To ensure the established strategy proceeded without major adjustments and gave the Meng forces no chance to catch their breath, Zhao Wuji’s reassignment to Huainan would be crucial—his first battle alongside Yang Zhitang and Yang Yuanyan would be of paramount importance.
Only by winning this first engagement could Liang and Chu avoid total war breaking out.
Having settled this matter, Han Qian summoned Guo Rong, Gu Qian, Feng Liao, Han Daoming, Zhu Juezhong, and others.
Even if they temporarily set aside the question of how many elite troops to deploy to the southern front, they needed to make thorough preparations in terms of war materials and supplies.
At the same time, the Left SecretariatMansion needed to comprehensively consider the war’s impact on Huainan’s material production and commerce—whether certain personnel and production facilities needed to be relocated in advance all required emergency contingency plans.
“We might as well have struck Shu with overwhelming force after recovering Guanzhong!” Gu Qian had always advocated attacking Shu first, and couldn’t help grumbling about it again now.
He and some court officials believed that taking Sichuan-Shu first would connect Great Liang with Xuzhou and the various southwestern jimi prefectures into one piece, thoroughly establishing the geographical advantage of commanding from high ground, thus ensuring an invincible position.
“The realm has been divided for nearly thirty years, and too many common people have been displaced and died in warfare. We cannot choose the easy path—we should face difficulties head-on to show our heroic character!” Han Qian said with a smile.
When deciding on the strategic direction of north before south, there had been no shortage of controversy at court.
After recovering Guanzhong, they did possess the conditions to strike Shu.
Even granting that relations between nations prioritize interests with little room for righteousness, Liang and Shu had been allied for so many years—they could be said to have weathered storms together, with deep mutual entanglements. To turn hostile so abruptly would very likely trigger intense and widespread resistance throughout Shu’s court and countryside.
Perhaps conquering Shu territory would be easy, but governing it well would be difficult.
Moreover, sending troops to attack Shu would inevitably shatter the Liang-Chu peace agreement completely.
Even if Liang could establish an invincible position after annexing Shu, it would subsequently have to face three powerful enemies simultaneously—Chu forces, Eastern Liang forces, and Meng forces. The entire unification campaign might drag on for several more years before reaching complete conclusion.
His current decision to go north before south might seem to carry some uncertain hidden concerns, but as long as they could gnaw through the hardest bone—the Meng forces—they could subsequently use multiple combined methods to resolve the Chu-Shu problem.
In Han Qian’s view, even advancing the entire unification campaign by three to five years, even fighting two or three fewer major battles, was worth striving for.
This consideration was not only for the common people of Chu and Shu, but also for Great Liang’s soldiers who had fought bloodily for many years.
Knowing he couldn’t persuade Han Qian to fundamentally adjust Great Liang’s strategic direction, Gu Qian sighed lightly and said, “Your Majesty is too benevolent!”
Han Daoming, Zhu Juezhong, and the others also held many views that conflicted with Han Qian’s, but over these years, not only could they not match Han Qian’s brilliant strategic vision—they even fell somewhat short of Tian Cheng and Li Zhigao. They wouldn’t stubbornly argue about major policies Han Qian had personally decided.
Han Qian smiled slightly, signaling Li Zhigao, Tian Cheng, and the others to return to the General Staff Office first, as he still needed to keep Han Daoming, Zhu Juezhong, Gu Qian, Feng Liao, and others to inquire about governmental affairs.
Just then, female voices laughing and chatting came from behind Lingyun Pavilion—it sounded like Princess Yunhe talking with someone. Gu Qian froze for a moment, then raised his head to look at Zhu Juezhong, who pretended he hadn’t heard anything. Gu Qian also acted as if he’d heard nothing.
Han Daoming, Feng Liao, and the others had little contact with Princess Yunhe, so naturally couldn’t recognize her voice. They were still lamenting that Shangyang Garden was too cramped, lacking any semblance of a proper imperial court.
During the previous dynasty, Luoyang served as the secondary capital, with the city built on both banks of the Luo River—the southern city was the civilian district, while the palace complex and imperial city were built on the northern bank.
At the end of the previous dynasty, Luoyang was destroyed by warfare. When Zhu Yu governed Heluo, he merely rebuilt Luoyang City on the southern bank ruins, on a scale much smaller than the old dynasty’s secondary capital.
