Yuezhou was the former Baling Commandery. When riding across the ridge of Western Mountain Ridge, under a clear sky stretching ten thousand li, gazing far into the distance, one could take in the mountains, wilderness, lakes and rivers dozens of li to the west. At this moment Han Qian involuntarily thought of the famous essay describing Yueyang’s magnificent mountains and waters that would only be written over a hundred years later.

“…The magnificent scenery of Baling lies in Dongting Lake. Holding distant mountains in its mouth, swallowing the Yangtze River, vast and mighty, boundless to the horizon, with morning sunlight and evening shadows, myriad atmospheric phenomena – this is the grand view from Yueyang Tower, fully described by predecessors. As for endless drizzling rain for consecutive months without clearing, fierce dark winds howling, turbid waves emptying the sky, sun and stars hiding their brilliance, mountains concealing their forms, merchants not traveling, masts toppling and oars breaking, dusk growing dark, tigers roaring and apes crying…”

The fourth month was right in the Yangtze-Huai rainy season. This famous essay also described the difficulty of forcibly attacking Yueyang City during the rainy season.

Yueyang City bordered the lake and straddled the river, with interconnected lake expanses. Never mind that the Chu forces had only assembled fifty thousand combat troops – even if their forces doubled, they would still struggle to fully deploy before Yueyang City. Meanwhile the Tanzhou naval forces could emerge from the lake expanses in small boats and sturdy ships to harass from left and right, exhausting the Chu forces even more.

Though the Tower Ship Army’s naval warships were sturdy, they were only advantageous for combat in open waters, unable to prevail in the shallow waters at lake heads and tail channels.

The more orthodox tactic would be to choose one direction, fill rivers and block roads, advance step by step in a fortified manner to press before Yueyang City, then attack by force.

This was the warfare method familiar to Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Shen Yang, and Marquis Zhenyuan Li Jian – the so-called grand formations and proper banners to face strong enemies. But unfortunately Great Chu lacked such leisurely and affluent conditions.

Han Chengmeng, Han Jianji, and Qiao Weiyan ultimately still steeled themselves, bringing the Prince’s Manor guards to follow Han Qian together to the Yuedong Grand Camp at Western Mountain. At this time they stopped at the ridge peak, watching Han Qian silently gaze at the lake and river scenery.

They understood in their hearts Han Qian’s old grudges with Second Uncle’s family and with Han Jun. They had all seen that promiscuous woman Jing Niang – speaking of her, there was nothing particularly special, just vulgar rouge and powder. When Han Jun went to provoke that woman, to put it bluntly, it was to humiliate Han Qian together with Han Duan.

Just imagine, when Han Qian was only thirteen or fourteen years old – how could such hatred possibly be easily dispelled?

On this point, Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji both deeply empathized.

Because this was an era where legitimate sons and legitimate eldest sons took everything, as concubine-born sons, Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji, along with their mothers as concubines, held status in the Han family that might not even compare to favored slaves. They even suffered deliberate suppression, so that in the past they had not been able to inherit official status through family privilege, and in the clan they only managed miscellaneous affairs.

Even though they had practiced martial arts since childhood and diligently studied military studies, they never had opportunities to lead family troops.

Meanwhile Han Jun at a young age held a sixth-rank official position. Han Duan, as the second branch’s legitimate eldest son, also managed family business early on. It was only because Third Uncle and his son gained favor with His Majesty and the Third Prince, and made illustrious achievements in Xuzhou this time, that they rose with the tide and were granted eighth-rank military officer positions.

They could understand the resentment in Han Qian’s heart. So when Han Qian was cold toward them and kept them at a thousand li distance, they could endure it. Who told them they were from the eldest branch?

Following the ridge road downward, the Western Mountain Grand Camp was four to five li away on the mountainside.

Though called the mountainside, it was only seven to eight zhang higher than the river surface several li away.

The Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, together with Shen Yang, Marquis Zhenyuan Yang Jian, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and others, had long been waiting at the gate to welcome him.

Seeing the mass of people in front of the gate, receiving such courteous treatment, Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji were both startled.

Logically speaking, only the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers deserved such grand ceremony.

In the eyes of the Han clan, the Han Daoxun and Han Qian father and son were great traitors. Especially during Han Qian’s “secret flight” period, Han Daochang, Han Jun, and Han Duan wished they could capture him to extract his marrow and gnaw his bones to satisfy their hatred. Others didn’t even dare mention their names – at best they would receive a scolding, at worst a whipping.

Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji were not men of extraordinary insight or magnanimity. In such an atmosphere, their situation became even more awkward, and they inevitably harbored resentment toward Third Uncle and his son in their hearts.

The transformation naturally began the day the campaign to reduce the domains was publicly announced. Afterward they both went to the Prince’s Manor, to Ezhou, to serve beside the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.

Among the people at the Prince’s Manor, perceptions of Han Qian varied. But even those harboring jealous hatred like Wang Lin, Li Chong, and Zhou Yuan had to admit that Han Qian took unconventional approaches with strategies unfathomable even to spirits and demons.

Only then did Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji gradually learn the inside story of Third Uncle writing the “Epidemic Water Memorial” and organizing the Dragon Sparrow Army by taking in epidemic-stricken refugees, learn about the “Commentary on Using Spies” co-authored by Third Uncle and Han Qian, and on that basis the inside story of Han Qian organizing the Jinyun Tower (Left Division)…

Before receiving further news about the Wuling Army, during the Jing-Xiang warfare, Han Qian’s strategic planning reached its zenith.

From securing the initiative in Dengxi defense to building Canglang City and rallying mountain fortress forces, to penetrating the Liang Army’s secret schemes, persuading the Third Prince to leave Xiangzhou City to execute Xia Zhen and take command in Xichuan, even to luring and annihilating Liang Army elite forces and repelling enemies outside the city – even Shen Yang, Yang Jian and others who were dissatisfied with Han Qian’s overly unconventional strategies and constant risks had to admit that in reversing the Jing-Xiang war situation, Han Qian played an irreplaceable role.

The Prince’s Manor thereby established its foundation.

And “fleeing in secret” to Xuzhou was even more an extraordinary strategy Han Qian had voluntarily presented to His Majesty, thereby enabling the Prince’s Manor to secure leadership in this campaign to reduce the domains.

After learning all these inside details, when Han Chengmeng and Han Jianji saw the Third Prince leading various officials out of camp to welcome Han Qian, besides feeling shocked, they also felt it was not so difficult to understand.

Han Qian could be said to be the most important man in the Third Prince’s life besides His Majesty, couldn’t he?

Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and Marquis Zhenyuan Yang Jian naturally were unwilling to condescend to exit the gate to welcome Han Qian. Even if Han Daoxun came to Yuezhou, he would not qualify for them to exit the gate to welcome him – much less could they easily guess Han Qian’s intentions in coming to Yueyang.

However, since the Third Prince personally came out of camp, they had no way to hide and not appear.

The achievements of the Han Daoxun and Han Qian father and son in Xuzhou over this past year did not allow them to ignore it, otherwise their situation in Yuezhou would be even more awkward.

And that the Han Daoxun and Han Qian father and son had handed over military authority to Zheng Hui, plus Han Qian coming alone to Yuezhou to see the Third Prince, was sufficient proof of their loyalty to the court.

Receiving such courteous treatment perhaps could not be called excessive.

Gao Chengyuan, Guo Liang and other generals loved warfare and craved merit. Whoever could help them obtain the most dazzling military achievements could make them submit.

Commanding troops in battle, one’s head was always hanging from the waist. They didn’t think as deeply or maturely about matters as Shen Yang and Yang Jian.

They also lacked Shen Yang and Yang Jian’s prejudices against Han Qian. They even harbored expectations for Han Qian’s arrival, hoping to break through the current impasse as soon as possible.

Zhou Dan need not even be mentioned.

Li Zhigao best understood the Third Prince’s feelings toward Han Qian. Compared to Shen Yang as the Prince’s Tutor, perhaps it was truly Han Qian from whom the Third Prince learned the most.

Chai Jian, Li Chong and others stood sourly to the side.

“Han Qian pays respects to Your Highness! Pays respects to Marquis Yang, Marquis Li, and Master Shen Yang.” Han Qian respectfully hurried forward, bowing deeply to the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, Yang Jian, Li Pu, Shen Yang and others.

Everyone clustered around the Third Prince and Han Qian as they entered the gate, walking toward the main tent.

The banquet had long been prepared. Yang Yuanpu directly pulled Han Qian to sit beside him, then had everyone else sit separately on both sides behind long tables, first exchanging feelings about their separation.

In outsiders’ eyes, Han Qian at this time compared to when in Jinling had shed some of his unsheathed flamboyant sharpness and gained more profound and mountain-like composure. Conversing and laughing freely before veteran generals like Yang Jian and Li Pu as well as great scholars like Shen Yang without the slightest timidity, it was hard to imagine he was only a twenty-two-year-old youth.

