Han Daochang and Han Jun escorted Old Master Han Wenhuan into the northern foothills of Mount Fuyu. They first sent someone to rush to Sitian Dun to make contact with Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, then waited for Li Pu to arrive before proceeding together to Guangde Stronghold to meet with Han Qian.

When Xi Ren walked into the eastern side courtyard, there was no one in the courtyard itself. Inside the great hall, besides Han Qian, Feng Liao, Feng Yi, Zhang Ping, Yuan Guowei, Old Master Han Wenhuan, Han Daochang, and Han Jun, there were also Li Pu, Li Xiu, Li Qi, Wei Zhen, Yao Xishui, and others.

Li Yu’s condition had already deteriorated so severely that he could barely rise from bed. After Han Wenhuan arrived, he had first rushed over to hastily see him once. Li Yu found even speaking quite difficult, and his mind was somewhat confused.

Sitting upright before his desk with an originally quite solemn expression, Han Qian saw Xi Ren arrive travel-worn and dusty. Smiles gathered in his pupils as he walked barefoot from behind the long desk, going to the front of the corridor. Both happy and concerned, he asked, “Why did you come personally? Was the journey hard? How is Ting’er?”

Xi Ren looked at Han Qian with a smile, seeing that he had grown much thinner than when he was in Xuzhou.

Although after entering Guangde and encountering the Chishan Army’s scout cavalry Xi Ren no longer needed to disguise herself, during the journey she had merely removed her disguise without time to stop and groom herself properly. She still wore a somewhat worn short-hem cloth shirt, and the boat and horse travel had left her extremely weary and haggard.

However, her natural beauty was hard to abandon. Beneath her temple-reaching long eyebrows, a pair of wonderful eyes were deeply captivating with their watery luminescence.

No matter how difficult Xi Ren’s first half of life had been, at this moment she was the female family head of the Xi clan.

And Xi Ren had served by Han Qian’s side for years. Together with Zhao Ting’er, she was one of the two most important women at Han Qian’s side. Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Zhang Ping, and even Han Daochang and Han Jun could not ignore her existence. At this moment they all sat at a distance, watching with various expressions as Han Qian walked to the front of the corridor and took Xi Ren’s hand to help her up the steps.

Xi Ren glanced at the people in the great hall with their various expressions. Standing at the front of the corridor, she said quietly to Han Qian, “When I left Xuzhou, Madam Ting had just given birth to a young master for you. Both mother and child are safe. Only then could I free myself to rush over and report this joyous news to you.”

“Is that so!” Han Qian happily rubbed his hands together, pulling Xi Ren back into the great hall. He said to the Old Master, “Grandfather, Ting’er has just given birth to a big fat son for me in Xuzhou…” He had Xi Ren sit directly beside him before remembering something. “Has that little fellow been given a name?”

Xi Ren paid her respects to Han Wenhuan and the others before sitting down beside Han Qian, saying quietly, “Madam Ting has been waiting for you to name the young master! You haven’t mentioned it in your letters several times…”

Han Qian slapped his forehead, sighing shamefacedly, “Amidst military urgency, I actually neglected this important matter.”

Han Wenhuan had cultivated himself through many years of retirement. Although he was already seventy-six this year – a rare advanced age in this era – and despite the boat and horse travel, rushing through wind and rain to reach Guangde, which Han Daochang and Han Jun found quite arduous, Han Wenhuan’s spirits were still quite good. He happily stroked his white beard and said, “Our old Han family has added another male heir – this is truly a joyous occasion!”

Li Pu, Wei Zhen, and the others could not bear to hear of good fortune happening to Han Qian. Their expressions were gloomy, but they still joined the others in congratulating Han Qian.

“If we can truly persuade Gu Zhilong to surrender this time, that would be joy upon joy indeed,” Han Qian said with hearty laughter, his mood greatly improved.

Xi Ren was wondering in her heart how Han Qian could be so certain at this moment that Gu Zhilong would be recruited by Yueyang. But seeing that everyone present was in relatively high spirits, she temporarily set aside her confusion and first listened to Han Qian speaking with the others.

“Minister Zhang, Feng Yi, and Feng Liao went twice to Langxi to see Gu Zhilong, but were both times driven back by Gu Zhilong’s random arrows, unable to enter the city to see Gu Zhilong face-to-face and speak with him,” Han Qian said. “Very clearly, Gu Zhilong is still concerned that contact with Yueyang might become known to Anning Palace and Prince Xin – whether it succeeds or not, Grandfather, you should temporarily conceal your names and first go to Xuancheng.”

Having said this, Han Qian looked toward Li Pu and asked, “What do you think, Marquis Li?”

“Although Gu Zhilong personally guards Langxi, the representative figures of the various families in Xuanzhou who were familiar with the old master are mostly in Xuancheng,” Li Pu said after pondering for a moment. “The old master and Minister Daochang should indeed first go to Xuancheng.”

