“…”

Cao Gan looked at the slightly yellowed handwritten edict in his hands, its significance so complex it made his mind dizzy. His mouth dry, he unconsciously swallowed several times. After hesitating for a long while, he asked:

“Before I came, I heard rumors that Wen Muqiao and the Wen clan members were abducted from Xuzhou. I also previously heard rumors that before Duke Han was harmed, he received a handwritten edict from Great Chu’s late emperor to see Wen Muqiao and was detained—does this mean Wen Muqiao is currently at Tangyi?”

“Would Administrator Cao like to see Lord Wen at this time?” Han Qian asked in a deep voice.

“That’s not necessary.” Cao Gan shook his head. He understood clearly in his heart that since Han Qian had disclosed such confidential matters to him, if he still insisted on seeing Wen Muqiao, he would likely be looked down upon.

However, Cao Gan still couldn’t suppress his inner shock and agitation. He hadn’t expected the secret of how Tangyi could easily abduct the Wen clan members from Xuzhou lay here. This also meant that Han Qian recruiting Wen Bo and the Luoshan garrison to surrender would no longer face any substantial obstacles.

Cao Gan’s heart raced for a long while. Coming back to his senses and seeing Han Qian, Feng Liao, Guo Rong, and others all staring at him, he coughed lightly twice to diffuse the awkwardness and said:

“…Our state lord’s physical condition is worrying, yet he’s set on proclaiming himself emperor—no one can dissuade him. If Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian truly succeed in leading their forces to conquer Guanzhong and Prince Li Hongyi supports the state lord in proclaiming himself emperor, I fear Sichuan-Shu will no longer have any foothold for our marquis. When Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s troops are mired in Guanzhong may be our marquis’s last opportunity. We ask Marquis Han to assist him. In the future, if Marquis Han has any requests, our marquis will never forget today’s kindness.”

Hearing Cao Gan speak of their plans, Feng Liao and Gao Shao thought privately that it was truly no different from their previous predictions. No matter how foolish Wang Yong might be, he would inevitably wait until Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian led seventy thousand elite troops into Guanzhong—ideally waiting until Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian besieged Yongzhou City (Chang’an) before suddenly launching a coup to control the Shu capital.

In that case, after Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian received the news and withdrew from Yongzhou back to Liangzhou, even under smooth conditions it would be three months later.

This would give relatively ample time for Wang Yong to control the Shu situation and send troops to blockade the passages between Liangzhou and Shu.

However, they could also judge that Cao Gan hadn’t told the complete truth.

Feng Liao glanced at Han Qian, not knowing whether to continue pressing Cao Gan for more details about the coup—for instance, how many personnel Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong had arranged near the Shu capital, how many court officials in the Shu state supported Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong, or for instance, among the imperial guard commanders remaining in the Shu capital, who had already been bought off to ensure Yuzhou troops could enter the Shu capital city immediately rather than being blocked outside the imposing Shu capital walls by the remaining imperial guards.

Of course, for them to now try to persuade Cao Gan and Wang Yong to abandon their coup and usurpation plans was already impossible.

An arrow nocked must be released—even if news leaked out unexpectedly at this time, it would only make Wang Yong, with the arrow on the string, act hastily and take a desperate gamble.

“If you truly want to plot, you cannot wait until the situation becomes critical before borrowing troops from Xuzhou. Xuzhou’s elite forces are not heavenly soldiers and divine generals. If it really comes to the point where troops must be borrowed, does Administrator Cao think three to five thousand elite troops traveling down the Qianjiang River, passing through Yuzhou and entering Shu, could be of any use?”

Han Qian knew Cao Gan couldn’t possibly reveal all their schemes and cards. He had no intention of pressing too much. After retrieving the handwritten edict, he indicated for guards to bring rush mats for Cao Gan to sit before his desk.

