With Master Xiuting’s assistance, the situation in Bian City proved far better than they had imagined. After all, in this age of chaos, wars were not being fought in Bian City alone — ordinary commoners would never willingly choose to leave their homes unless they were truly left with no other option. Although Chen Xiufu’s renown did not reach the same heights as Master Qingyun’s fame across the land, he at the very least commanded absolute prestige within Bian City. While a portion of the populace had a few murmured complaints about his submission to the King of Ding’s Mansion, the majority of the common people, upon seeing the notices written in his own hand, chose to return to Bian City.
These ordinary commoners were easy enough to reassure. Long Yang’s actions atop Bian City’s walls that day had given the Mo Family Army a reason sufficiently compelling — and comprehensible to them — to explain Mau Xiuyao’s earlier conduct. Though the people had been badly frightened and still harbored some fear of the Mo Family Army, the fact remained that, in the end, the Mo Family Army had not killed a single ordinary civilian. In this, the Mo Family Army’s sterling reputation — built across generations — had also played no small part.
Two days were spent settling the more pressing affairs of Bian City, including the conferral of a grand general’s funeral rites upon Long Yang and Zhu Yan for their burial. This gesture further warmed the hearts of the Bian City populace, who had still been somewhat guarded. Once these matters were resolved, the Mo Family Army had to set out once more to continue the campaign ahead. Although they were confident that with Lu Jinxian holding the line, the Prince of Zhen’nan would not be able to return quickly enough to mount a rescue, it was still best to end this war swiftly. Mau Xiuyao left behind a small contingent of troops and an interim commander for Bian City, and set out again early on the third morning. Within a few days, the Northwest would naturally dispatch men to take charge of Bian City — they could not afford to station large numbers of troops at every point along the way, not when the Mo Family Army’s total forces on this campaign were already limited to begin with.
Barely had they left Bian City when Mau Xiuyao received a war report from Da Chu. In the north, Leng Huai was fighting a desperate holding action at Zijing Pass against the Northern Border forces, and on top of that, the Northern Rong army advancing from Da Chu’s northern front had at last broken through the border passes. Countless nomadic cavalry from the steppes poured through the passes, burning, killing, and plundering as they went, leaving the populace with no means of survival. At the same time, vast numbers of Da Chu’s common people were flooding into the Northwest, and the area around Feihong Pass was frequently seeing the movements of Northern Rong figures. Though they showed no intention of provoking the Mo Family Army for the time being, Xu Qingchen could not afford to let his guard down.
Meanwhile, within Da Chu’s imperial court, the situation was anything but unified — the jockeying for power and the political infighting was even fiercer than it had been before. Mau Jingli, serving as Regent, had not devoted his full energies to the war effort at all. Instead, he was quietly making preparations to abandon the capital and retreat to Jiangnan the moment enemy forces drew close to Chu Capital.
Having finished reading the letter that had just arrived, Mau Xiuyao’s expression darkened. He flung the letter onto the table and said coldly: “That fool Mau Jingli!”
Ye Li, seated beside him, picked up the letter and looked it over. She smiled faintly and said: “The Northern Border, the Northern Rong, and Western Ling are all fierce and battle-hardened. With the armies of three nations converging at once, it is hardly surprising that Mau Jingli is already speaking of retreat before he has even suffered defeat. Leng Haoyu and the others — I’m afraid they won’t be able to hold on much longer.”
Mau Xiuyao drew Ye Li to sit beside him, lowered his head, and rested it lightly against her dark hair. “That Leng Huai has managed to hold on until now — at least he has not betrayed the reputation he built over half a lifetime. Had it not been for the Northern Rong and Western Ling stirring up trouble, had Da Chu’s court stood united in its support, the outcome might well have been anyone’s to claim. It is a pity only that… fate was unkind. The fault is not in the fighting.”
“Is Lei Zhenting truly not intending to withdraw from Da Chu?” Ye Li looked down at the letter in her hand and frowned as she asked.