The Third Prince Yang Yuanpu at this time had just turned seventeen years old, but it was already hard to find youthful frivolity and rashness in him.

In Han Qian’s view, rather than saying it was due to his and Shen Yang’s successful teaching, it was better to say that over ten years of trembling, heart-pounding palace life had made the Third Prince mature far earlier than his peers. Although this was not necessarily a good thing, at least at this time it made people believe that if one day the Third Prince could ascend to the imperial throne, he would not be inferior to the Crown Prince or Prince Xin.

Han Qian naturally would not rush to express his opinions on upcoming battle arrangements just after entering the Yuedong Grand Camp at Western Mountain.

At the banquet he conversed and laughed freely. Besides reminiscing, he mainly discussed the current situation in Chen and Xu provinces, not avoiding mention of the problems existing in the Wuling Army. He didn’t even proactively ask about military camp affairs here, merely corresponding what others said in conversation with what the Third Prince had sent people to relay previously.

Shen Yang, Yang Jian and even Marquis Xinchang Li Pu occupied high positions not out of thin air. When they advocated for something, they must have sufficient reasons.

If Han Qian rashly advocated using surprise troops to enter the Yuan River at this time, it would only provoke unnecessary controversy.

He first needed to understand the specific thoughts and concerns of every person in the main tent who could speak on this matter, before he could make others believe in the necessity of deploying troops this way.

At this time, among the fifty thousand combat troops assembled at the Yuedong Western Mountain Grand Camp, twenty thousand were Dragon Sparrow Army soldiers, over fifteen thousand were Tower Ship Army naval forces, and the other fifteen thousand-some were provincial and township troops conscripted from places like Ezhou, Huangzhou, and Jiangzhou.

Among these, the truly elite combat forces, besides the Tower Ship Army naval forces, were the Dragon Sparrow Army troops.

The Dragon Sparrow Army initially organized over twelve thousand military households. After the Jing-Xiang warfare, they took in mountain fortress forces, plus military households relocated from Jiang-E and other places, totaling just over twenty thousand military households with thirty thousand able-bodied men – these were battle results fought for through bloody battles at Xichuan.

This time the Dragon Sparrow Army drew two from every three able-bodied men from military prefecture households, formed into twenty thousand elite forces for battle.

Even though the military prefecture implemented the divisional military system, deploying troops this way could be said to be the limit, and had even seriously affected this year’s military prefecture farming.

For Great Chu, a pyrrhic victory in this battle would still be a win. But for the Prince’s Manor, a pyrrhic victory would be a major setback, creating who knows how many complications in the subsequent succession struggle.

The military banned alcohol. Today they made an exception to welcome Han Qian, but everyone feared causing problems, so they only dared drink until slightly tipsy before ending the wine and banquet.

Others withdrew. Yang Yuanpu kept Han Qian in the main tent to continue talking.

“Elder Brother advocates leading troops to join with the Wuling Army, but everyone else says it’s too risky. I’ve been troubled by this matter too. Master Han, what do you truly think in your heart? If you feel Elder Brother’s advocacy is feasible, I won’t care what others think,” Yang Yuanpu said quite excitedly.

“As a general, there are generals of ten men, generals of a hundred men, generals of a thousand men – the methods for commanding subordinates differ accordingly. And Your Highness at this time is commander of an army, and in the future will govern ten thousand people – this requires great attention.”

Han Qian patiently explained to the Third Prince.

“I came this time, first because we’ve been separated so long and I longed to see Your Highness, second because regarding how to fight the upcoming battles, I haven’t yet determined – I still need to talk with Your Highness, with Master Shen Yang, Marquis Yang, Marquis Li, to know what everyone is thinking in their hearts, before I can give Your Highness further suggestions.”

“Ah, I thought Master Han had a set strategy,” Yang Yuanpu said.

Seeing Yang Yuanpu inevitably had a young person’s urgency, Han Qian actually felt better about it. He smiled: “Sometimes even the most brilliant strategy, if forced through despite everyone’s opposition, is more likely to produce fatal flaws because people’s hearts are not unified and wills are not firm. Unlike the last-ditch battle at Xichuan, this time even if we use a risky strategy, we still need to persuade everyone to work together with one heart, otherwise we’d rather abandon it. And Your Highness should not prematurely expose your inner thoughts. That way, some people will submit to Your Highness’s will and won’t dare frankly express their own views, and Your Highness won’t necessarily be able to grasp more of the situation to conduct comprehensive weighing…”