“General, the King’s command was issued ten days ago. If we don’t proceed to Habupolo, we may delay the King’s grand plan.” General Ge was deeply worried.
Duan Geshou put down his military treatise. “What the King needs is the two hundred thousand troops under my command. Whether I arrive early or late isn’t that important. Moreover, this time the King is being somewhat rash. The chaos of Great Zhou’s Three Princes is already under the Emperor’s control. Those now guarding the borders are all generals the Emperor trusts, with the Xiao Family Army and Wei Family Army being the strongest, each commanding a million troops. Attacking forcefully at this time when the other side is already prepared—even though our ships and cavalry are superior to theirs, once we enter the interior, they’ll have all the geographical advantages. We should wait until after this winter.”
General Ge was a household general of the Duan family, serving under orders from the old clan leader, utterly loyal to Duan Geshou. Hearing him say such words, he hurriedly advised, “General, you must never say such things in front of others. They’ll be exploited by those with ulterior motives. Many people already envy your favor with the King—they’ll use this to accuse you of disrespect.”
“The matter involves Song Mo Zi. Even the normally calm King becomes anxious, yet he doesn’t know that for one who sits in the highest chair, deep feelings are most taboo.” Duan Geshou smiled, though his expression was cold. His voice suddenly dropped so low that General Ge couldn’t hear clearly. “Just as she said, is this my opportunity?”
“Report—” A scout entered from outside. “General, sixty thousand Nande troops have entered the Cloud Ridge section of Ta River. Their rear hundred ships pursued and chased approximately a dozen suspected Tiger Stronghold vessels, sinking them at the river mouth.”
Duan Ge stood up and questioned in detail. “Do you know who was on the Tiger Stronghold ships?”
“The distance was too far—” The scout shook his head.
“Investigate further. I need to know who was on them.” Duan Ge was extremely meticulous.
The scout quickly acknowledged and hastily withdrew.
“General, didn’t the Righteous Yuan Army already annihilate the troops Nande sent to pacify the Tiger Stronghold? These sixty thousand now are—” General Ge was puzzled.
“They’re troops coming to annihilate the Righteous Yuan Army.” Duan Ge wasn’t guessing. “Yuan Cheng is the leader of the Righteous Yuan Army. He left his main base to enter the Tiger Stronghold with only about ten thousand men around him. If not now, when else would they strike?”
“General has not witnessed this with your own eyes. How can you be so certain of the opponent’s intentions?” General Ge asked.
“I released the information myself—naturally I know. Have you forgotten? I still have a chess piece in the Tiger Stronghold.” His painstaking efforts couldn’t possibly have been completely eradicated by He Hu. “Compared to the difficult and hard-to-attack Great Zhou, the tottering Nande should be Daqiu’s next target. Once we unite Yuling and Nande, half the kingdom will be under our Daqiu iron cavalry. Destroying Great Zhou will just be a matter of time.”
“But His Majesty signed an alliance treaty with Nande’s new Emperor. If our main forces weren’t all concentrated in the northern border, we should have dispatched troops to support Nande in suppressing the rebels.” So although only separated by a river, they were only conducting infiltration operations, with stationed troops merely observing.
“Alliance treaty?” General Ge found it laughable. “If the King were one to honor alliance treaties, he wouldn’t have attacked Yuling at all.”
General Ge thought to himself, that’s true.
“The reason I delayed my journey was to wait for this news. When the Righteous Yuan and Nande both suffer heavy losses, I’ll secretly take Immortal Mountain and the Cloud Ridge area. When Daqiu attacks Nande, there will no longer be the danger of crossing the river.” This action of his was a typical case of generals in the field having discretion over royal commands.
“This chess piece is—?” Basically, Duan Geshou was someone who went his own way. His actions in the Tiger Stronghold—no one across the river knew about them at all.
“Although it’s a worthless chess piece, at least it’s obedient enough.” Duan Ge didn’t elaborate.
