Watching Zhang Song and his two sons Li Zhi and Li Tian withdraw, Li Zhigao’s expression softened slightly as he asked Su Hongyu: “What do you have to say to me?”

“I had no idea they would act so hastily!” Su Hongyu said aggrievedly.

“This matter doesn’t fault you—when Han Qian petitioned to establish the Marquis’s heir, the Mongols worried Han Qian would deploy troops to Hehuai at any moment. They sowed discord in the middle with a single-minded desire to muddy Jianghuai’s situation. Father couldn’t sit still and fell into the trap, coercing Xishui and the others to plot rebellion. Even if you had tried to dissuade them, they wouldn’t have given up their desperate gamble. If I were in that situation, I’d find it difficult to choose too, wouldn’t I?” Li Zhigao sighed lightly, then feeling he’d been too harsh with Su Hongyu, gently drew her shoulder closer and asked, “On your way here, did any sleeper agents from Guanjiang Tower contact you?”

“After we passed Shuzhou, local naval forces harassed and attacked us all along the way. We had no contact with land. However, the Lady and Zhou Yuan did speculate that Mongol envoys or Guanjiang Tower might proactively contact you, but I don’t know why they held back from asking directly just now,” Su Hongyu said.

“This disastrous defeat came from falling into the Mongols’ trap. Or perhaps when Han Qian first petitioned to establish the Marquis’s heir, he intended to startle the snake in the grass. Even if they want to ask, it’s difficult to speak up, isn’t it? Additionally, when Tangyi forces intercepted you from going to Huaidong, they should have warned against colluding with the Mongols or something similar, right?”

“Yes, when Feng Yi boarded to meet us and took Ye Feiying away—I don’t know if Han Qian was present—Feng Yi did say something similar,” Su Hongyu said. “How did you guess?”

“All of Han Qian’s deployments aim to deploy troops to Hehuai without rear concerns. He absolutely won’t sit idle watching us collude with the Mongols. This time Tangyi forces didn’t move west for the same reason. But all this doesn’t mean they can’t change plans. For Tangyi, even if it might delay three to four months, first deploying troops to capture Deng and Jun prefectures, then deploying from Wuguan Road to Guanzhong, could be said to substitute for directly deploying to Hehuai. As long as Zhu Yu can seize Heluo and Tangyi deploys to Guanzhong, the realm’s overall situation can’t be said to fall entirely into Mongol control,” Li Zhigao said. “Everyone understands this point. Even if the Lady and Zhou Yuan are currently unwilling to surrender Pingjing, Wusheng, and other passes and fully withdraw to defend Suiyang, they know they can’t provoke Tangyi before their foundation is stable—the Mongols should know even more that sending people to see me is useless, yet they sent people to see Zhou Shu. However, I can only pretend not to know about this now. I can only hope they won’t raise it publicly.”

“By the way, before Zhang Song escorted me and Zhi’er and Tian’er fleeing to Haijing Gate, we passed through Sanhe Alley. I saw a pile of combustibles in the alley and several beggars concealing weapons killed in the alley corner. I mentioned this to the Lady, who speculated these dead were Tangyi spies trying to prevent us from leaving Jinling city. But the Lady’s explanation can’t account for who secretly killed these people. Thinking carefully, these weapon-concealing beggars might have been Guanjiang Tower assassins trying to secretly prevent us from leaving Jinling city but were killed by Tangyi spies,” Su Hongyu asked. “After all, those going to such lengths trying to provoke you to submit or drag down Tangyi are ultimately still the Mongols. The Lady said this because she still wants to keep that escape route, right?”

“It’s good you understand this in your heart,” Li Zhigao said.

“Will the Mongols reveal your and Xishui’s parentage?” Su Hongyu asked again.

“They will, but affairs are complex—what use would spreading such news serve them?” Li Zhigao said with a bitter smile.

“Has Han Qian sent anyone to see you?” Su Hongyu asked.

