Li Zhigao and his trusted subordinate commanders Deng Tai and Zhou Tong returned to Jiufeng City full of confusion.
Without Xuzhou’s full support, Li Zhigao could only abandon his risky military plan against the Yongzhou rebels. He summoned Deputy Commander Zhou Dan and all other officers of Deputy Military Supervisor rank and above in Jiufeng City to the main tent, formally presenting the transfer order that had arrived from Yueyang five days earlier for all the generals to see.
“Minister Chai should already be on his way to Shaozhou. Everyone should prepare quickly for the Executive Secretariat’s orders…” Li Zhigao sat behind the main desk, his tiger-like eyes fixed intently on the assembled generals.
Though Li Zhigao led the Left Vermillion Bird Army, not all officers of Deputy Military Supervisor rank and above were his trusted subordinates. Besides Zhou Dan and other commanders from mountain stronghold backgrounds, there were also Zhang Han, Gao Long, Miao Yong and others—all generals who had surrendered during the campaign to reduce the vassals’ power and earned merit through their service.
Particularly Gao Long and Miao Yong—they had been persuaded to surrender by Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and it was Marquis Xinchang Li Pu who strongly recommended them for appointment as mid-to-high-level officers at the Deputy Military Supervisor level. They were naturally viewed as commanders aligned with Marquis Xinchang’s household.
Of the five divisions of elite troops in the Left Vermillion Bird Army, those truly under Li Zhigao’s direct control as his trusted forces were the two divisions led by Zhou Tong and Hao Zixia, plus the thousand-man personal guard battalion led by Deng Tai.
Of course, besides having officers and troops from different factions mixed together to balance each other, the two divisions led by Zhou Tong and Hao Zixia plus the personal guard battalion had their families and dependents mainly settled in the garrison military offices in Tanzhou and Junzhou. This ensured the authority of Tanzhou Prefecture and the Executive Secretariat was adequately maintained within the army.
Zhou Dan and Zhang Han looked utterly bewildered. They knew about Prince Xin’s crushing defeat of the Southern Court Imperial Guards, but they didn’t know that Yueyang had made such a strategic adjustment in response—having Li Zhigao lead the personal guard battalion and Zhou Tong and Hao Zixia’s two divisions, totaling nine thousand elite troops, to garrison Ezhou, while the three divisions led by Zhou Dan, Zhang Han, and Gao Long who remained behind, plus the Shaozhou and Hengzhou prefecture garrisons totaling over twenty-one thousand troops, would be commanded and led by Chai Jian upon his appointment as Shaozhou Prefect and Military Commissioner supervising the three prefectures of Shao, Heng, and Yong.
“Shouldn’t the next step be to attack the Yongzhou rebels with full force? Why is His Highness rushing to divide forces to defend Ezhou at this time?” Zhou Dan asked in shock.
His thinking aligned rather closely with Li Zhigao’s.
Even though the Hunan Executive Secretariat had formed an independent power center around Prince Tan Yang Yuanpu, from the Executive Secretariat’s standpoint, first conquering Yongzhou to eliminate rear concerns was key to the Executive Secretariat’s unification of the western territories and to future competition with Prince Xin or Anning Palace for Great Chu.
Though Prince Xin had shown dazzling brilliance in his crushing defeat of the Southern Court Imperial Guards, precisely because of this, they needed even more urgently to resolve their rear concerns first, so they could devote full effort to dealing with Chuzhou’s elite forces in the future.
“Perhaps attacking Yongzhou by force at this time carries too great a risk. The slightest misstep could cause changes in the north.” Li Zhigao noticed that Zhou Dan and Zhang Han genuinely didn’t know about Yueyang’s latest decision, but seeing that Gao Long, Miao Yong and others apparently already knew through Marquis Xinchang’s household, he calmly explained to Zhou Dan.
“What are Master Han and Minister Shen’s opinions?” Zhou Dan asked.