Currently, state finances remained very tight. The Left and Right Secretariats, General Staff Office, and Deliberative Council all had cramped office space. Only the year before last had they managed to squeeze out some funds to first build new facilities for Luoyang Academy on the northern bank.
The Shangyang Garden where Han Qian currently resided and conducted state affairs had been converted from a Daoist temple, occupying a total of just over twenty mu. Everything was makeshift and simple. Besides Lingyun Pavilion with its attached gardens and eastern and western side courtyards serving as Han Qian’s daily governance space, the inner palace where he lived with Zhao Ting’er and Wang Jun was quite cramped.
Though Han Qian had established an Inner Attendants Office modeled after Chu to manage inner palace affairs, he had consciously limited the inner court’s power—even the inner court’s annual expenditures were incorporated into the Financial Office’s budget.
Besides having Wang Jun as head and Xi Ren as deputy, the Inner Attendants Office no longer employed eunuchs, instead selecting some experienced elder women from the imperial clan to serve as officials. Together with maids and servants, about a hundred people were available for service.
This Lingyun Pavilion might be called a council hall, but was actually just a two-story brick-and-timber pavilion structure.
The Inner Attendants Office was located behind Lingyun Pavilion, separated by a wall covered in climbing ivy. If Lingyun Pavilion’s rear glazed windows were open, voices from either courtyard speaking slightly louder could be heard inside the pavilion.
Han Qian had also heard Yunhe’s voice. He casually said to Feng Liao, “Yunhe is probably here about the women’s academy. I specifically told her to find you—why hasn’t this been resolved yet?”
Only then did Feng Liao realize why Gu Qian had instinctively looked toward Zhu Juezhong when he froze earlier. He glanced at Han Daoming, then replied to Han Qian, “Whether the women’s academy relocates to the northern bank new city is both possible and not—it all depends on Your Majesty’s decision. Once you decide and inform us, I’ll handle it accordingly.” Without waiting for Han Qian to discuss other matters, he stood up to take his leave. “Ah, I just remembered there’s business waiting at my office. I’ll report other matters to Your Majesty tomorrow at the council meeting…”
“I suddenly also remembered something waiting for me, so I won’t delay Princess Yunhe from discussing the women’s academy with Your Majesty!” Zhu Juezhong nimbly rose to depart.
Gu Qian and Han Daoming didn’t even bother with excuses, simply rising to follow Feng Liao and Zhu Juezhong out.
Xi Ren also started to rise, but Han Qian extended his foot and stepped on her skirt hem.
“Ah!” Xi Ren jumped in surprise, afraid of tearing her dress if she pulled hard. She sat back down beside the long table, saying, “Aren’t you afraid of tearing my dress and having Yunhe see and misunderstand?”
Before she finished speaking, they heard Yunhe outside the hall talking with Zhu Juezhong, Gu Qian, and the others. A moment later, Yunhe’s elegant, luminous face peeked inside—no one had announced her, showing a complete lack of proper protocol.
“Yunhe pays respects to Your Majesty and Madam Xi…” Wearing the crimson robes of a female official, Yunhe walked gracefully into the hall and bowed in greeting.
When she first went to East Lake with Wang Zhe, Huo Li, Han Bao, and others, Yunhe had been only fifteen. Nine years had passed, and the unremarkable pretty girl had transformed into a beauty of stunning, almost blinding radiance.
Her raven-black hair was elegantly styled in a bun, setting off her jade-white face. Seeming to understand why Gu Qian and the other ministers had hastily left Lingyun Pavilion, Yunhe’s cheeks flushed slightly. Holding a document against her ample bosom, she moved to sit at the side table, saying softly:
“Yunhe has prepared the campus plan for the women’s academy. Please review it, Your Majesty…”
Although Han Qian made every effort to treat the Zhu clan generously without suspicion or wariness, whether to avoid impropriety or through deliberate arrangement by others, besides Zhu Zhen who had married early, Zhu Yu’s other two sons—Zhu Tao and Zhu Shou—had both married virtuous, attractive women selected from commoners in recent years.
Yunhe had spent these years mainly studying and teaching at Liyang Academy and Luoyang Academy. Ordinary commoners naturally couldn’t catch her eye, so her marriage had been delayed.
