Song Zhirui escorted Di Nian to the central command tent and then ordered someone to invite Luo Bitao. Only then did he say, “I had thought General Di would remain stationed in Fenzhou. With the bandits on the Jiankang Road not yet pacified, I expected you would send another commander to Mount Min. I never imagined the General would personally lead the troops here.”
Di Nian replied briefly, “The northern matter takes precedence.”
He understood the Emperor’s decree clearly. Only with the northern border secure could the various regions within the country be at peace. Compared to the remaining rebels on the Jiankang Road, the fierce northern Jian army approaching posed a greater threat. Although Song Zhirui had previously led troops to barely repel the northern Jian forces north of Mount Min, this was far from sufficient to meet the Emperor’s expectations. The central government’s dispatch stated explicitly that he must force the tens of thousands of northern Jian troops back beyond Jinxia Pass—only then would his mission be considered accomplished. Though the order was strict, he understood the court’s intentions.
When Luo Bitao arrived, Di Nian, with his hands behind his back, asked Song Zhirui, “How many troops did the northern Jian army have when they launched their surprise attack on Mount Min from the south?”
Song Zhirui replied, “Approximately thirty thousand men.”
Di Nian pondered for a moment. “How many remain in their remnant forces now?”
Song Zhirui frowned. “Eighteen thousand men retreated and encamped north of Mount Min.”
Di Nian laughed coldly. “It seems the northern rear guard was fooled by these northern Jian barbarians. Their troop reductions along the border must have been merely for show.”
Song Zhirui sighed and said, “If Official Dong hadn’t previously transferred two divisions from the Mount Min garrison to the west, my forces wouldn’t have suffered such losses this time.”
“Rest assured,” Di Nian said with furrowed brows, “This time our Great Ping will reclaim justice from the hands of the northern Jian!”
As they spoke, Luo Bitao had already lifted the tent flap and entered. He bowed to Di Nian and Song Zhirui, saying, “I didn’t know General Di would arrive tonight. I had retired early.”
“It’s no matter,” Di Nian had heard of this Qingzhou brave general’s straightforward character, and smiled, “By rights, both generals are senior to me in age and have served in the imperial army for longer. I have been appointed Commissioner of the Northern Three Routes owing to the special trust of the current Emperor. But once we march north, if there is any merit, I would not dare take credit for the generals’ efforts. I will share both achievements and blame with you both, thus not wasting our brotherhood in arms.”
These words moved both men, and Song Zhirui further said, “I previously fought alongside General Di to quell the rebellion at Liuqi, and I know the General’s character. To stand shoulder to shoulder with the General against the enemy this time is one of life’s great fortunes. General Di comes from the Three Commands. The palace guards and personal imperial troops all look up to the General’s name. Now that we have the General leading the northern campaign, we will certainly follow your lead.”
Di Nian naturally knew that his respect as Commissioner in the northern border wasn’t merely because he was the Emperor’s appointed Commissioner, but because he was the heir of the late Martial Duke. This was why these imperial army generals with deeper seniority than him were willing to take his orders. Given this, how could he fail the Emperor’s favor, the Di family name, and the millions of Great Ping imperial troops?
Song Zhirui turned to the giant military map hanging in the tent and said, “In my view, it would be best to wait until provisions and armor are ready, then deploy thirty thousand troops northward from Mount Min to quickly surround the northern Jian army’s camp.”
Luo Bitao thought for a moment, raising an eyebrow, “What is General Song suggesting?”
Song Zhirui glanced at the two men. “If northern Jian wants to save these eighteen thousand troops, they must divert forces from elsewhere, with Tingzhou being the closest. If northern Jian withdraws troops besieging Tingzhou to the east, then the siege of Tingzhou can be broken, and our defensive forces can advance northward into their territory. If northern Jian doesn’t move their Tingzhou forces, then we will attack these eighteen thousand troops. Northern Jian already lost nearly half their forces in the previous battle with General Song’s troops. Now, seeing our thirty thousand troops mobilized, they won’t dare stay to fight. If they flee toward Jinxia Pass, we can divide our forces westward to jointly eliminate the northern Jian western army with the Tingzhou defensive forces.”
Di Nian concentrated deeply, then said, “This feint to the east and strike to the west is a tactic northern Jian commonly uses, and they may not fall for it this time. The northern Jian forces camped behind Mount Min are only eighteen thousand men, yet they linger and don’t retreat, likely waiting for reinforcements. If our attack is unsuccessful, once their reinforcements arrive, the situation will inevitably become a stalemate, making victory or defeat difficult to determine.”