Zhang Han was from a Langzhou aristocratic family that had been first to submit during the campaign to reduce the vassals’ power, so he didn’t feel deeply about Han Qian. But Zhou Dan, as a commander from mountain stronghold origins, had been recruited by Han Qian representing Yang Yuanpu during the Jing-Xiang campaign and had once been viewed as a commander aligned with the Han family father and son.
Moreover, during the Jinling Incident, the families Zhou Dan and others had left in Jinling had received Feng Liao’s notification to first gather at Lanting Lane, then under arrangements Han Qian had prepared in advance, were escorted by Zhao Wuji and Feng Liao through the Water Gate to escape Jinling City and avoid disaster, only afterwards making their way to Yueyang City through various detours.
From every angle, as Deputy Commander of the Left Vermillion Bird Army, Zhou Dan felt emotionally closer to Han Qian. It was just that as fellow high-ranking military officials of Yueyang, to avoid suspicion, their personal relationship wasn’t very deep.
Though Zhou Dan came from mountain stronghold origins, that didn’t mean his judgment was poor.
The mountain stronghold forces in the mountains and rivers of Junzhou were mainly remnant troops from failed struggles for supremacy in Jing-Xiang over the past several decades who had taken refuge in the wilderness. Whether the remnant commanders or their descendants, their qualities in all aspects were quite good—otherwise they wouldn’t have suddenly produced two great generals at the Deputy Commander and Prefecture Prefect level like Zhou Dan and Chen Jingzhou.
Regarding this Yueyang decision, Zhou Dan had more to consider and weigh than Li Zhigao. After all, remaining behind under Chai Jian’s command would place him in quite an awkward and difficult position.
He still didn’t know that in making this decision, Yueyang hadn’t consulted Xuzhou’s opinion at all. His heart was full of puzzlement about how Xuzhou could approve such an arrangement.
“I don’t yet know Master Han’s opinion, but Minister Shen supports this decision,” Li Zhigao said.
Li Zhigao also greatly admired Zhou Dan’s ability to lead troops and govern the military. It was just that often, Zhou Dan’s mountain stronghold commander origins made him somewhat inclined by habit toward protecting himself wisely.
Though he wouldn’t elaborate on how he had secretly sent Deng Tai to Xuzhou only to be refused, he did convey the basic facts.
Zhou Dan’s doubts grew even heavier. He couldn’t understand how Han Qian’s attitude on this matter could possibly be confused, but he didn’t pursue the question further.
Perhaps it was survival habits formed in the mountain strongholds that made him even more cautious in handling relationships with other Yueyang military officials.
With no one standing up to take the lead, they naturally accepted unconditionally the transfer orders from Prince Tan’s household and the Executive Secretariat, discussing the division of forces and subsequent defense along the Five Finger Ridge, Lion Ridge, and Jiufeng Ridge line, so that after Chai Jian arrived, the transition could proceed as quickly as possible without disorder.
Having arranged all this, it was already past midnight. Li Zhigao rubbed his throbbing temples and walked out of the main tent toward the temporary residence behind the military camp. From a distance he could faintly hear the sound of a zither drifting over.
The zither music seemed able to smooth Li Zhigao’s troubled thoughts, but thinking of who was playing, he became even more conflicted, making him realize he couldn’t completely sever himself from the past.
In a depressed mood, Li Zhigao walked into the residence, only to see an unexpected person now sitting in the rear courtyard pavilion, resting her jade-white chin in her hand, listening to Hong Yu play the zither.
“When did Xishui arrive at Jiufeng City?” Li Zhigao asked impassively.
“I just arrived this afternoon. Hearing elder brother was meeting with the generals to discuss dividing forces, I didn’t dare disturb you, so I came directly to find Sister Hong Yu,” Yao Xishui said.
Seeing Yao Xishui’s gaze drift toward Deng Tai behind him, Li Zhigao thought to himself that the Madam’s side might already know about Deng Tai’s multiple trips to Xuzhou. She had specifically sent Yao Xishui here before Chai Jian arrived, probably worried he wouldn’t comply with the orders.