Han Qian was deeply devoted to Zhao Ting’er and Wang Jun, with occasional stolen moments with Xi Ren. He had absolutely no intention of taking numerous consorts. Sometimes he thought of granting Xi Ren the title of National Lady, but she herself wasn’t pleased with the idea, so he simply went along with her wishes. As for children, he had Wenxin, Wencong, and Wenyuan—he could still spare time to care about their studies. Deeply influenced by his dream world’s modern thinking, he had no desire whatsoever to proliferate dragon sons and grandsons.
However, Han Daoming and Zhu Juezhong constantly reminded him that if the outer court had three dukes and six ministers, the inner palace should naturally have three consorts and six concubines to accord with propriety.
Han Qian paid them no mind.
Somehow, the Luoyang Women’s Academy that Yunhe managed had suddenly stopped being supervised by the Educational Oversight Bureau and other offices. Feng Liao, Gu Qian, Zhu Juezhong, and the others all uniformly stopped inquiring about it. As a result, whenever the women’s academy had matters that couldn’t be decided internally, Yunhe had to run directly to Han Qian to request instructions.
Seeing Xi Ren sitting to the side reviewing documents without moving, Han Qian could only stand up himself and walk over to receive the campus plan from Yunhe.
“Ah!” Seeing Han Qian approaching, Yunhe jumped up in alarm, hastily passing over the documents. In her haste, their fingers touched.
The smooth jade-like sensation, combined with Yunhe’s shy eyes flowing like waves—it couldn’t help but stir Han Qian’s heart.
The Luoyang Women’s Academy was actually supported behind the scenes by Wang Jun and Zhao Ting’er, but to avoid giving conservative Han Daoming types an opportunity to criticize, Yunhe was currently handling these matters publicly.
The women’s academy had initially operated from Zhu Zhen’s old residence in Luoyang, but Prince Luo’s mansion had limited space and couldn’t accommodate many teachers and students. Taking advantage of Luoyang Academy’s relocation to the northern bank of the Luo River, Yunhe also wanted to move the women’s academy there as well. However, this wouldn’t simply be a matter of makeshift arrangements in some mansion.
Han Qian sat down directly across from Yunhe, reviewing the women’s academy’s new campus plan while inquiring about numerous details. Xi Ren eventually found an excuse to leave, sparing herself the vexation of watching.
For convenience of explanation, Yunhe moved to sit beside Han Qian.
At some point, Han Qian unconsciously turned his head and saw Yunhe’s beautiful face just three or four inches from his nose, a delicate fragrance of cosmetics entering his nostrils.
He shifted his body back slightly, brushing against something soft. Yunhe seemed to misunderstand that he was deliberately taking advantage, glancing at him reproachfully before moving her body outward and continuing to discuss campus matters…
Seven years ago, Xu Mingzhen had ultimately chosen to collude with Zhu Rang and others. Han Qian had then used Songzhou northeast of the Guo River as his base to revitalize the Shouzhou Army.
Although the Guo and Ying Rivers west of Songzhou were constantly ravaged by Yu River floods with frequent inundations that left the people destitute, Songzhou City had recovered some prosperous appearance over these years.
The residence of Zhou Shen, Military Commissioner’s Office Finance Department Adjutant Magistrate, was located in Longliu Lane.
The residence wasn’t large, but it fronted the Song Creek that entered the city, with abundant shade trees—very peaceful.
Zhou Shen was the son of Zhou Shoumin, former Chamberlain for Ceremonials of Great Chu. During Jinling’s turmoil, too many high officials and nobles had been swept north across the river. The small Shouzhou Military Commissioner’s Office of that time couldn’t accommodate everyone, and Zhou Shen had initially struggled just to secure an insignificant clerk position to earn his meals.
After the Shouzhou Army pledged allegiance to the Eastern Liang Army, Zhou Shen accomplished several impressive feats.
Serving first as agricultural commissioner east of the Si River, in two years he delivered over three hundred thousand shi of grain to military stores. Appointed county magistrate, he showed achievement in recruiting displaced people, constructing irrigation works, and cultivating farmland.
When Liang forces captured Xingyang, Zhou Shen was also first to foresee that if Liang forces repaired the Yu River dike breach east of Xingyang City first, it would divert part of the Yu River floodwaters into the Guo River.