Mau Xiuyao gave a quiet snort. “In front of him, he has Lu Songxian’s four hundred thousand troops blocking the way. Behind him, he has Da Chu’s several hundred thousand troops watching his every move. To the south, Nanzhao is eyeing him hungrily. And then there’s this — Murong Shen leading two hundred thousand troops northward. Even if Lei Zhenting wanted to withdraw, he no longer can. If he were to turn back only to find Lu Jinxian blocking his path, with Murong Shen closing in from behind and joining forces with Da Chu’s armies for a three-pronged encirclement — it would not be impossible for the Western Ling War God to suffer another total annihilation. Most importantly, even if he managed to break through Lu Songxian’s lines and pursue us, how many troops would he have left by then? And then he’d still have to contend with the offensive from Nanzhao and the various smaller Western Regions nations. By that point… he would be left with nothing.”
Ye Li furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, then asked: “So then, what do you think he will do?”
Mau Xiuyao rubbed the space between his brows and considered for a moment. “He cannot retreat… so he can only advance. If he can seize Jiangnan ahead of both Murong Shen and Mau Jingli — tsk, that would actually be a bit of a problem.”
Ye Li had to admit that if Lei Zhenting managed to seize Jiangnan, it truly would be a problem. To say nothing else, the wealth of Jiangnan was in an entirely different class from a place like Western Ling. Once Lei Zhenting had occupied that land, a few years of development would be enough to make him the overlord of Jiangnan — freeing him once and for all from his identity as Western Ling’s Prince of Zhen’nan, breaking free of all restraints, and granting him far greater strength than he possessed now. If things truly came to that, it was hard to say whether this entire campaign would prove to have been a gain or a loss.
“Never mind. Even if there is a loss, it will be Mau Jingli and Da Chu who bear it. Western Ling — that, we will certainly bring within our grasp.” Mau Xiuyao said in a firm, low voice. The Northwest had no other choice. For the sake of reputation, they could not move openly against Da Chu, and that meant Western Ling was the only option available. Surely they couldn’t send the Mo Family Army outside the passes to compete with the Northern Rong for territory and become nomadic herders?
Ye Li’s brow creased delicately. She pondered for quite some time before smiling and saying: “Perhaps we are worrying needlessly. Da Chu, for all its troubles, still commands a million-strong army. Mau Jingli is not so foolish as to let Lei Zhenting simply walk in and take his land. Besides, if things truly come to that, we could always have General Lu lend them another hand. Who knows — we might even make it back in time.” They had never intended to occupy all of Western Ling’s territory in any case. However weak Western Ling had become, it was still a vast nation with vast territory, and even under the most favorable of circumstances, full occupation would be impossible without two or three years’ time. As long as they could capture Western Ling’s imperial capital in the shortest possible time, the rest would be much easier to manage.
Mau Xiuyao smiled warmly, bowed his head, and pressed a kiss to the space between Ye Li’s brows. “Ah Li makes a fair point. Let me think… there is nothing more to be done for Leng Huai — let Leng Haoyu return to the Northwest.” And naturally, he would bring back a seasoned general with him. Leng Huai was getting on in years, but his skill in commanding troops was absolutely on par with Zhang Qilan and Lu Jinxian. The Mo Family Army had gone too many years without fighting a proper war — there were virtually no veteran generals left in its ranks, and the younger generation had yet to develop the ability to take full charge independently. This was precisely why Mau Xiuyao had repeatedly found himself leading campaigns in person. As for how to make Leng Huai willingly serve the Mo Family Army — that would come down to Leng Haoyu’s own abilities.
Setting these thoughts aside, Mau Xiuyao casually put the war report to one side, drew Ye Li close, and turned his attention to the map spread out before them. Since Ye Li had trained the Qilin, Mau Xiuyao had to admit that reconnaissance and terrain surveying had improved dramatically compared to before. Even the most experienced scouts in the Mo Family Army had never been able to map terrain with such near-perfect accuracy. They could even construct flawless battlefield sand tables.
“Right now, Lei Tengfeng is leading thirty thousand remnant troops in retreat to hold Feng City. Adding in the original garrison, the total should not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand. This doesn’t look particularly difficult — let’s give the vanguard assignment to Chen Yun.” He pointed to a location on the map as he spoke.