After half an hour, fire clouds appeared on the horizon, and the scout ran in again. This time, two soldiers carrying a stretcher followed behind him.
“General, we fished up a person, but he’s already on his last breath. However, for some reason, he mentioned the General’s name.”
Duan Geshou stepped forward to look, and his expression darkened. “Pan Long?”
The person whose eyes were about to roll back was precisely Pan Long, who had foolishly disobeyed Mo Zi’s commands—also the last chess piece Duan Geshou had planted in the Tiger Stronghold.
Seeing Duan Geshou, he used every ounce of his strength to grab hold, saying intermittently, “Yuan… Xiang… lied… no… no use—”
His words cut off halfway. He died.
Duan Geshou’s eyes were sinister. “Yuan Cheng!”
General Ge didn’t understand. “This is the person the General placed in the Tiger Stronghold?” Dead—which meant all the plans had completely failed. “General, I think we should depart as quickly as possible. The King doesn’t know about your plans, so he won’t blame you for this. Although the failure is regrettable, there were reasons for it. No need to be too angry.”
Reasons for it? In less than ten days, Duan Geshou had exchanged blows with Mo Zi and Yuan Cheng several times, yet hadn’t gained even the slightest advantage. He wasn’t angry, but it aroused an increasingly intense fighting spirit, as well as a sense of threat.
At this time in Great Zhou’s capital, compared to the prosperity of the past, the streets were cold and deserted. Even when people walked, they hurried along anxiously. Three riders on swift horses broke through the desolate silence, galloping rapidly toward the palace direction.
Suspicious people asked, “Is someone rebelling again?”
A month and a half ago, Prince Su’s army of three princes suddenly besieged the capital, demanding the Emperor abdicate on the grounds that the Emperor was weak and misguided the country, and didn’t even dare stand up for the Crown Prince who died unjustly. Just when the common people thought the forces were vastly different and the capital would likely be breached, with Great Zhou about to change dynasties, the Xiao Family Army and Wei Family Army led forces far greater than the rebel army to encircle the encirclers. In the end, both sides fought a great battle on the Western Plain. The rebel army was routed, Prince Liang and Prince Shun were captured, and Prince Su escaped. Prince Su fled and returned to the northern border to rally a great army of five hundred thousand. Originally intending to attack back, he encountered Prince Jing’s tenacious resistance and had to temporarily retreat to the banks of Habupolo River to reorganize, seeking an opportunity to strike back.
With so many events occurring, people who had always thought they lived in peaceful and prosperous times finally perceived the changes in the world. The Yuling disaster, the Nande chaos, the Great Zhou rebellion—who dared speak of peace now?
Everyone in Prince Jing’s mansion was anxious, not only because most of the Xiao family’s male masters were in military camps where border situations were urgent, with the possibility of never returning due to great battles at any time, but also because the Xiao family had recently suffered two consecutive blows.
Prince Su was still at large, his hidden forces not yet thoroughly investigated. Xiao Wei, under imperial orders to protect the capital, could still return home every few days to stay for a day. But he was different now from before. He no longer spoke much with Lu Bi, Hong Luo, and the others. Upon returning, he would shut himself in his study all night, leaving before dawn. Originally not a difficult master to serve, he now often wore a cold expression and frequently zoned out. If anyone interrupted him, he would lose his temper. Even Lu Bi had been made to cry by him once.
This day was Xiao Wei’s day off at home. As usual, he was reading in his study when Wei Liuniang, who entered, interrupted him. In Weifeng Residence, she was the last person he wanted to see, yet no matter how coldly he spoke to her, she never retreated or yielded, serving him in food, drink, and daily life just like an ordinary maid. By now, he had actually grown accustomed to it.
“I said not to enter unless there’s something important.” He frowned.
“I told her to push open the door.” Following behind Wei Liuniang was the Old Princess Consort.
Princess Consort Jing and Side Consort Wei had also come.