Zhang Ping and Feng Yi had made one trip to Langxi and been driven back by Gu Zhilong’s random arrows. Afterward, Han Qian had Feng Liao accompany Zhang Ping to Langxi again, but similarly they could not enter the city. However, Gu Zhilong’s use of random arrows to drive them away merely meant refusing to let Zhang Ping and the others enter the city, refusing contact with the Chishan Army. At this time he also had no intention of antagonizing Yueyang – he just wanted to continue observing the situation and await the highest bidder.

Currently Gu Zhilong had established strong walls and cleared fields in Langxi City, maintaining strict battle readiness. Anyone entering or leaving Langxi City could not avoid the eyes and ears of Anning Palace and the Chuzhou Army. However, Xuancheng was protected within interior lines by Langxi City and Mount Magu and Mount Shifo to the south, as well as Lake Nanyi to the west. There was no danger of being suddenly attacked by the Chuzhou Army or Chishan Army. At this time, besides having six thousand Xuanzhou troops garrisoned there, city and rural life still lacked any particularly tense atmosphere, and merchant travelers entering and leaving the city faced few restrictions.

Marquis Xinchang Li Pu also felt that if Han Wenhuan and Han Daochang first went to Xuancheng and found local representative figures who could speak before Gu Zhilong to pass messages, they could avoid the eyes and ears of Anning Palace and Chuzhou and meet privately with Gu Zhilong.

Regardless of Gu Zhilong’s current mindset, they had to first meet face-to-face before there could be any possibility of further winning him over.

“Good, this matter should be done quickly rather than slowly. We’ll set out for Xuancheng tonight!” Han Daochang said eagerly.

Han Daochang still could not fathom Han Qian’s thoughts and was unclear how much Han Qian still resented the death of Third Uncle. So before entering Guangde, they had first sent someone to contact Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, then arranged for Li Pu to enter Guangde together to see Han Qian.

Now that even Li Pu showed not the slightest doubt, what was there for him to hesitate about?

Moreover, although Zhang Ping and the Feng brothers had twice failed to see Gu Zhilong and been driven back by random arrows, the fact that they could reach Langxi City completely unharmed – didn’t that precisely demonstrate Gu Zhilong’s attitude?

He believed that even if Gu Zhilong was unwilling to make a choice at this time, he would not make things difficult for them.

At worst, they would go quietly and leave quietly again.

Seeing Second Uncle Han Daochang had no more doubts, Han Qian pressed his hand on the long desk and said, “To avoid your movements being exposed, I’ll have Feng Liao and Zhao Wuji lead the cavalry battalion under the pretext of inspecting the defenses of Mount Tingzi to escort you to Mount Tingzi. After reaching Mount Tingzi, small scout cavalry teams will escort you under cover of night, circling around the western shore of Lake Nanyi to proceed to Xuancheng. I believe in three to five days we should be able to hear good news from you! At that time, when His Highness ascends the throne in Jinling, I and all you gentlemen will have merit from following the dragon – enfeoffment as marquises should be well within reach! Marquis Li is the National Uncle – wherever Han Qian has been inadequate in the past, I must ask Marquis Li for his magnanimous understanding!”

Thinking of how after successfully recruiting Gu Zhilong, the Qiuhu Army, Chishan Army, and Xuanzhou troops would merge, while also obtaining from Xuanzhou supplies sufficient to sustain them for three to five months – considering how dramatically the situation would tilt toward Yueyang – Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was also quite excited. He secretly felt that Han Qian had perhaps already made such plans when first entering Jinling, which was why he had thought step by step to relocate the Chishan Army to the Xuanzhou side.

If Li Pu were not by nature cautious and reluctant to enter dangerous places, he would want to go with Han Wenhuan and Han Daochang to Xuancheng to see Gu Zhilong. That way, it would also show Yueyang’s sincerity more fully and be sufficient to offset the negative impact of his many earlier setbacks.

Li Pu also took quite a while to suppress the impulse in his heart, thinking that going to see Gu Zhilong at this time might give the impression of competing for credit. If he wanted to establish himself with his silver tongue, he could very well, after successfully recruiting Gu Zhilong, personally rush back to Hongzhou to persuade Yang Zhitang to submit to Yueyang.

Yao Xishui’s doubts remained, and she secretly observed the manner in which Han Qian spoke with Old Master Han and Han Daochang, Han Jun, and the others. However, Han Qian paid no attention to Yao Xishui. Whenever he had spare time, he would speak quietly with Xi Ren, asking about the current situation in Xuzhou and inquiring about the progress of the Yang clan of Sizhou and Wang Yong of Yuzhou’s joint attack on the Wuliao people…

……

……

With matters settled, Zhao Wuji led the cavalry battalion together with Feng Liao to first escort Han Wenhuan, Han Daochang, and the others westward to Mount Tingzi, which bordered Langxi.