Ye Li nodded in agreement, then thought for a moment and said: “However, Feng City is different from Bian City — it sits at the crossroads between north, south, east, and west in Western Ling. We need to be careful of possible reinforcements moving in from various directions. If they end up surrounded, Chen Yun might not be able to handle it.”
Mau Xiuyao thought it over, tilted his head, and said: “Reinforcements shouldn’t be many. Nanzhao has already mobilized its forces, and after news of Long Yang’s death in battle spreads, the various Western Regions nations will start to stir as well. Even if anyone wanted to send reinforcements, they’re likely to find themselves willing but unable. Besides… this King does not believe that the Western Ling Emperor truly wants Lei Tengfeng to remain alive…”
“The Western Ling Emperor?” A flash of insight crossed Ye Li’s mind. “Lei Zhenting leads his troops abroad, and now Lei Tengfeng is besieged in Feng City as well. This truly is the Western Ling Emperor’s opportunity…” Although the Western Ling Emperor was said to be weak and incompetent, a weak and incompetent emperor who had remained on the throne for over twenty years without being supplanted by Lei Zhenting must have had at least some measure of real ability. The current situation, while deeply unfavorable to Western Ling overall, would be a perfect opportunity for the Western Ling Emperor to eliminate the Prince of Zhen’nan’s Mansion — if that was what he wanted.
“You’ve already sent someone to make contact with the Western Ling Emperor?” Ye Li raised her eyes and asked quietly.
Mau Xiuyao smiled faintly. “Fourth Young Master Xu.” Among the five sons of the Xu Family, apart from the supremely gifted Xu Qingchen, the most skilled at navigating complex social situations — and the most naturally suited to the role of persuasive envoy — was Xu Qingbai, the fourth young master. Most importantly, the vast majority of people, Lei Zhenting included, still believed that the Xu Family’s fourth young master was back in the Northwest tending to farmland. Who would ever have imagined that Xu Qingbai had already quietly slipped away to Western Ling’s imperial capital to sever Lei Tengfeng’s avenue of retreat?
“Isn’t that too dangerous?” Ye Li frowned, her expression laced with worry. Everything they had just spoken of rested on the premise that the Western Ling Emperor was truly willing to spare nothing in destroying the Prince of Zhen’nan’s Mansion. What if the Western Ling Emperor came to his senses, or simply chose not to act? Then Xu Qingbai would be in grave danger.
Mau Xiuyao toyed idly with Ye Li’s slender hand and said softly: “Set your mind at ease. I have arranged for people to protect him in secret — nothing will go wrong.”
Ye Li was somewhat taken aback by his certainty. “Who?”
“Ling Tiehan, and a company of Qilin.” Mau Xiuyao smiled. “And besides, even if the Western Ling Emperor were to turn on him and detain Xu Qingbai, in a situation like this, he would absolutely not dare kill him. The most that could happen is that he would use Xu Qingbai as a bargaining chip to negotiate terms with us, and I would naturally find a way to retrieve him. Ah Li — I’ve said before that anyone you care about, I will protect. I will not let him take risks he cannot come back from.”
Hearing these words, Ye Li’s heart softened, and she leaned gently into Mau Xiuyao’s arms. To have Ling Tiehan personally protect Xu Qingbai — Mau Xiuyao could not have done so without paying some price. On that point alone, it was plain to see that he had truly put his heart into this. And besides, Xu Qingbai was a grown man with his own ambitions and aspirations. Ye Li could not possibly stand in his way at every turn for the sake of his safety — if Xu Qingbai had not been willing to go himself, Mau Xiuyao could never have compelled him. The only thing that left her slightly displeased was that she had not been told anything of this arrangement at all.
“The Prince truly is farsighted… quietly making so many arrangements without a single word.” Leaning softly against Mau Xiuyao’s chest, Ye Li said with a light smile. They had been husband and wife for many years, and from her voice alone, Mau Xiuyao knew at once that she was displeased inside. He pulled her close and laughed softly. “But Ah Li doesn’t like to be involved in these matters, does she? Whatever Ah Li doesn’t like, isn’t it better to leave it all to me? Besides, this was decided before we set out on campaign. Had Ah Li known about it then, wouldn’t it have put you in an awkward position in front of Madam Xu?”