“If you truly want to plot, you must prepare for the worst from the beginning—for instance, Wang Hongyi might get wind of it in advance, for instance, the collaborators you’ve chosen at this time may very likely have ulterior motives, or for instance, Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s return march might be faster than you anticipate, or for instance, you may not successfully seal off the passage between northern Shu and Liangzhou…”

“To plot great undertakings, how can one not bear some risk?” Cao Gan naturally knew their plan had many risks. This was directly related to the troops and strength they commanded. If the troops and strength they commanded could completely eliminate these risks, why would they need to usurp the throne? They could just wait for State Lord Wang Jian to pass away and inherit the position.

“To plot great undertakings, one naturally must bear some risks. But why does Administrator Cao think I’m willing to be implicated?” Han Qian asked.

“What does Your Lordship need to gain?” Cao Gan asked.

Having reached this point in the discussion, Cao Gan of course didn’t think Han Qian still wanted to stay out of it. It was merely a matter of the lion opening its mouth wide and demanding a high price, wasn’t it?

“I don’t want to gain anything, but I hope Marquis of Changxiang and Administrator Cao can reduce the risks of your plot to a lower level,” Han Qian said. “I will have Han Donghu lead one thousand elite cavalry to board Chishan Association merchant ships and directly accompany Administrator Cao to Yuzhou. But Yuzhou must prepare one thousand warhorses in advance. After all, the cabins of merchant ships can hide more people, but transporting one thousand warhorses from Tangyi would be too conspicuous. At the same time, after Han Donghu arrives in Yuzhou, I hope Marquis of Changxiang can directly write an edict acknowledging vassalage to Shu without proclaiming himself emperor…”

A two-thousand-dan cargo ship could barely squeeze in four to five hundred people but might not be able to hold one hundred horses. So if Han Qian’s side sent cavalry soldiers over, the warhorses couldn’t follow—Yuzhou’s side would need to prepare a batch of warhorses separately.

As for having Marquis of Changxiang directly write an edict acknowledging vassalage to Shu, this would have no substantial impact on Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong and Cao Gan and others’ control of Shu’s military and political affairs after successfully usurping the throne. It would even allow them to more legitimately obtain the Chu court’s support.

For Tangyi and Han Qian, it could resolve the censure they would face for unauthorized lending of troops to cooperate with Marquis of Changxiang in launching a coup and usurpation.

Cao Gan showed no objection, patiently listening as Han Qian continued:

“…Yuzhou had best cooperate with the Chishan Association immediately to completely cut off communications between Shu and Chu, lest the news reach Jinling too early and put me in a difficult position. Administrator Cao should also know that the Great Chu court officials, especially former dynasty remnants like Lü Qingxia, at least at this time absolutely do not wish to see anyone sabotage the Chu-Shu allied forces’ expedition to Guanzhong.”

Cao Gan’s eyelids twitched but he still showed no objection.

“When Administrator Cao returns to Yuzhou, help me deliver this letter to a certain person along the way. Whether Marquis of Changxiang’s plot can succeed—this is the key.” Han Qian handed Cao Gan the letter he had just written, then continued, “I will directly order Tan Yuliang to lead three thousand elite troops directly from Wuchuan. They should arrive in Yuzhou in about one and a half months. This timing should be your best opportunity to act. Since your optimal window for launching the coup is only this short, even if I lend you over ten thousand sets of armor, you probably won’t have time to expand your forces, so there’s no need for that…”

Hearing Han Qian urging them to launch the coup as soon as one and a half months from now, Cao Gan couldn’t help asking in shock:

“How can Your Lordship be certain Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian can attack into Guanzhong within one and a half months?”

Without doubt, no matter how rushed they were, they would inevitably have to wait until Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian led seventy thousand elite troops into Guanzhong before making their move. But how could he be certain Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian could break through the passes into the Guanzhong heartland within one and a half months?

“Administrator Cao, if Li Zhigao, Xu Mingzhen, and Yang Yuanyan besieged Huaixi with four routes of troops from Jinling, would I divide into four routes to meet them and keep the enemy outside Huaixi, or would I let them enter Huaixi before fighting?” Han Qian asked. “If Administrator Cao and Marquis of Changxiang cannot even boldly confirm this point, this matter is truly precarious!”

