Wen Yu stopped her brush and slowly raised her head. Zhao Bai handed over the confessions from interrogating those Chen soldiers.
After Wen Yu read through them at a glance, she said with slight surprise: “This worm was hidden quite deeply indeed.”
She closed the confession, pressed it lightly on the desk with four fingers, and asked: “Are they all still alive?”
Zhao Bai nodded: “When we captured them, we dislocated their jaws and removed the poison sacs hidden behind their teeth.”
Wen Yu said: “Keep them imprisoned for now. Tell outsiders that the several men are already dead, their bones thrown into the mountains to feed wild wolves.”
Zhao Bai understood this was to prevent Chen army spies from taking advantage of wartime to kill those men and silence them, preventing them from bringing both human and material evidence for direct confrontation after returning to Southern Chen.
She cupped her fists: “This servant understands.”
Wen Yu raised her hand and pressed her brow. Zhao Bai saw fatigue already showing on her face and advised: “In another two hours, dawn will break. Princess, please sleep for a while.”
Wen Yu only said: “Tomorrow when traveling, catching up on sleep in the carriage will be the same.”
In this campaign against Pei Song, their apparent main force led by Chen Wei was pushing north with full strength to attack Xiangzhou.
But to rescue Jiang Yichu, they had also secretly had Fan Yuan lead twenty thousand troops, marching covertly along the Qiling mountain range, deploying forces to Fengyang.
After rescuing Jiang Yichu, she also wanted to seek out Wei Qishan for a talk, to exchange for Xiao Li from his hands.
The vanguard Tan Yi under Fan Yuan’s command had already gone ahead to scout the route. Tomorrow morning she would depart with the main army behind.
Tongque, who had gone out to brew tea, returned through the curtain, still holding an unopened letter scroll in her hand: “Princess, a message has come back from Fengyang.”
Hearing this, Wen Yu’s fatigue between her brows lightened somewhat. After receiving it and opening it to look, her brow quickly furrowed again.
Seeing this, Zhao Bai couldn’t help but ask: “Has something changed in Fengyang?”
Wen Yu handed that scroll of letter paper to her.
After Zhao Bai finished reading, she also frowned: “A’Yin is no longer in Fengyang?”
Tongque was pouring tea for Wen Yu. Hearing this, she was also startled: “Doesn’t that mean the Heir’s Consort is also no longer in Fengyang?”
Ever since Jiang Yichu had helped them rescue the group of ministers imprisoned in Fengyang’s Hong’en Temple, Jiang Yichu’s surroundings had been completely encircled like an iron barrel by Pei Song’s people. The Azure Cloud Guards they had arranged to send over couldn’t contact Jiang Yichu at all.
Only then did Wen Yu have them switch to watching the young County Princess who was being held separately by Pei Song.
Zhao Bai said: “Recently, large numbers of garrison troops have also been secretly transferred into Fengyang City. It looks as if Pei Song already knows we’ll take Fengyang.”
She looked at Wen Yu: “Princess, then will we still march toward Fengyang tomorrow?”
Wen Yu felt this matter was slightly suspicious. She lightly knitted her brow and asked: “Where is Wei Qishan currently marching?”
Zhao Bai said: “The intelligence report sent back by scouts during the day said he just passed An Pass. It looks like he’ll first go to Mozhou to clean house, attacking Zheng Daye, a Wei general under his command who once betrayed and defected to Pei Song.”
Their original plan was to take advantage of Pei Song’s northern forces being tied down by Wei Qishan, then surprise attack Fengyang, rescue Jiang Yichu and withdraw.
Now plans couldn’t keep up with changes.
After thinking, Wen Yu said: “Tomorrow morning march as usual. Only after reaching the vicinity of Fengyang, first hold troops without moving and see what the Wei army’s movements are.”
Zhao Bai cupped her fists: “This servant will go relay the message to General Fan now.”
After Zhao Bai, Tongque, and several Azure Cloud Guards in the hall all withdrew, even though Wen Yu’s heart was still somewhat troubled, she no longer had the inclination to continue copying scriptures.
Rescuing sister-in-law and A’Yin would need to wait a bit longer.
She stroked the pouch at her waist containing the carp wood carving, saying extremely softly: “You also wait a bit longer.”
Wei Qishan had deployed troops south for conquest. Pei Song and the barbarians outside the pass had long been in collusion secretly. The barbarians wouldn’t pass up this opportunity to attack the northern border.
Now the southern border was stable. After the Liang and Chen armies had taken several cities beyond Ziyang Pass, bolstered by several victories, morale in the army was high. With Grand Tutor Yu and other senior ministers helping her stabilize internal affairs, even if she secretly traveled north with twenty thousand troops, it wouldn’t drag down the southern border.
Only after this battle ended and she returned to Southern Chen would she still need to deal with the Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Jiang.
But she had already caught that worm behind Chen Kingdom. Jiang Yu’s death lay in that worm colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. The fury of Empress Dowager Jiang and the Jiang family would naturally be borne by that worm.