“The Prince truly is so understanding and considerate. Should I be thanking you?” Ye Li raised her head, smiling brightly as she looked at him.
Mau Xiuyao raised his brows with a grin. “This King is of course the most understanding and considerate of husbands. Has Ah Li ever met anyone better than me?”
Ye Li gave him a glare that could not quite hide her amusement. “A good person? Is there anyone in this world with a heart darker than yours, my Prince? I still have to keep careful watch lest you deceive me one of these days.”
Mau Xiuyao burst into a bright laugh. “The fact that my Lady can see through such dark schemes of mine only proves that you are not so innocent yourself. Are we not a perfect match? Your husband would absolutely never deceive Ah Li.”
Outside the tent, Feng Zhiyao stood with a conflicted expression, unable to make up his mind whether to go in and interrupt. Who knew — the Prince might be in there sharing tender words with the Princess Consort. A perfect match, indeed… Your Highness, your skin is truly thick beyond measure!
“Feng the Third, what is it? Why aren’t you going in?” Zhang Qilan, coming up from behind, frowned at the sight of him standing frozen in the doorway.
Feng Zhiyao cleared his throat quietly and shot Zhang Qilan an irritated sideways glance before calling out loudly: “Your Highness, your subordinate requests an audience.”
Having been inexplicably glared at, Zhang Qilan was even more baffled, and reached up to rub his nose. Had he said something wrong?
“Come in.” From inside the command tent, Mau Xiuyao’s voice came, calm and even.
Stepping into the tent, Feng Zhiyao found the Prince and the Princess Consort both looking at him with perfectly composed expressions. He suddenly felt that the flicker of awkwardness he’d felt a moment ago was itself rather awkward — he really had been far too unsettled. Feng Zhiyao inwardly berated himself with considerable disdain. Ye Li looked at him with a warm smile and asked lightly: “Feng the Third, General Zhang — is there something you needed?”
Zhang Qilan gave Feng Zhiyao a puzzled look, then spoke out in a clear voice to report: “Your Highness the Princess Consort, we are now less than twenty li from Feng City. Your subordinate requests permission to lead the troops as vanguard.” Ye Li smiled. “General, you’ve come at just the right moment. I was discussing this with His Highness just now — for the vanguard, we think it best to still let Chen Yun take command. They are young and lack experience, and a matter as small as this is hardly worth having the General go to the trouble personally.” Zhang Qilan was a straightforward man with no desire to compete for glory. Hearing Ye Li’s reasoning, he found it sensible and nodded. “If that is the case, your subordinate will naturally follow orders.”
Mau Xiuyao said: “The terrain around Feng City is complex, and Chen Yun and the others are still young. You’ll need to watch over them from behind — we can’t have them walking into an ambush and coming away with more losses than gains.”
Zhang Qilan nodded with a serious expression. “Your Highness, rest assured — your subordinate understands.” Mau Xiuyao gave a nod, then turned his gaze toward Feng Zhiyao to one side. Zhang Qilan had come to request a battle assignment — what had Feng Zhiyao come for?
Feng Zhiyao had also come to request a battle assignment. It was just that he’d been so stunned by the words he’d overheard from Mau Xiuyao a moment ago that he had been a beat too slow, and Zhang Qilan had gotten in ahead of him. Now that Mau Xiuyao had already turned down Zhang Qilan’s request, there was nothing more for him to say. To avoid giving Mau Xiuyao reason to settle scores with him later, he quickly retreated out of the tent together with Zhang Qilan.