Thinking this, Li Zhigao’s gaze toward Su Hong Yu couldn’t help but turn cold.
“Elder brother, you’ve misunderstood Sister Hong Yu. That Deng Tai went to Xuzhou—we have other sources of information. Of course, we’re not specifically monitoring you, elder brother,” Yao Xishui said. “The Madam sent me this time not necessarily to stop you from anything, but because the Madam has some words she wants Xishui to convey to you, elder brother.”
“What words?” Li Zhigao walked into the pavilion and sat down, his face somewhat stern as he asked.
Yao Xishui didn’t rush to answer Li Zhigao’s question, but first asked: “When Deng Tai went to Xuzhou, what was Han Qian’s attitude toward Yueyang’s recent situation?”
Seeing Yao Xishui ask this, Li Zhigao knew that even if the Madam’s side had arranged personnel to infiltrate Xuzhou, they hadn’t yet approached the core.
He glanced at Su Hong Yu, sighed inwardly, and decided to tell the truth: “Deng Tai wasn’t able to see Han Qian this time.”
“Didn’t see Han Qian?” Yao Xishui was also shocked. She realized she had never been able to see through Han Qian, and asked: “What exactly does Han Qian mean by this?”
“Perhaps he’s waiting for the moment when he has no choice but to emerge!” Li Zhigao also guessed with utter confusion.
Yao Xishui’s beautiful eyes gazed toward the western night sky, seeing an eerie deep red glow at the peaks of the pitch-black mountains.
Who in the world could fathom Han Qian’s thoughts? Could he really be so certain that without him, Yueyang’s situation would collapse and disintegrate, that someday they would come crawling to his feet, wagging their tails and begging?
“What exactly did the Madam and the Dowager Consort want you to tell me?” These matters were already troubling Li Zhigao enough. He didn’t want to play riddles with Yao Xishui and pressed her with the question.
“I already said, it’s not the Dowager Consort who sent me here, but the Madam who wants me to convey a message to elder brother—the Madam says the Marquis may not be sufficient to rely upon,” Yao Xishui said.
Li Zhigao’s whole body shook. He stared at Yao Xishui in disbelief, for a moment unable to ponder the deeper meaning of Yao Xishui’s words.
“The Madam says if not for elder brother’s decisive handling in Xiangzhou City, the little strength remaining in the Shenling Bureau would probably have been reduced to almost nothing,” Yao Xishui said.
Li Zhigao now came to his senses and gave a cold laugh, saying: “Why was I completely unaware of this matter beforehand and could only follow orders?”
Standing to the side, Deng Tai thought to himself that the Madam’s technique for winning hearts this time was far too clumsy.
Yao Xishui said: “I also advised the Madam to listen more to elder brother’s opinions, but the Madam said that the Shenling Bureau’s remaining strength is currently mainly controlled by the Marquis, and we still depend on the Marquis for many things. Additionally, we hope elder brother will maintain good trust relationships with Han Qian and with His Highness. So for quite a long time to come, the Madam will advise the Dowager Consort to suppress and control you, elder brother. But with elder brother stationed in Ezhou with its hundred thousand households, how can you fear being suppressed by others?”
“…” Li Zhigao kept a cold expression and didn’t believe Yao Xishui’s words.
“The Madam also said elder brother definitely wouldn’t believe these words, so she told me to show elder brother a mark on my body that would make you believe,” Yao Xishui reached to pull down the undershirt below her left armpit, revealing a stretch of snow-white skin. Below the armpit near the chest, there was a dark red mark like a vermillion bird spreading its wings ready to fly. “The Madam says four or five in ten of the imperial clan’s children are born with such marks. You and I, elder brother, are rather fortunate to both be among those four or five in ten, both bearing such marks that can verify each other.”
“How is this possible?” Li Zhigao stared at Yao Xishui in disbelief and sat heavily on the railing.
“Husband, have you truly never noticed that your face bears three or four parts resemblance to Xishui’s?” Su Hong Yu asked softly.