Currently in a disadvantaged position was his Northern Wei.
No matter whether Wei Qishan’s external identity was as a Jin minister or a Liang minister, with a great enemy before them, there was no reason to refuse to discuss cooperation with her again.
—
Outside Yuzhou City, after hearing Song Qin’s report, Zhang Huai almost clapped and laughed: “Go! Why not go! This is the State Lord’s destined fortune!”
Song Qin seemed somewhat puzzled: “Resisting the barbarian rebels this time will benefit the State Lord?”
Zhang Huai said: “Those who accomplish great things must not be short-sighted, nor can they lack benevolence. The State Lord and all the brothers began from humble origins and know even better the hardships of people’s livelihoods. Han Feizi said: ‘The sage sees the subtle to know the budding, sees the beginning to know the end, so seeing ivory chopsticks brings fear, knowing the realm is insufficient.'”
“The State Lord has been in military service for a short time. In terms of qualifications, he cannot compare with veteran generals like Yuan Fang and Liao Jiang. In terms of winning people’s hearts, he cannot compare with Confucian generals like Wei Qishan who have accumulated decades of reputation. Yet not only the soldiers who enlisted from Tongzhou, but also several other righteous army groups that rallied under the State Lord’s command after coming to the northern border now all obey the State Lord completely. Why?”
Zhang Huai smiled and answered: “Not only because the State Lord is divinely brave and has led them to repeated victories, but more so because the State Lord’s temperament is upright and impartial, never showing favoritism, nor would he suppress them to employ only his direct subordinates. They rely on the State Lord. Initially it was only because they feared entering the Wei camp and not being valued, but the State Lord won’t calculate why they followed him. As long as they do their duty on the battlefield, what is theirs, the State Lord will give them in full. If they’re bullied by Wei clan direct troops, the State Lord will even protect them.”
“Huai believes these things can move people’s hearts far better than empty talk of aspirations, and facts have proven this is indeed so. Now the State Lord has great righteousness in his heart and pities the northern border people’s suffering so. His original heart being thus, does General Song still fear that in time, the common people throughout the realm won’t know of the State Lord’s benevolence and righteousness?” On Zhang Huai’s refined face, ambition and admiration coexisted: “Moreover, what the State Lord said is also correct. Today the barbarians are entering the pass. If we sit by and watch without caring, in the future if we want to accomplish great things again, there will ultimately be such a transgression weighing on our spines.”
With Zhang Huai’s words, Song Qin’s heart became more settled. He cupped his hands: “I’ll deploy troops into the city now.”
Zhang Huai nodded, then said: “When the general enters the city, raise the State Lord’s banner.”
Song Qin looked back. His eyes held faint smile: “We’ll help defend the northern border, but we must also let the people within the border know who is guarding their homeland for them!”
—
Dawn was breaking. The common people in Yuzhou City had already evacuated overnight for the most part. Wei Ang stood on the North City Gate tower, looking at the less than two thousand soldiers assembled below. His eyes, which had not slept all night, were blown somewhat red in the cold wind. He shouted down: “The Marquis has marched south to attack the rebel Pei Song! Now Yanle Mountain is in crisis. As long as Northern Wei still has one man, we cannot let the barbarians cross even half a step past Yanle Mountain!”
The Wei soldiers arrayed below raised their spears, shouting “Kill!” in the cold wind, but in their hearts they all understood that this trip would likely mean they truly couldn’t return.
Wei Ang made a gesture and roared: “Open the city gates!”
The heavy city gate that could resist barbarian invasion was wrapped in a layer of black iron skin on the outside, studded with countless bronze rivets. Winched by iron chains from the tower, it slowly rose.
Inside the city, over ten fast horses galloped urgently, their hoofbeats thundering.
Racing to below the tower, the lead rider controlled the reins, raising a rebellious yet handsome face, and spoke coldly: “Give me the tiger tally!”
Reacting to the meaning in Xiao Li’s words, Wei Ang was almost weeping with joy. He hurriedly descended the tower, presented the tiger tally, and said with cupped fists and streaming tears: “State Lord Xiao is willing to extend aid—this great kindness, Northern Wei will never forget until death!”
Behind them, another scout galloped forward to report: “Report—General! The righteous army stationed in the suburbs has broken camp and is coming toward the South City Gate!”
Wei Ang looked at Xiao Li with uncertain surprise.
Xiao Li gathered up that tiger tally wrapped in dried, browning bloodstains and said: “My thirty thousand sons will go together to defend Yanle Mountain in this battle.”
Wei Ang’s heart was filled with myriad emotions for a moment. He hadn’t expected that after Wei Qishan had treated him thus, Xiao Li would truly still be willing to extend aid to their Northern Wei. For a moment the redness in his eyes intensified even more. He bent and cupped his fists again: “Thank you, State Lord Xiao, for your great righteousness!”
Xiao Li sat high on horseback and said: “After this battle, if your Wei camp makes things difficult for my subordinate soldiers again, the whole world will share in the shame.”