Cao Gan understood the meaning of Han Qian’s words. They had also considered that Emperor Liang Zhu Yu might voluntarily abandon defense of Guanzhong’s outer passes, letting enemy forces from all routes enter Guanzhong first. They just weren’t as certain as Han Qian.

“No need to consider further. If the Liang army divides forces to defend the outer perimeter, first, the northern front will find it increasingly difficult to block small enemy forces from driving straight in due to the freezing of the Yellow River and Wei River. This will inevitably cause smoke and chaos everywhere in the Guanzhong heartland, full of panic and alarm. At this time, the fall of any route’s passes or cities could very likely trigger an avalanche-like chain of Liang army defeats, ultimately making the situation completely unmanageable. Compared to dividing forces to defend the outer perimeter, Zhu Yu’s better chance is to let forces from all routes enter Guanzhong. Only then can he rely on a few fortified cities like Yongzhou, exploit the wariness and vigilance among enemy forces from various routes, concentrate elite combat power, and divide and strike the enemy forces from various routes on the Wei River plains.”

Han Qian said calmly.

“Of course, although Wang Xiaoxian has courage in excess but lacks strategic judgment, Zhao Mengji is a rare capable general in the Shu state. If you want to wait until Zhao Mengji and Wang Xiaoxian’s forces are severely damaged by Emperor Liang Zhu Yu before acting, you might need to wait half a year. But do you have the patience to wait that long? All the various people participating in the plot are probably sitting on pins and needles right now. Can Administrator Cao guarantee they won’t let Shu Lord Wang Jian and Prince Wang Hongyi detect any flaws for half a year?”

This matter was too significant. Cao Gan couldn’t possibly give Han Qian an immediate answer on the spot. He said, “I’m afraid I must consult with our marquis before making a decision?”

“Things have reached this point. You cannot hesitate any longer, Administrator Cao, nor is there time to send messages back and forth to Yuzhou for instructions. When a general is abroad, there are sovereign commands he need not accept—this is the principle. Administrator Cao, you should give me a clear answer today,” Han Qian said in a deep voice. “If this entire matter is truly as dragging and hesitant as you previously planned, it will inevitably drag Xuzhou into an irredeemable abyss. I believe Administrator Cao absolutely would not want to force Han to make decisions unfavorable to Marquis of Changxiang, would you?”

Hearing Han Qian’s threatening words, Cao Gan also stood there stunned and speechless for a long while: “…”

“Our lord showing Administrator Cao this handwritten edict is our greatest sincerity. Only if Marquis of Changxiang’s plot succeeds can our Tangyi have something to rely on. Administrator Cao, what are you still hesitating about?” Feng Liao seized the opportunity to add fuel to the flames from the side.

…

…

Yesterday, Liyang only had some light snow drifting down without much substance. This morning after the fog dispersed, the weather was quite clear. But when Feng Liao took the memorial Han Qian had drafted and traveled downriver by boat in the afternoon, rushing into Jinling City before dark, heavy goose-feather snow began falling from the overcast sky.

At this time, Feng Liao served as Chief Administrator of the Tangyi Field Command Bureau. Besides comprehensively managing Huaixi civil affairs, he also concurrently held the post of Governor of Chaozhou. Unless it was particularly urgent or important business, he had not traveled to Jinling in the past two years.

Moreover, submitting memorials and liaising with central court agencies were handled by specialized officials in the Administrative Office—Feng Liao would certainly not be troubled with such matters directly.

Therefore, learning that Feng Liao had crossed the river, Han Duan, who had been dragged to Yanyuan Tower for a banquet and was somewhat vexed and distracted by the current situation, also rushed back to the residence urgently. Upon arrival, he saw in the Mingju Hall, besides his father and uncle Han Daoming, even the old master who in recent years rarely asked about affairs directly sat behind the desk with a solemn expression, listening to what Feng Liao was saying.

“What urgent matter requires Commander Feng to personally cross the river?” Han Duan asked as he entered.