To avoid falling under the eyes of those with ulterior motives, after Li Pu again visited his elder brother lying on his sickbed, he led Li Xiu and Li Qi, surrounded by several hundred elite cavalry, back to Sitian Dun.

Yao Xishui, however, could never bring herself to feel trust toward Han Qian. When seeing off Li Pu and his party leaving Guangde Stronghold, she voiced her doubts: “Han Qian and the other members of the Han family are at odds like fire and water – he shouldn’t be this accommodating with them!”

“Before unprecedented extraordinary merit, what cannot be endured?” Li Pu said from horseback, gazing at the western mountains where the setting sun was red as blood. “The Chishan Army should have less than ten days of provisions remaining, right? Han Qian has no confidence in opening a breach at Huzhou, yet wants to take root in Guangde. His eagerness to negotiate peace with Xuanzhou is only human nature. I believe that in another three to five months, it will be time for the Third Prince to return to Jinling.”

“I hope you’re right,” Yao Xishui said with emptiness in her heart. After seeing off Li Pu and the others, she returned to Guangde Stronghold with her serving maid Ye Feiying. Returning to the courtyard where Li Yu was convalescing, she also tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. In the early morning she heard violent coughing from Li Yu’s side. She put on her clothes to check on him, seeing serving maid Ye Feiying carrying out a copper basin from the room – another pool of black blood.

“Is the Prince’s spirits any better?” Yao Xishui asked the serving maid.

“Just now he was somewhat more lucid and asked about the Marquis visiting today. After Daoist Yun spoke with him, he inexplicably sighed twice,” serving maid Ye Feiying replied.

“Oh?” Yao Xishui’s elegant eyebrows rose. She walked into the bedchamber and saw Daoist Yun Puzi sitting before the sickbed caring for Li Yu. With no other outsiders present, she asked, “Does the Prince also feel there’s something wrong with this matter?”

Li Yu’s murky, diseased eyes stared at the silk canopy above the bed without responding. His chest heaved with breathing like drumbeats – clearly exhaling more than inhaling.

Seeing this scene, Yao Xishui sighed faintly in her heart. Since ancient times, beauties lament growing old, and heroes must not witness gray hair. The world praised Li Yu as Great Chu’s foremost famous general, yet who would have thought he would be so desolate lying on his sickbed? Li Xiu was busy with military affairs and could not keep watch at the sickbed to attend his final moments, not to mention his eldest son Li Changfeng was thousands of miles away.

“I’ll play the qin for the Prince. However, my qin skills don’t match Elder Sister Hongyu’s – I hope the Prince will be understanding,” Yao Xishui said. She had the serving maid bring over the qin and began plucking it resoundingly before Li Yu’s sickbed.

Yao Xishui’s statement that her qin skills did not match Su Hongyu’s was not false, but in this era she was still among the rare masters.

Listening to the qin music, Li Yu’s expression improved somewhat, but no matter how Yao Xishui probed, he refused to speak.

The next day Li Yu’s spirits were somewhat better. His complexion actually showed a kind of rosy flush of recovery after illness. In the afternoon he specifically instructed guards to invite Han Qian over.

“Unfilial conduct is among the ten great crimes,” Li Yu said, having Yao Xishui help him sit up before the sickbed to speak with Han Qian.

“The Prince also said, ‘How laughable that the Chu River flows empty and vast, yet cannot wash away the loyal minister’s grievance.’ Han Qian in planning affairs has never been one for such extensive looking forward and backward,” Han Qian said.

Yao Xishui observed Han Qian and Xi Ren beside him, unable to fathom what riddle Li Yu was speaking with Han Qian.

“If my words carried weight, I would certainly tell my younger brother and Xiu’er not to oppose you as enemies. But unfortunately I am about to enter the earth, and no one will listen to my words anymore,” Li Yu sighed deeply and said. “Young Lady Yao and Old Daoist Yun both feel that my lifetime of illustrious reputation ending like this is somewhat desolate.”

“Each person has their own fate – why must the Prince insist on forcing it?” Han Qian said.

“Gu Zhilong should have taken the bait by now, right?” Li Yu asked.

“I have a thousand cavalry near Mount Tingzi. Gu Zhilong, fearing changes along the way, has led fifteen hundred elite cavalry back to Xuancheng – I just received the intelligence report,” Han Qian said.

“You did not hesitate to use Old Master Han as bait to lure Gu Zhilong to lead his direct elite forces back to Xuancheng for secret talks – you intend to attack Langxi! What vicious calculations you have!” Yao Xishui stared at Han Qian in shock. She had always felt something was wrong with Han Qian, but never imagined he would go to such lengths to deceive his own grandfather Han Wenhuan over here merely as bait to lure Gu Zhilong to take the hook!

Han Qian’s facial muscles twitched several times. He stared at Yao Xishui with sharp eyes gleaming. After a long while, he silently departed with Xi Ren.