Wei Ang hurriedly said: “This last general guarantees with his own head—what the State Lord speaks of will absolutely not happen again!”
As Xiao Li rode past Wei Ang’s side, he only left behind one sentence: “I trust the general.”
—
At noon the snow stopped. Wen Yu’s carriage was hidden with the army in the pine forest along the mountain path.
Zhao Bai walked to the front of the carriage and relayed to Wen Yu the intelligence report the scouts had brought back: “Last night the scouts rushed along the Qiling mountain range to Mozhou to investigate. This morning observing the Wei army’s encampment, they discovered that when they lit fires to cook, although there were many cooking smoke columns, when looking closer, there were very few people in the camp wearing Wei army uniforms.”
Hearing this, Wen Yu’s eyes had already become somewhat somber.
Zhao Bai continued: “Azure Cloud Guards disguised as women in distress were rescued into the camp and discovered there weren’t many Wei troops in the camp. Most in the camp were refugees conscripted to serve as laborers, creating the false impression that the Wei army’s main force was in Mozhou. Moreover, General Tan Yi led people disguised as refugees to secretly investigate within Fengyang’s borders. From refugees fleeing south, they learned that north of Fengyang, there seems to be another Wei army stationed.”
Hearing this, Tongque couldn’t help but exclaim: “So the garrison troops in Fengyang weren’t because Pei Song calculated that we would attack this place—they were increased because of that Wei army?”
She looked at Wen Yu, very puzzled: “We’re attacking Fengyang to rescue the Heir’s Consort and the young County Princess. What is the Marquis of Shuobian doing stationing troops here?”
Wen Yu’s slender white fingers rested on the hand warmer covered with a layer of velvet cloth. She only said: “It seems the Marquis of Shuobian, like us, has other calculations.”
Zhao Bai said almost with certainty: “It must be that old Wei thief calculating that you, Princess, would come to rescue the Heir’s Consort and County Princess, deliberately making it look like he would attack Fengyang, making that dog thief Pei Song send reinforcements into Fengyang City. If you hadn’t kept people watching the County Princess and we knew the Heir’s Consort was no longer in the city, we would have launched a hard attack on Fengyang by now, letting Northern Wei reap the benefits!”
Wen Yu said: “Not impossible, but for the Marquis of Shuobian to go to such great lengths creating the false impression that the main force is in Mozhou, just to reap the benefits of Fengyang alone—that couldn’t be considered superior strategy.”
Zhao Bai quickly reacted: “You mean the Wei army stationed north of Fengyang may also not be Wei Qishan’s true main force?”
Wen Yu’s eyes were calm: “Now Pei Song is under attack from north and south, with the Qiling mountain range to the east. If he wants to retreat, he can only go west. West of Fengyang is Luodu. The Marquis of Shuobian creates the momentum of joining forces with us to attack Fengyang. Pei Song retreats west to Luodu. The forces he left in Fengyang are then tied down by us. If there’s another Wei army secretly ambushed outside Luodu, then Pei Song would be isolated and helpless.”
Zhao Bai’s expression turned sharply cold: “So that’s the plan—truly a cunning old thief!”
After Tongque sorted through her thoughts, she was also greatly alarmed and couldn’t help but say: “Princess, since you’ve already guessed that Pei Song secretly took the Heir’s Consort and them to flee to Luodu, why don’t we just directly attack Luodu!”
Zhao Bai answered for Wen Yu: “Our original plan for this journey was to take advantage of Old Thief Wei and that dog thief Pei Song fighting each other, make a surprise attack on Fengyang to rescue the Heir’s Consort and leave. The southern cities haven’t been taken yet—we could only use the complex terrain of the Qiling mountain range to shake off pursuers and sneak back to the southern border.”
“Now to bypass Fengyang and take Luodu, setting aside what the outcome of engaging the Pei and Wei armies would be, just this Pei army in Fengyang City blocking our way could cut off our path back to hide in the Qiling mountain range.” Zhao Bai’s brows were tightly furrowed: “To advance on Luodu, we must first deal with this Pei army in Fengyang.”
Now without Zhao Bai saying more, Tongque also knew the stakes involved. She said: “If we attack by force, eighty or ninety percent we’ll only let that Wei army guarding north of Fengyang profit. Then wanting to advance to Fengyang, our movements will also be exposed. From the Wei camp, we probably won’t get any advantage.”
Both their expressions looked somewhat unpleasant for a moment, not having expected that this northward journey had already been set up as such a trap by Wei Qishan.
Wind blew through the forest. The accumulated snow on the treetops fell down rustling, making this mountain wilderness seem even more tranquil.
Wen Yu lightly lowered her long lashes and said: “The best strategy is to attack the enemy’s plans, the next best is to attack their alliances.”
Her earrings studded with tourmaline swayed lightly in the cold wind: “Inform General Fan to have the vanguard army feint an attack on the South City Gate for half a day, then send someone to pay a visit to that Wei army camp.”