On the border between Da Chu and Western Ling, the two armies faced each other in a standoff. Over the past hundred years or more, such confrontations along the two nations’ shared border had been far from uncommon. But this time, the situation was entirely unlike anything that had come before. The Mo Family Army, which was supposed to defend Da Chu, now stood on Western Ling’s border. And the Western Ling forces, which had spent so many years eyeing Da Chu hungrily, now stood on Da Chu’s own soil, desperate to break through the Mo Family Army’s defensive line and return home. Only — neither the Mo Family Army nor Lu Jinxian’s men were anything to take lightly. However renowned Western Ling’s Prince of Zhen’nan might be across the land, breaking through a defensive line of four hundred thousand troops was not something that could be accomplished overnight, especially when Lu Jinxian had made his stance clear: he was not seeking to annihilate the enemy, only to hold the line. With nearly half a month having passed before anyone realized it, the Western Ling forces had still not managed to push the Mo Family Army’s defensive line back so much as a single li. And now, Murong Shen’s two hundred thousand troops, who had been advancing northward from the south, were drawing ever closer with each passing day.
“Your Highness, the war report from Western Ling.” Inside the command tent, a soldier came hurrying in, presented a letter with both hands, and withdrew.
The Prince of Zhen’nan opened it and read. His expression, which had not cleared in nearly half a month, darkened until it looked as though it might drip with storm clouds. The gathered officers and soldiers hurried to ask: “Your Highness, what has happened in Western Ling?”
The Prince of Zhen’nan’s brow creased. He said, his tone flat: “Zhu Yan and Long Yang have died in battle. Tengfeng has been besieged in Feng City.”
The tent erupted in an uproar. Zhu Yan and Long Yang were not ordinary men. Before Lei Zhenting, they had been Western Ling’s most celebrated generals — an era that had been equally theirs and Long Yang’s had marked the height of the Western Ling army’s strength and glory. Even Lei Zhenting, for all that he bore the title of Western Ling’s War God, could not deny that the loss of men like Zhu Yan had diminished the Western Ling army’s fighting capacity. However formidable Lei Zhenting might be, he was only one man, required to command the entire Western Ling army while simultaneously tending to affairs of state — and there were very few people in the world who could truly manage everything at once.
And now, in less than a month’s time, Western Ling had lost four or five cities, and on top of that had suffered the deaths of two renowned generals whose names had shaken the world. Just how capable was the Mo Family Army — or rather, how capable was Mau Xiuyao?
“How is this possible? Mau Xiuyao took Bian City in under ten days?” someone cried out in shock.
Lei Zhenting said in a low voice: “To be precise, it was six days. In six days, he not only captured Bian City but also annihilated the hundred thousand or more troops that Zhu Yan had concealed in the surrounding area.” Although Lei Zhenting was also filled with furious shock at the discovery that Zhu Yan had been hiding more than a hundred thousand additional troops, Zhu Yan was now dead, and the Jing Army had been completely wiped out. There was no longer any point in dwelling on it.
At these words, every person present drew in a sharp, involuntary breath.
“Your Highness, what are we to do now? The Young Lord…” Everything else could be discussed, but Lei Tengfeng besieged in Feng City was a serious problem indeed. To go to his rescue — who would go, and how? To leave him there — Lei Zhenting had only Lei Tengfeng as his son, so how could he possibly abandon him?
Lei Zhenting drew in a slow, deep breath. “Send out the Golden Armor Guard immediately. Bring Tengfeng out of Feng City — whatever it takes.”
“Your Highness, and Feng City itself…” one of the generals asked carefully.
Lei Zhenting lowered his gaze. Beneath the table, the hand resting on his thigh clenched into a fist. “We cannot afford to worry about that right now. Tomorrow at first light — turn the armies around and march south.”
“Your Highness! But Western Ling…” These were all still Western Ling’s generals, after all. To ask them to watch Western Ling potentially fall into the Mo Family Army’s hands and feel nothing — even they could not do that. The looks they directed at Lei Zhenting were filled with visible conflict.
Lei Zhenting’s brow creased. “We have fallen for Mau Xiuyao’s scheme. By all moral and practical reasoning, Mau Xiuyao could not move openly against Da Chu, so he lured us into fighting Da Chu while he seized the opportunity to attack Western Ling. We cannot go back now. The moment we become too entangled with Lu Jinxian’s forces, Murong Shen and Da Chu’s armies at our backs will both come crashing in for a three-pronged encirclement. At that point, how many of us would make it back to Western Ling is anyone’s guess.”
