The world was divided into seven parts, with various powers rising simultaneously. After Wu, Wei, and Yan joined forces to defeat Song, the situation changed dramatically. Song subsequently suffered defeats to Chu and Qin. While Song withdrew its forces to defend its territory, Zhao seized the opportunity to invade, igniting a major conflict as other states watched from the sidelines.
It was during this time that Wei flourished. The new emperor had been on the throne for barely a year, yet the court atmosphere was righteous and the common people lived in peace and prosperity.
However, Emperor Xiao of Wei wasn’t satisfied. Though his own country was stable, weren’t Wu and Yan still eyeing them like tigers watching their prey?
Thus, with a clever move, he returned all the grain that Ye Yuqing had sent to Yan, along with a personal letter. The lengthy message could be summarized in one point—Wu harbored ulterior motives by extorting grain from Yan, trying to curry favor with Wei, but Wei wouldn’t play along! Wei and Yan were true brothers united against a common enemy. Wei had retrieved the grain for Yan, so they should keep it and not fall for Wu’s tricks again!
When the ruler of Yan received the grain and letter, his previous resentment toward Wei instantly dissipated. Feeling guilty, he declared with a grand gesture: “We’ll keep the several thousand shi of grain that has already reached our capital, but the rest need not be delivered! We’ve witnessed Wei’s sincerity, and regarding Wu, we understand without words!”
Thus, Emperor Xiao of Wei used just a few thousand shi of grain to dissolve the animosity with Yan while also discrediting Wu.
Ye Yuqing remained completely unaware of this matter. After Wu’s old emperor passed away, he ascended to the throne and naturally continued to guide state affairs, hoping to improve friendly relations with Yan. However, Yan’s response was cold, and instead, their trade with Wei became increasingly frequent.
“Why?” he asked He Chou, “Are the people of Yan stupid? Rather than cooperating with Great Wu, they ally themselves with the weak Wei?”
He Chou merely responded with a faint smile and silence.
Seeing her eyes devoid of light, Ye Yuqing grew more agitated and sent Feng Chuang out to gather intelligence.
As a result, while they didn’t gather the intended intelligence, they heard even more irritating news—the Empress of Wei was pregnant again!
“When will they stop having children?!” Ye Yuqing was nearly furious to death. He convened an emergency meeting with Wu’s military leaders, with the main topic being—if they don’t destroy Wei now, Wei’s young princes and princesses will be running all over the streets! Once Yin Gezhi has more children, the country will be even harder to destroy!
“So, who will take command?” he demanded.
An Shichong and Xu Huaizu had been enthusiastically selecting congratulatory gifts when they heard this news, and their faces turned green.
Ye Yuqing glanced at them from the corner of his eye and said, “You two have become capable commanders in Wu’s military. General An is steady, Commander Xu has courage—having you two in command would put my mind most at ease.”
Command troops to attack their master’s country? Xu Huaizu’s expression immediately changed. An Shichong maintained his composure, quickly pressing down on his companion who was about to speak, and stood up to bow: “We accept Your Majesty’s command.”
Ye Yuqing was someone who appeared easy-going on the surface but harbored complex thoughts. Since mistakenly trusting Yin Gezhi, he had eliminated many who harbored different intentions, causing anxiety throughout Wu as everyone feared becoming the next suspect and target for removal. This current arrangement likely meant suspicion had fallen on them.
After paying their respects, An Shichong pulled Xu Huaizu out. When they reached a secluded spot, Xu Huaizu frowned and asked, “Why did you stop me? I don’t want to fight this war!”
After checking their surroundings, An Shichong finally spoke: “If you had objected on the spot, neither the Xu Manor nor my An Marquis Manor would have met a good end. Do I need to tell you what kind of person the new emperor is?”
His heart tightening, Xu Huaizu frowned: “But… on one side is our country, on the other is our master. Betraying one’s country is disloyal, truly turning against one’s master is unfilial. Between disloyalty and unfiliality, how can we choose?”
An Shichong was also troubled—how could they raise their hands against their master if they truly met him on the battlefield? But if they didn’t go… then His Majesty would make his move.
In Wu’s current situation, they were the most outstanding among the military officers, and His Majesty had to rely on them. But before relying on them, His Majesty wanted to see if they were trustworthy. If they weren’t, His Majesty would no longer place power in their hands, nor allow their two families’ influence to continue expanding.
What could they do?
Amidst the chaotic thoughts, An Shichong’s eyes suddenly lit up: “Huaizu, do you remember the secret manual Master gave us?”
“The one he gave us before leaving? I’ve mastered it all,” Xu Huaizu nodded.
“That last page, wasn’t it still unclear?”
The last page contained Master’s words to them… Xu Huaizu carefully recalled, suddenly drew in a sharp breath, and looked at An Shichong in revelation: “A general fights for their country, and the country embodies righteousness. All else can be cast aside!”
An Shichong pressed his lips together, his gaze complex, and sighed: “Master knew this day would come, so he told us early on what to do.”
With different countries, conflict was inevitable. So what was more important—the bond between master and disciples, or duty to country?
Yin Gezhi said: All else can be cast aside.
He didn’t want them to be burdened with concerns, nor did they need to show mercy. Fighting each for their own country—that was what made a proper general.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Huaizu clenched his fists and gazed toward the southwest sky.
Their master had truly thought of everything. That secret manual really could resolve their dilemma.
There was no better master in the world than Yin Gezhi—this was what Xu Huaizu and An Shichong thought before the Wu-Wei war began.
However, when the two countries actually went to war and they truly saw their master on the battlefield, Xu Huaizu couldn’t help but shout: “When did he ever need us to show mercy or be concerned? How was this like he was worried about us considering master-disciple relationships and thus advising us? This fellow knew there would be a day when he’d thrash us on the battlefield, so he gave us advance notice!”
As the defeated Wu army fled in disarray, An Shichong laughed while galloping on horseback: “As expected of the Great Demon King. Losing to him is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Bah, I’m furious!” Xu Huaizu said in angry embarrassment: “I never want to fight him again! Whoever wants to attack Wei can attack! I quit!”
An Shichong nodded; he quit too. When Yin Gezhi was around, attempting to cause trouble with Wei was certainly not a wise move.
Thus, the hundred-thousand-strong army meant to attack Wei was driven back to Wu in what seemed like a playful chase between master and disciples.
Returning victorious, Yin Gezhi was in high spirits. After wringing out a handkerchief to wipe Feng Yue’s face, he elegantly picked up a thick book of characters and began to flip through it.
“Your Majesty?” Feng Yue, pregnant for the second time, looked at his expression in confusion: “What are you doing?”
“Finding a good name.” With a curved smile, His Majesty Emperor Xiao of Wei said very pleasantly: “Yesterday I dreamed this child would be a daughter. A girl’s name cannot be chosen carelessly—it must be a good one.”