No matter how impatient he was, toward his elders, Xiao Wei was still filial and courteous. He rose to welcome his grandmother, mother, and Auntie Wei to sit down. After paying his respects, he stood to one side without saying a word.
After Wei Liu directed the young maids to serve tea and snacks, she quietly stood in a corner.
The Old Princess Consort saw this and secretly nodded at Wei Liuniang’s composure. Initially thinking her affection for Wei’er was merely coveting Prince Jing’s mansion’s power and position, now it seemed to be sincere. This grandson clearly had three fine women attending him at his side, yet he insisted on placing his heart on an inexplicable woman—she truly could no longer gloss over this.
“I heard you’ve been sleeping in your study lately?” The Old Princess Consort asked knowingly.
“Military affairs are busy. Even during rest I have no leisure. I’ve neglected to pay respects to Grandmother and Mother.” Xiao Wei lowered his eyes, his expression unmoved.
“I also know that Great Zhou is in troubled times. At the border, Prince Su still refuses to compromise, and Daqiu watches like a tiger eyeing its prey. Who knows when this war might start.” The Old Princess Consort was an intelligent woman. Being intelligent, she wouldn’t be ignorant of current affairs.
Xiao Wei said nothing.
“Your grandfather, your father, your eldest brother, and those from the first and third branches—all who can fight have entered the camps. I’m also worried sick day and night, praying to gods and Buddha, asking Heaven to have mercy on our Xiao family.” The Old Princess Consort sighed. “Wei’er, do you know what your mother and I regret most?”
Xiao Wei looked up and shook his head.
“It’s that when I noticed you had taken a liking to that girl called Mo Zi by Sanniang’s side, I didn’t help you. Otherwise, you two would be harmoniously happy together, and there wouldn’t be all these troubles now.” If she had been taken in as an ordinary maid concubine, where would Lady Song Official have come from, where would the imperial marriage decree have come from, where would the marriage escape have come from, leaving the Xiao family’s most outstanding grandson mired in misery?
“Mother, that girl also has a strong destiny. Who could have imagined? Our Prince Jing mansion’s new daughter-in-law’s maid would have such grand fortune after being released.” The Princess Consort could always say appropriate words at appropriate times to advance things.
Hearing this, Xiao Wei couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Mo Zi is not a maid. Even if you were willing, she would absolutely never let me take her as a concubine. This matter is past—no need to mention it again.” He didn’t want to hear anyone belittle her anymore. Otherwise, even toward elders he had always respected, he might lose his temper.
The Old Princess Consort was startled. She thought Wei’er was heartbroken over that girl, but hadn’t expected him to say no need to mention it again. So she went with the flow. “If we don’t mention it, we don’t mention it. Then let’s talk about your marriage. Although the Emperor has rescinded his command, the Empress said the Emperor still has it in mind. Moreover, Imperial Consort Chen’s dragon fetus was lost. The Emperor has always wanted to find a joyous occasion for the Xiao family to dispel misfortune. Yesterday when I entered the palace, I suggested someone to the Empress. The Empress immediately agreed to speak to the Emperor. I think the Emperor will likely ask your opinion, so I’ve come to tell you first.”
Xiao Wei’s eyes immediately widened.
The Old Princess Consort’s heart was hard as iron. This time she would absolutely not allow her grandson to make trouble again. “The other party is the niece of Minister Wang He, and also the most beloved granddaughter of Minister Wang Yang, the chief minister of two reigns—Wang Xirui, tenth in line. As for the person, your mother, your Auntie Wei, and I have seen her with our own eyes. Her character is one in ten thousand. She can compose poetry and paint, is lively yet dignified, and knows propriety toward elders. This matter is settled. Don’t make excuses before the Emperor, or your old grandmother will die right in front of you.” A hundred times, a thousand times better than that Song Mo Zi—so thank Buddha she fled the marriage.
Just as Xiao Wei was about to say no, a young servant outside reported that someone from the palace had arrived, requesting he immediately enter the palace for an imperial audience.