The Han family had long ago used the pretext of “sudden illness, long treatment without recovery” to send Han Jun and his wife and children back to the old Xuanzhou residence to recuperate. Regardless of what old grudges Han Duan previously had with Han Qian, after the Han family completely merged with Tangyi, all of that vanished into smoke.

Among the younger generation of the Han family, Han Duan’s status had always been on par with Han Chengmeng and Qiao Weiyan.

At this critical moment, he also needed to participate in some matters. Feng Liao pondered briefly and said, “Yuzhou Military Administrator Cao Gan secretly arrived in Liyang yesterday to meet with His Lordship. Marquis of Changxiang will, at the earliest in one and a half months, send troops from Yuzhou back to the Shu capital to usurp Shu Lord Wang’s throne…”

“…” Han Duan opened his mouth, unable to speak for a long while. He never imagined that just as rumors about Tangyi abducting the Wen clan members were spreading wildly in Jinling City, Tangyi was now about to directly participate in the conspiracy of Marquis of Changxiang usurping Shu Lord Wang’s throne.

Han Duan felt his heart couldn’t take it.

Feng Liao had just entered the Han residence and sat down in Mingju Hall. He simply repeated to the shocked Han Duan what he had just told Han Daoming and the others:

“Marquis of Changxiang worries that if things go wrong, he wants to borrow troops from Xuzhou. His Lordship has already decided that as early as tomorrow, one thousand elite troops under Han Donghu’s command will directly accompany Cao Gan aboard Chishan Association merchant ships, taking the Yangtze River route secretly to Yuzhou. Worried that carrier pigeon messages might encounter problems, the messenger carrying His Lordship’s personal secret letter departed for Xuzhou at noon today. If all goes smoothly, in one and a half months Tan Yuliang will lead four thousand elite troops down the Qianjiang waterway to Yuzhou to rendezvous with Marquis of Changxiang and Cao Gan. Now the most important thing is to recruit Wen Bo and the Luoshan garrison to surrender in the shortest time. I crossed the river this time to submit a memorial on Han Qian’s behalf and request an audience with His Majesty…”

As Governor of Chaozhou, Feng Liao naturally had the qualifications to represent Han Qian in directly submitting memorials and speaking in the Political Affairs Hall. But what shocked Han Duan was that Han Qian actually intended to recruit Wen Bo and the Luoshan garrison to surrender in the shortest time. He couldn’t help leaning forward and asking:

“Li Zhigao is a hard bone to crack. What if he doesn’t yield? Moreover, will Wen Bo necessarily choose to surrender to Tangyi rather than to Li Zhigao?”

Now the entire city was spreading rumors that Han Qian had already sent people to abduct the Wen clan members from Xuzhou to Tangyi.

Although after the news came out, Li Zhigao hadn’t hastily launched a fierce attack on Luoshan City, besides reinforcing troops to fortifications east of Luoshan City to guard against Han Qian starting a conflict, he had even sacrificed having the newly formed Left Martial Prowess Army attack Wuguan just to have Chai Jian lead the Left Divine Might Army main forces to the eastern flank near Guangzhou. This clearly showed he wouldn’t yield easily.

But more importantly, Han Duan didn’t believe that just because the Wen clan members fell into Tangyi’s hands, Wen Bo would necessarily surrender to Tangyi!

Everyone knew Wen Muqiao was one of the chief culprits who had harmed Third Uncle Han Daoxun back then. Even if Wen Bo readily surrendered to Tangyi, there couldn’t possibly be much trust between them.

Would Tangyi truly dare to use Wen Bo to command troops? Or would Wen Bo truly believe Tangyi would use him to command troops without any precautions?

The best outcome would be for Wen Bo to relinquish military authority, or directly disband the Luoshan garrison, with the Wen clan members retiring to the mountains and forests.

In outsiders’ eyes, for Han Qian to ultimately allow the Wen clan members to retire to the mountains and forests could already be considered magnanimous benevolence.

