Qian left Jinling, he had discussed with Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu and Li Zhigao, hoping that after the Dragon Sparrow Army reached Xiangzhou, the Third Prince could fight for command authority in at least one direction. They absolutely couldn’t shrink to the very bottom of the entire defense line to serve as the rear guard.

Beyond considerations of military merit and Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s personal prestige, the Dragon Sparrow Army also needed to be tempered by iron and blood before they could truly become a powerful army.

In terms of influence, whether the Dragon Sparrow Army was a weak force or a strong army would directly affect how others treated them.

“You’re full of ideas—what’s a good solution?”

Li Zhigao rubbed his hands, holding them over the brazier to warm them, letting his frozen hands thaw. Traveling in such cold weather was both exhausting and freezing—truly unbearable. He stared at Han Qian questioningly.

“The first contingent of troops has already entered the Han River and will reach Xiangzhou in a few more days. But it will take at least another half month for the Third Prince to arrive. If the first contingent follows Du Chongtao’s arrangements and camps at the western foothills of the Dahong Mountains first, many plans will be impossible to implement.”

In their initial discussions, after the first contingent entered Xiangzhou, Han Qian would assist Li Zhigao in leading them westward and northward along the Dan River valley, becoming the vanguard battle unit blocking Liang’s Guanzhong forces from advancing south.

Li Zhigao pulled out a wheat cake frozen hard from his bosom, tore off a small piece, and chewed with difficulty. Looking back at Tian Cheng standing to the side, he said: “Help me heat up a bowl of hot soup.”

As First Supervisor of the Dragon Sparrow Army, Li Zhigao’s nominal rank was second only to Vice Commander Chen De, Chief of Staff Shen Yang, and Supervising Commissioner Guo Rong. But with Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu not in the army, his position was actually the highest. He knew now that Tian Cheng was the Director of the Left Bureau’s Military Affairs that Han Qian had arranged, but asking Tian Cheng to help bring a bowl of hot soup wasn’t contempt—sometimes it was more a show of familiarity.

Han Qian saw Li Zhigao frowning straight away while chewing the dry wheat cake and said with a smile: “We’ve been here for two days. Although we can’t arrange any delicacies from land and sea, we can still provide hot noodle soup—Supervisor, please be patient.”

“I’m truly starving.” Li Zhigao said, rubbing his hands.

Han Qian indicated that Tian Cheng should also sit down to discuss matters, having others handle the chores. After pondering for a moment, he said to Li Zhigao: “Actually we don’t need to care what Du Chongtao thinks.”

“The provisions and grain for the western flank forces are all assembled in Xiangzhou, controlled by Du Chongtao. If we don’t obey his orders and advance north on our own, he’ll certainly cut off grain supplies, forcing us to retreat. Or can you solve these problems?” Li Zhigao said this, but stared at Han Qian with even more anticipation.

Li Zhigao had campaigned through Jianghuai with his father’s generation from a young age, so he naturally knew that as a commanding general, sometimes one could be slightly willful. Moreover, the Dragon Sparrow Army’s commander was Third Prince Yang Yuanpu—they could be even more willful before Du Chongtao.

If the Dragon Sparrow Army didn’t obey Du Chongtao’s orders and acted independently, they would naturally have to bear all the consequences. But would Du Chongtao dare enforce military law against Third Prince Yang Yuanpu?

However, the most critical problem still lay with supplies.

If the Dragon Sparrow Army advanced north without authorization, Du Chongtao couldn’t send people to arrest Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, but he could cut off grain supplies, forcing them to retreat.

Li Zhigao naturally also wanted to advance north, but he needed to count on Han Qian to help him solve the grain problem. Particularly for the first batch of two thousand elite troops who had already entered the Han River—including horse feed, they needed monthly supplies of three thousand shi of rice, grain, bean fodder and other necessary materials.

Li Zhigao knew that with the boat gangs and fleets currently controlled by the Left Bureau, they should barely be able to guarantee such supply intensity.

Seeing Li Zhigao’s expectant gaze, Han Qian was startled. Was he stuffed full with nothing better to do than have the Left Bureau bear such a heavy material supply burden? Wouldn’t the expenditures for coins and grain also have to be advanced by the Left Bureau first?

“What I mean is, have the first batch of troops advancing north sent directly into Xiangzhou city to wait for His Highness to arrive.” Han Qian said.

“If there’s no grain, let them run wild?” Li Zhigao asked hesitantly. He could guess what Han Qian’s intention was, but he needed to weigh the pros and cons.

If the first batch of two thousand elite troops entered Xiangzhou city directly and Du Chongtao didn’t provide grain supplies, they could requisition grain locally, disrupting Du Chongtao’s base of power. But the Liang army hadn’t even attacked yet and the western flank would already have discord between commanders and generals—the impact would be quite bad.

Moreover, as one of Great Chu’s renowned generals, Du Chongtao couldn’t possibly be completely helpless when faced with troops that didn’t obey orders. They still needed to consider Du Chongtao’s possible reactions.

“Have the advance troops enter Xiangzhou first. When the Third Prince arrives to negotiate with Du Chongtao, we can immediately arrange to advance west into Dan River afterward—at least we won’t waste time. If we garrison at the western foothills of the Dahong Mountains now, when the Third Prince comes to negotiate, even if Du Chongtao agrees to let the Dragon Sparrow Army advance north, the Dragon Sparrow Army will need to break camp and reassemble. Without naval warships to help transport them, it will delay at least another seven or eight days. During those seven or eight days of delay, if Liang’s Shang and Shan prefectures have already sent reinforcements to Wuguan, and Du Chongtao has also reacted by that time, deploying more troops along the Jingzi Pass line and arranging garrison commanders of appropriate rank, then all our initial plans will fall through,” Han Qian said. “Of course, for now you should still stay here with me and not return to Xiangzhou to negotiate with Du Chongtao, lest Du Chongtao get anxious and cut off your head—then I truly would have no way to answer to His Highness or Marquis Li.”

Li Zhigao thought about it—he was right. If he truly acted according to Han Qian’s strategy, Du Chongtao couldn’t directly hold the Third Prince accountable, nor would he do anything to the military officers below. But he himself couldn’t easily fall into Du Chongtao’s hands—at least not before the Third Prince arrived.

Otherwise, his death would be extremely unjust.

Just then, people brought up two bowls of hot noodle soup, topped with a thick layer of minced mutton glistening with red oil and some unknown chopped herb leaves. The aroma was enticing.

Li Zhigao’s stomach immediately rumbled. Seeing that his dozen or so guards also all had provisions arranged, he said to Han Qian with a smile: “You’re living quite well—in these wild mountain ridges, where did you get mutton?”

“Can’t the food block your mouth?” Han Qian laughed, not wanting to reveal too early the matter of large numbers of escaped households hiding in the surrounding deep mountains. He urged Li Zhigao to hurry and eat the mutton noodle soup before discussing more matters.

After eating the two bowls of mutton noodle soup, Li Zhigao patted his belly with satisfaction and said: “Then let’s do as you suggest!” He immediately found brush and ink to write two secret letters, and after sealing them, arranged for several guards to dispatch them at fastest speed.