“After doing so much, if he still sent someone to see me, that would be looking down on me. Besides, however lacking in ambition I may be, I won’t act like a barbarian dog wagging its tail begging for mercy,” Li Zhigao said with a proud laugh. “Han Qian surely understands in his heart that if I truly intended to collude with the Mongols, I wouldn’t have let that incident of leaving Jinling city happen.”

“How will you handle the current situation?”

Li Zhigao stood before the oil lamp and said: “If Tangyi doesn’t attack Xiangbei, we might also persuade Shu forces not to act rashly. But as long as Zhang Xiang and Zhao Zhen gather the Right Wuxiang Army, Right Wuwei Army, and forces from Jiangxi and Hunan prefectures to attack, the four prefectures of Xiang, Jing, Deng, and Sui will be very difficult to hold. We might ultimately only barely defend the three prefectures of Liang, Jin, and Jun to observe changes in Hehuai’s situation. Of course, if they don’t agree with my position, then I won’t shoulder this burden. If they want to carry it, let them. We’ll go to Liangzhou.”

“Will the Lady agree to us going to Liangzhou?” Su Hongyu asked worriedly.

“We must go to Liangzhou—there doesn’t seem to be anyone who can obstruct us. The Lady has no reason to insist I stay in Xiangcheng,” Li Zhigao said. “Right now what’s more troublesome is getting the Lady and the others not to rush into installing another emperor…”

“Perhaps we can now dissuade everyone from rushing to submit to the Mongols, but without honoring the Empress Dowager and installing a new emperor, the Lady’s side probably won’t agree, will they?” Su Hongyu asked worriedly.

Right now they were grasshoppers tied to the same tree. If they split apart internally, they might not even survive this autumn before being annihilated by court forces.

“Not installing another emperor doesn’t mean there’s no alternative strategy. We could perhaps follow the precedent of His Majesty back then controlling Hunan’s Provincial Secretariat by establishing a Jingxiang Provincial Secretariat over Xiangbei’s prefectures, having the ‘Second Prince’ serve as Provincial Secretary to exercise military and administrative authority over Xiangbei. That way, the Empress Dowager and ‘Second Prince’ can continue serving as puppets in the Lady’s hands, which they should be able to accept, right?” Li Zhigao speculated.

“Establish Jingxiang Provincial Secretariat and have the Second Prince serve as Provincial Secretary…”

On the mighty, turbid Han River, aboard the vessel heading to Xiangcheng, hearing Li Zhigao mention an installation strategy different from their expectations, Lu Qingxia asked with hesitation and confusion.

“The palace coup failed. We and Jinling are now fire and water with no possibility of reconciliation. But establishing a Provincial Secretariat without rushing to install another emperor acknowledges the current situation is truly unfavorable to us—we can only show weakness to the enemy. Even if this won’t eliminate Jinling’s determination to deploy troops for invasion, it can delay their deployment timing and intensity, gaining more breathing room,” Li Zhigao said calmly. “Even without us spreading word, Shen Yang, Yang Zhitang, and the others have probably already come to their senses by now—as long as we drag things out until after autumn, if Tangyi’s Hehuai deployment suffers setbacks, Tangyi definitely won’t want to see our lips perish while their teeth grow cold. And if Tangyi achieves great success deploying to Hehuai, will Jinling still be inclined to massively invade Xiangbei?”

Lu Qingxia, Zhou Yuan, Chai Jian, and the others all fell into contemplation. They couldn’t say Li Zhigao’s words lacked merit.

“Under the Provincial Secretary, how should it be arranged?” Lu Qingxia asked.

“The situation is so dire that Zhigao deeply feels his abilities are truly limited. Perhaps I can only manage Liang and Jin prefectures well, guarding everyone’s retreat route. As for arrangements under the Provincial Secretary, I defer entirely to the Lady’s instructions,” Li Zhigao said indifferently.

With Li Zhigao saying this, Chai Jian, Zhou Yuan, Zhong Yanhu, as well as Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang were all startled. Was Li Zhigao, dissatisfied with their usurping the host’s role, throwing down his burden to lead his direct forces to defend Liang and Jin prefectures while leaving the five prefectures of Jing, Sui, Deng, Jun, and Xiang for them to handle?