The faces of all present fell. “Your Highness, what are we to do?”
Lei Zhenting said with an air of calm composure: “Since we cannot retreat, then… we advance. Push south all the way through and take Da Chu’s southern territories. Murong Shen is moving north now, and we will move south — we will miss each other entirely. In the worst case, we hold the Yunlan River, divide the land with Da Chu, and rule across the divide. In the short term… Da Chu will not be in any position to move south and engage us again — the Northern Border and the Northern Rong will keep them more than occupied. And in the short term, Mau Xiuyao cannot possibly occupy every inch of Western Ling’s territory either. At most… he will take the capital and then withdraw his troops. When that time comes, we can still coordinate with Western Ling from afar. If… if Tengfeng is able to gain control of the situation in Western Ling…”
No one spoke. No one voiced what everyone was thinking — what would happen if the Young Lord could not?
At the very least, Lei Zhenting had found them a path forward that did not look entirely hopeless. To occupy Da Chu’s Jiangnan — that fertile, prosperous land — was something they had dreamed of for years, the very reason they had been skirmishing with Da Chu for the past hundred years and more. They were all of the same origin, after all. Why should Da Chu possess such thriving and abundant land while they were left in the Northwest choking on cold winds and dust?
Everyone exchanged glances and murmured quietly among themselves for a moment. In the end, they spoke as one: “We respectfully obey Your Highness’s command.”
Lei Zhenting gave a satisfied nod. Although he had unwittingly walked into Mau Xiuyao’s trap this time, in his heart he understood clearly — even if he could go back and do it all again, he would still make the same choice. With Mau Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army entrenched in the Northwest, breaking the old order was impossible without taking risks. And Western Ling’s land was simply too barren compared to Da Chu’s.
“Now then — Deputy Commander, this King grants you three hundred thousand troops. March north and combine forces with the Northern Rong to strike Feihong Pass! The rest of you, follow this King south!” Collecting his thoughts, Lei Zhenting issued his commands in quick succession.
The deputy commander started, somewhat at a loss. “Your Highness, is it wise for us to provoke the King of Ding’s Mansion at this juncture…”
Lei Zhenting gave a quiet snort. “There is no need to worry. You don’t actually need to break through Feihong Pass — only put on the appearance of a fierce assault. After this King has led the troops south, do not let Lu Jinxian have any free hand to come and make trouble for me.” Only then did the deputy commander grasp Lei Zhenting’s true intent, and he could not help but ask: “If we attack Feihong Pass, might Lu Jinxian not pull back his forces to defend it? If so, we could break through the Mo Family Army’s blockade and return to Western Ling to reinforce it?”
Lei Zhenting shook his head. “Lu Jinxian is not so foolish as that. If we were heading back to Western Ling, he would throw everything he had into stopping us. But if we are heading south — in his view, the Northwest will always matter more to him than Jiangnan, which belongs to Mau Jingli.”
The deputy commander submitted in admiration. “Your Highness is brilliant in strategy. Your subordinate’s thinking was insufficiently thorough. Your subordinate accepts the command.”
Lei Zhenting nodded. “Go. Above all, do not act rashly or impulsively. This King has already sent men to make contact with the Northern Rong commanding general. Word should arrive before long. Once the Northern Rong and the Northwest Mo Family Army have begun fighting in earnest, you may then act according to the situation and judge the moment.”
“Your subordinate accepts the command.”
Having dismissed all the gathered generals, Lei Zhenting stood gazing with a distant expression in the direction of the Northwest. After a long silence, he let out a cold laugh. “Mau Xiuyao. You win half a move this time. But once this King has taken Jiangnan…”
Author’s Note:
Mau Jingli, this poor kid is heading for bad luck. If I were him, I wouldn’t go anywhere near the capital to fight over the title of Regent or Emperor. Sitting in Jiangnan — rich, fertile, and far from the Emperor’s reach — now that would be the life. Build up your strength and your armies, then wipe out the whole lot of you one by one.
Sweat… though I suppose that storyline is also something I wrote. Jingli, I’m sorry…