After learning the news of abducting the Wen clan members to Tangyi, Han Duan also knew his father and uncle even worried that Han Qian’s actions might backfire, instead prompting Wen Bo to more firmly surrender to Li Zhigao.

Han Daoming and Han Daochang also leaned forward. Feng Liao had only just reached this point before being interrupted by Han Duan’s entrance. They still didn’t understand what confidence Han Qian had to recruit the Luoshan garrison to surrender.

In fact, in their view, Han Qian’s purpose in sending people to abduct the Wen clan members was merely to use the Luoshan garrison to muddy the waters, constraining the Xiangbei Army’s various forces so they couldn’t unite with the Shu army to attack Guanzhong.

If it were only that, preventing Li Zhigao from absorbing the Luoshan garrison in the short term, even forcing Li Zhigao to capture Luoshan City at great cost, would achieve their objective. But how could Tangyi easily make the Luoshan garrison surrender?

What confidence did Han Qian have to make Wen Bo set aside concerns about possibly being purged in the future?

“Back when Duke Han received the handwritten edict at Lanting Lane to go to the palace to discuss matters and was subsequently detained and harmed, this handwritten edict was not forged by Empress Dowager Xu or Wen Muqiao. It was indeed personally written by Emperor Tianyou. Therefore, Wen Muqiao was not the chief culprit who harmed Duke Han. Wen Bo is also clear about this, so once we force Li Zhigao’s forces to retreat from beneath Luoshan City, recruiting Wen Bo to surrender won’t face any obstacles.” Feng Liao said.

“How is that possible? Why would the late emperor help the traitorous empress harm Third Uncle?” Han Duan’s reaction was exactly the same as Feng Yi’s—he was so shocked he almost jumped up.

“Emperor Tianyou was the first person to recognize His Lordship’s capabilities. He should have also realized very quickly after Shen He’s death that he himself had been deeply poisoned. That’s why he specially arranged for His Lordship to go on a mission to the Shu state to escort the bride and summoned Duke Han back to Jinling to serve as Metropolitan Governor. Emperor Tianyou’s arrangements should have been to eliminate any possibility of His Lordship being won over by Anning Palace. After all, based on Duke Han and His Lordship’s thinking at that time, they wanted to avoid Great Chu falling into internal chaos as much as possible, without particularly caring who sat in that position. But Emperor Tianyou would not tolerate this. In fact, His Lordship had long suspected this. This time, bringing Wen Muqiao to Tangyi, the original handwritten edict was in Wen Muqiao’s possession, finally confirming this.” Feng Liao said.

Han Daoming, Han Daochang, and Han Duan all had difficulty suppressing their inner shock.

Han Wenhuan sighed deeply, as if he had long suspected all of this.

Feng Liao said, “The outside world doesn’t know about the handwritten edict’s existence, so they’ll still conclude there’s no possibility of complete reconciliation between the Wen family and His Lordship, still conclude that Wen Bo is full of wariness toward His Lordship. Therefore, His Lordship’s intention is to hope Minister Han and Second Master will spread word in Jinling that Tangyi’s ultimate goal is to disband the Luoshan garrison and exile the Wen clan members. That way, many things will become relatively easier…”

“That’s true,” Han Daoming nodded. “Not to mention others—His Majesty is unwilling to see Tangyi benefit, but he absolutely doesn’t want to see the Luoshan garrison recruited by Li Zhigao either…”

Han Daochang also nodded in agreement. “As long as Prince Shou’s residence, Shen Yang, Yang En, the Huang family, the Zheng clan, Zhang Chao, Zhang Han, and others all mistakenly believe Tangyi’s fundamental purpose is merely to prevent Li Zhigao from recruiting the Luoshan garrison and will ultimately disband the Luoshan garrison, they absolutely won’t object. They might even secretly condone Tangyi making some outrageous moves…”

What Han Daochang said could be glimpsed from when Tangyi borrowed the Chenzhou crisis to reclaim control of Shiliang County from Huaixi.

That time Tangyi gained enormous benefits, but it was Huaidong’s interests that were damaged. Everyone else was happy to see it happen, ultimately forcing Huaidong to accept reality.