Luo Bitao nodded. “General Di speaks truly. What is your excellent view, General?”
Di Nian approached Song Zhirui and placed his hand on Tingzhou on the map, saying, “In my opinion, we should directly send ten thousand troops to Tingzhou. The northern Jian western army besieging Tingzhou is merely a diversionary tactic. Tingzhou offers them no substantial benefit. If they see us diverting troops from Mount Min to Tingzhou, they may either retreat behind the pass or move eastward to join with the forces camped north of Mount Min. At that time, our main army will be divided into two. The Mount Min garrison will defend without moving, while the ten thousand troops sent to Tingzhou will turn northward.” His finger moved up the map and tapped lightly. “To cut off their supply route.”
“Excellent!” Luo Bitao exclaimed in praise. “If the supply route behind Mount Min is cut, how can the northern Jian army camped north of Mount Min avoid being eliminated by us?”
Di Nian continued in a low voice, “If the northern Jian forces besieging Tingzhou don’t respond to our movement, I’ll have troops from the Linhuai Road directly invade their border at Zizhou, causing disturbance and unrest. Simultaneously, I’ll wait for our Western imperial troops to be deployed. Once the main army arrives, we’ll use our entire border forces to press directly against the northern Jian army, forcing them back behind the pass.”
Song Zhirui also nodded with a smile. “The General’s thinking is indeed more comprehensive than mine.” He paused, his gaze falling on the Jiankang Road area, his expression becoming solemn. “It’s unfortunate that the Jiankang Road has erupted with bandit troubles at this time. If the tens of thousands of imperial troops used to suppress those bandits could be redeployed to us, we wouldn’t be in such a passive position.”
Di Nian also frowned. “The court has issued warrants to apprehend the tax bandits, and they will certainly be captured and executed. Before I left Fenzhou for here, I ordered Guo Ming to send more troops south to clear out the bandits. A report will reach me in three days. However, compared to the northern Jian wolf-like army, these bandits are not much of a concern. Once the northern matter is settled, the bandit threat will naturally subside.”
The night in the capital was also unsettled.
The results of the women’s imperial examination administered by the Ministry of Rites had been posted during the day, filling the city with a celebratory atmosphere. This final women’s imperial examination naturally drew much attention, momentarily causing the capital’s residents to forget the war flames a thousand miles away at the northern border.
With all matters at the Ministry of Rites concluded, it was already past the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).
Shen Zhili was collecting her document box at her desk. As she bent down, something suddenly fell from her clothes. She picked it up and saw it was the thin piece of peach wood that Di Nian had given her on their wedding night. Her heart tightened involuntarily. It had been nearly twenty days without any news from the north, nor had any family letters arrived by courier. The fine red string on the peach wood piece had worn through. She held it in her palm, examining it carefully, realizing that this piece of wood must have been carried by him for a long time.
The candlelight on the desk flickered, its thin smoke rising faintly. She hazily recalled that when she first met him, it was also on a spring night like this. Her brother had gone to Suiyang in the Western Capital on official business, and when he returned, he had brought back a young man. Upon seeing her, the young man couldn’t take his eyes off her, until she glared at him several times, causing him to awkwardly rub his hands. From then on, this person was always present in her life. He entered the Palace Guard, joined the Imperial Army, and then the Divine Guard—the most elite unit of the Three Commands’ cavalry. Even her mother said that Di Nian was born to be a soldier.
In summer, when he went horseback riding and archery with her brother, she stared at the gilded longbow in his hand as he shot. He would run to her, dripping with sweat, and say foolishly, “Zhili, this bow was given to me by my mother… I’ll give you a better bow than this someday.”
Whenever he came across something interesting in the military, he would run to show it to her. “Zhili, do you like this? Can I give it to you?”
Once during an imperial cavalry demonstration, someone accidentally injured him. His right chest was seeping blood through his armor. When she saw this, she heartlessly laughed at him, saying, “Who told you to be so unskilled in martial arts?” Yet he laughed along with her, his thick eyebrows rising high in the sunlight. “Zhili, you look so beautiful when you smile. I love to see you smile.”
Zhili, Zhili, Zhili…
Zhili, I love you so much.
Zhili, believe me, I will be good to you for a lifetime.
In this quiet moment of the night, these memories suddenly surfaced from the depths of her mind, knocking on the door of her heart without any warning. She suddenly burst into tears, then cried until her voice broke.