Because of Zhou Shen’s advance warning, military and civilian populations along the Guo River’s banks suffered much less loss when Yu River floods invaded.
Zhou Shen increasingly gained the trust of Xu Mingzhen and his son Xu Sizhao. Currently serving as Finance Department Adjutant Magistrate responsible for Songzhou’s tax revenue and transport, he could be called an important minister of both Songzhou and the Shouzhou Army.
Were it not for the many veteran generals and old officials who had followed Xu Mingzhen from the beginning, with Zhou Shen’s recent prominence, he might already hold key positions like Chief Administrator or Central Gate Commander or Vice Administrator.
“The Liang ruler dispatching Zhao Wuji to lead ten thousand cavalry and infantry from Xuzhou to Chuzhou to exchange positions with Lin Haizheng shows Liang still harbors some wariness toward Chu forces. But surrounded by enemies on all sides, they’re hard-pressed to deploy more troops to fill southern front gaps. If Chu forces dare act decisively, there should still be significant opportunities…”
Zhao Mingting, who had claimed illness and returned early from Bianzhou to Songzhou, sat in Zhou’s residence hall discussing Jianghuai affairs with Zhou Shen, looking somewhat unwell.
Zhou Shen’s position and prestige in the Shouzhou Army had risen substantially in recent years, but still didn’t match veteran ministers like Zhao Mingting. Seeing Zhao Mingting personally visit his residence to cultivate connections just days after returning sick to Songzhou made him somewhat anxious. He agreed, “Whether Chu forces can act decisively—who can really say? However, rumors have recently circulated in the marketplace that the Liang ruler and Chu’s Changxin Empress Dowager had unclear relations in the past. The news came from Jinling and involves romantic entanglements. I wonder if General Zhao, when heading the Bureau of Operations, noticed any clues?”
Previously, Zhou Shen had been close to Crown Prince Xu Sizhao, and Zhao Mingting hadn’t had much contact or understanding of him. But thinking that when the nest falls no eggs remain intact, he thought that if Zhou Shen were truly clever, he should know where their escape route lay.
However, all evening Zhou Shen never picked up on his hints. Not knowing whether Zhou Shen was genuinely confused or feigning it, and unable to grasp his attitude, Zhao Mingting didn’t dare speak too plainly. He could only say with a bitter smile, “When the Changxin Empress Dowager first entered Chu, very few knew she was cross-dressing as a man. By the time she officially entered Chu and married, Jinling was already in chaos with no time to pay attention to her private relations with Han Qian. However, since Jinling is spreading it with such detail, it’s probably not false.”
“I heard the Chu Empress Dowager was once the number one beauty of Shu. If the Liang ruler truly had an affair with her, his romantic fortune is truly enviable,” Zhou Shen said.
Seeing Zhou Shen consistently refuse to take the bait, Zhao Mingting lost interest in entangling with him. He excused himself due to the late hour, and before leaving, even bowed respectfully to the hunched figure beside Zhou Shen.
The hunched figure had difficulty walking but still insisted on accompanying Zhou Shen to see Zhao Mingting to the gate.
“Calculating her age, the Chu Empress Dowager is only thirty-three this year. Widowed for six or seven years—truly can be called long deprived…” Watching Zhao Mingting depart by carriage, Zhou Shen still found that earlier topic quite fascinating, unable to help rambling about it sideways to his companion.
“Whether the Liang ruler and Chu Empress Dowager had a private relationship in the past, I don’t know. But when so many rumors spread at this time, even reaching Songzhou, someone is deliberately orchestrating it behind the scenes,” the hunched figure said with a smile.
“How deliberate?” Zhou Shen asked in confusion.
“Didn’t Zhao Mingting just say the Chu Emperor, though young, quite resembles his father Emperor Yanyou’s youthful bearing? Elder brother, what do you think a fourteen or fifteen-year-old youth feels hearing everywhere that his mother had affairs with another man?” the hunched figure asked.
“When Zhao Mingting said ‘If Chu forces dare act decisively, there should be significant opportunities,’ the hidden meaning was there all along—I didn’t even hear it.” Zhou Shen stood stunned for a moment before saying in sudden understanding.
“Elder brother should just act as if you heard nothing, and don’t whisper anything in the Crown Prince’s ear. When a great edifice collapses, whatever elder brother does will be wrong. But elder brother is a capable official of Songzhou—whoever gains power in Songzhou in the future will have use for you. Therefore, doing nothing now is what gives elder brother the best chance of keeping the household safe and sound…” the hunched figure said.