“After recruiting the Luoshan garrison to surrender, the next step is to force the Xiangbei Army to withdraw from Guangzhou, isn’t it?” Han Duan asked.

Guangzhou traditionally belonged to Huainan West Circuit. Moreover, after recruiting the Luoshan garrison to surrender, of Guangzhou’s six counties—Luoshan, Lean, and Huangchuan would all be under Tangyi’s jurisdiction, Qisi was under Shouzhou Army control, with only Yiyang and Tongbai County on the western flank under Xiangbei Army control. At this time, for the Tangyi Army to demand that Xiangbei Army hand over jurisdiction of Yiyang and Tongbai counties, formally incorporating Guangzhou into the Tangyi Field Command Bureau’s jurisdiction, would absolutely be reasonable and well-founded.

Especially after recruiting the Luoshan garrison to surrender, the Tangyi Field Command Army’s total forces would expand again to over seventy-five thousand, with strength surpassing both Xiangbei and Huaidong.

“That should be the case, but it still depends on progress on Marquis of Changxiang’s side. If he can smoothly usurp the throne and Marquis of Changxiang’s side fulfills their promises to Tangyi, many things will become more convenient.” Feng Liao answered Han Duan’s question vaguely, then said, “Now we need someone who can enter the palace to pass a message to Imperial Consort Wang. If Imperial Consort Wang can help say a few words in the palace, it would be quite useful.”

Ordinary people naturally couldn’t casually contact Princess Qingyang who resided deep in Changxin Palace. But the women of various families all held rank as titled ladies and had opportunities to enter the palace to visit imperial consorts.

Not to mention that Han Daoming’s daughter herself was one of the Four Consorts.

For Lady Han Zhou to enter the palace to visit her daughter, then find an excuse to call on Princess Qingyang to pass a message, would naturally be an easy matter.

Currently, Han Qian was eager to immediately lead troops westward to Huangchuan to threaten Li Zhigao’s flank and force his retreat. The moves on this side absolutely could not be slow. They needed to create momentum through multiple channels, multiple aspects, and at faster speed to ease the pressure of conflict at Luoshan.

They discussed in secret for a long while regarding creating momentum and the audience with the emperor. Before they knew it, night had deepened. Only then did Han Daoming remember that Feng Liao had entered the city but hadn’t yet been arranged a banquet.

“Let Feng Liao come to my courtyard to eat some late-night snacks before returning to the guest quarters to rest. At my age, I can’t sleep soundly at night anyway. It’s a good opportunity to hear more from Feng Liao about Tangyi affairs.” Han Wenhuan, supporting himself on his walking stick, stood up with considerable difficulty, reaching out to have Feng Liao directly support him. He said to Han Daoming and Han Daochang, “You think more about how to accomplish this entire matter without any mistakes. Feng Liao still has to return to East Lake after seeing His Majesty. He can’t stay too long in Jinling—that would delay things too much.”

“Yes, Father.” Han Daoming and Han Daochang stood and watched as Feng Liao supported their father walking toward the courtyard to the north.

In the Han residence compound, only a young servant carrying a lantern walked ahead to light the way. In the deep silence of night, snow had accumulated in a layer on the stone-paved path between courtyard walls, making slight sounds when stepped upon.

“What Qian’er wants to do isn’t merely what was just discussed, is it?” Han Wenhuan asked, supporting himself on his walking stick.

Feng Liao was slightly stunned, then said, “His Lordship says great chaos in the realm is imminent, the barbarians’ schemes reach far, and Tangyi no longer has the possibility to calmly observe changes in the situation. The old master has always said he wanted to move to East Lake—perhaps this time you could accompany Feng Liao…”

“Enough. I’m just an old man. Knowing this much is enough. I have no strength left to do anything more. I’ll just stay in Jinling and watch the wind and clouds change. You all assist Qian’er well.” Han Wenhuan waved his hand, interrupting Feng Liao’s words, having him support him back to his quarters…