“You are Xiangbei’s Defense Commissioner. The three armies’ soldiers all obey your commands. Xiangcheng still requires you to preside,” Lu Qingxia said with furrowed brows.

“Please don’t force Zhigao beyond his capabilities, Lady. Zhigao is incompetent and has failed the Lady’s cultivation. For commanding troops and military governance there are Chai Jian and Zhou Shu. Chai Xun and Zhong Yanhu are also skilled commanders. For administrative affairs, taxation, and logistics, with Zhou Yuan assisting the Lady, Zhigao is truly clumsy at such matters—only this way can Xiao Yiqing not make articles about my parentage,” Li Zhigao said resolutely. “News of the Jinling palace coup will soon reach Shu. Shu Lord Wang Yong will have justification to recover Liangzhou. Cao Gan and his son Cao Zhe in Lizhou could make trouble at any time. Without someone commanding in Liangzhou, we can’t even secure our retreat route. I don’t think I’ll accompany the Lady and Empress Dowager into Xiangcheng…”

With Li Zhigao’s attitude so resolute, even Yao Xishui felt surprised, wanting to persuade him but not knowing how to begin.

Great Chu’s seventh month was destined not to be calm and peaceful.

First Jinling transmitted edicts from the new emperor and Two Empress Dowagers, denouncing palace maid Lu Qingxia and others for colluding with foreign tribes to assassinate Emperor Yanyou. After the palace coup failed, they abducted the Empress Dowager and Second Prince to flee to Xiangcheng. The edict called upon Great Chu’s prefectures, counties, officials, and people to rise up and attack them.

Immediately after, Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er in Xiangcheng followed suit, transmitting edicts throughout Jianghuai claiming Shen Yang and Yang Zhitang assassinated Emperor Yanyou and plotted rebellion. At Xiangcheng they installed Second Prince Yang Lin as Prince Xiang, established Jingxiang Provincial Secretariat, with the five-year-old Prince Xiang Yang Lin concurrently serving as Provincial Secretary. They appointed Lu Qingxia as Provincial Secretariat’s Left Vice Director handling secretariat decrees and documents. They established a Pacification Commissioner with Chai Jian in charge, controlling Jingxiang military and administrative defense. They established a Transport Commissioner with Zhou Yuan in charge, governing grain taxation and transport matters across Jingxiang prefectures. They established an Investigation Commissioner with Chen De in charge, controlling criminal law and surveillance matters.

The Empress Dowager’s hand edict from Xiangcheng was even specially copied to Tangyi’s southern bank camp at Jiaoshan Gorge. In Tangyi people’s eyes, the so-called “Empress Dowager’s hand edict” served primarily to verify whether intelligence the Military Intelligence Staff gathered from Xiangbei scouts was correct.

“Is Li Zhigao throwing his burden to Lu Qingxia and Chai Jian while hiding away in Liangzhou to farm?”

In the central command tent of the southern bank camp, Feng Liao held the Empress Dowager’s hand edict delivered from Xiangcheng, asking with a trace of uncertainty.

“Not strange,” Han Qian said, sitting casually cross-legged behind the main table, stroking his two-day stubble. “If Li Zhigao stayed in Xiangcheng, he could preside over Xiangcheng’s military and administrative affairs, but he’d be constrained by Lu Qingxia at every turn, wouldn’t find it satisfying, and might not control Chai Jian and Zhou Shu well either. Better to throw the burden to Lu Qingxia and go manage Liangzhou himself—when Lu Qingxia, Chai Jian, Zhou Shu, and Zhou Yuan can’t hold Jing, Sui, Deng, and Xiang and have to flee in panic again to Liangzhou, only then might he completely suppress the voices of Lu Qingxia, Chai Jian, Zhou Shu, and Zhou Yuan, having all forces reorganized according to his will.”

“Ultimately Li Zhigao is still constrained by Lu Qingxia. Otherwise he’d truly be troublesome,” Feng Liao said with feeling.