“What kind of capable official am I? I’ll listen to you,” Zhou Shen said.
Over these years, he had accomplished several impressive things, and others all thought he possessed the talent of a capable official. But he knew in his heart that without his younger brother—who had broken his spine, left disabled, and couldn’t serve in office—helping with strategy and planning behind the scenes, he would be entirely ordinary.
In this era, taking office might not have strict appearance requirements, but disability clearly made it very difficult to gain recommendation. Zhou Kun couldn’t obtain any official position in the Shouzhou Army and had remained by his elder brother Zhou Shen’s side all these years, marrying a common woman with Zhou Shen’s support.
In others’ eyes, he was just a pitiful creature sheltering under his elder brother Zhou Shen’s wing.
Zhou Kun limped back to the eastern courtyard where he lived. Seeing his pretty wife teaching their six-year-old son to read by lamplight, he asked, “Where’s Uncle Zhou?”
His wife looked up at her husband and said, “Who knows where Zhou He went drinking until he came back drunk—he’s probably sleeping in the woodshed in the back courtyard now!”
In his wife’s eyes, so-called “Uncle Zhou” was just an old servant her husband had taken in during their refugee days. She couldn’t understand why the old servant kept coming back drunk lately, or how much drinking money her husband secretly gave him.
Zhou Kun walked toward the back courtyard woodshed. Pushing open the door, he saw Zhou He hiding on a straw mat. Watching the bean-sized lamplight flicker in the cold wind that rushed in, he quickly shut the door and said, “Zhao Mingting just came to see my elder brother. His meaning was quite obvious—he’ll most likely wait for Chu forces to move first against Huaixi, then launch a military coup with Xu Jin to seize military authority of the Shouzhou Army…”
“I just met with Zhang Shimin. The reports from various places have been very timely—His Majesty’s deployment of Supervisor Zhao to lead elite forces to Chuzhou isn’t just ordinary precaution against Chu forces, but preparation for Yang Zhitang and Yang Yuanyan’s sudden strike. His Majesty simultaneously requires agents everywhere not to take risky actions—first priority is concealing their identities. If they have capacity, they can appropriately use some low-profile minor means to shake various parties’ confidence.” Zhou He had appeared drunk earlier, with his grey-white beard in complete disarray, looking hardly better than a vagabond. But the moment Zhou Kun closed the door, he suddenly became alert and sharp.
No one would imagine that the intelligence core of the Secret Service in Songzhou consisted of these two men.
Zhou Kun’s disability made going out inconvenient and easily attracted unnecessary attention, aside from dealings with officials friendly to Zhou Shen. Contact and conspiracy with personnel from Luoyang and Songzhou subordinates fell to Zhou He.
“Did Commissioner Zhang say when Luoyang will recover Songzhou?” Zhou Kun asked urgently.
Having lurked in Songzhou for years while deceiving those close to him, Zhou Kun’s heart had endured much torment. He longed for the day Great Liang forces would enter Songzhou so he could finally face his family and the world with the identity of a Liang official.
“If we can successfully inflict heavy damage on Yang Zhitang and Yang Yuanyan’s rash action, then Great Liang forces recovering Hehuai truly won’t be far off,” Zhou He said, gazing at the thatched roof.
“At the appropriate time, could we warn Xu Sizhao to counter Xu Jin and Zhao Mingting’s coup?” Zhou Kun asked.
Xu Sizhao’s ability and prestige fell short of Xu Jin’s, not to mention Xu Jin had Zhao Mingting’s assistance. Yet while Xu Mingzhen lay bedridden, his tiger’s authority remained.
At least before Xu Mingzhen’s death, unless forced into a desperate corner, Xu Jin and Zhao Mingting wouldn’t dare directly launch a coup. On the surface, they still obeyed Xu Sizhao, who temporarily handled Songzhou affairs.
At the right moment, they still had opportunity to throw Songzhou’s situation into chaos. But whether Luoyang would approve their plan, and how Henan Provincial Administration and Henan Campaign Army would seize whatever opportunity they created to inflict heavy damage on the Shouzhou Army and recover Songzhou—these involved too many details requiring calm study…