“…The Lady Chancellor has been negotiating with that Zou fellow from Bian Liang lately. I hear it’s been rough going, not smooth at all.”
“…Wasn’t he calling her ‘Aunt’ every other word, right to her face?”
“…You can get away with sweet talk, but when it comes time to actually pay up, it’s never that simple. A man who came out of the Huaxia Army as a turncoat—he’s no pushover either.”
“…I heard that Mister Ning thinks very highly of him—says he’s going to pass down his legacy to him, take care of him in his old age.”
“…Please. He’s just a somewhat senior disciple, only taken in back at Xiaocang River. It’s not his place to see to anyone’s old age. Besides, didn’t that Zou fellow himself say Mister Ning has seven women? Surely there’s no shortage of sons…”
“…He’s still no pushover… What do you think, Little You?”
The spacious but simple courtyard was full of noise and bustle. You Hongzhuo and Liang Siyi had only just come in from outside when they were greeted with this warm welcome.
A group of strange, wild-looking characters, like a band of mountain bandits, had gathered around the wooden tables by the practice grounds. Some had casually grabbed bowls of the roughly brewed tea from the pot and were now squeezed in with their companions on the bench at the “center of conversation”—a scene of chaotic yet familiar wilderness camaraderie that nonetheless felt warm and familiar to You Hongzhuo. He leaned against the table, grabbed someone else’s half-finished bowl of tea and drank it down, wiped his mouth, and said, “What?”
“…We’re talking about Zou Xu. A few days ago, on Xuanwu Street, you heard about Xue Guangcheng trying to assassinate him?”
“Yeah, I heard about it when I got back.”
“This Zou fellow is impressive, huh. They say he inherited that Mister Ning’s legacy from the southwest, going to take care of him in his old age. Little You, you’ve been to the southwest, even stayed in Zhang Village—tell us about him, will you? Otherwise, if it comes to a fight down the line, we won’t know what we’re up against.”
“…” You Hongzhuo thought about it. “…What I studied in the southwest was martial arts, and I looked at that thing… the humanities. Do you even know what the humanities are… you country bumpkins wouldn’t understand. Besides, by the time I was there, Zou Xu had already defected. Nobody was going out of their way to tell me about him.”
“So you don’t actually know?”
“Mm.” You Hongzhuo shook his head. “No idea.”
“Then why are you acting all high and mighty about nothing—just say you don’t know and get lost, what use are you.”
“You’re the one who asked me. Well, I’ve got one more thing to say…”
“Go on.”
“From now on, don’t go around calling me Little You—Little You, Little Oily, that sounds terrible. If you’ve got any manners, call me Brother You or Great Hero You… otherwise, come out and spar with me.”
“Ohhh—” the other man’s eyes went wide, and he leapt up laughing. “Just look at this Little You, hasn’t even been here a few days and already so full of himself! Everyone look at this… hey, Liang Siyi, aren’t you going to keep your man in line, tell him to show his big brother some respect!”
The courtyard where the Luan Shi members had gathered had long eaves and a covered walkway running along the practice grounds, though most people had clustered at this “center of conversation.” Liang Siyi, once she’d entered, had gone to sit on the railing beneath the eaves nearby. Called out by name now, she leaned back against the pillar behind her, long legs crossed, a leisurely smile on her face.
“I think my husband’s got a point—why don’t you all come out and spar with him? Big brother, teach my husband-in-law a lesson, make him cry, then he can admit he’s Little You after all.”
“…” The man stared at Liang Siyi, then shook his head, turning his thoughts elsewhere. “No way, no way. Didn’t we already spar the other day? Even Father said your man’s a total fight-obsessed maniac. I’m no idiot…”
The whole crowd immediately burst into laughter. Someone said, “This is what they call a woman siding with her husband!”
“The water hasn’t even been thrown out yet, and already you’re helping the in-laws bully your own family.”
Liang Siyi lifted her chin with a smile. “How am I bullying anyone, how am I bullying anyone—you’re the ones bullying him, bullying him! You just can’t get the job done, so don’t blame anyone else.”
“Just wait until your wedding night—” a group of them laughed.
Liang Siyi put her hands on her hips, unwilling to back down. “Come on then, come on, let’s see if I’m afraid of you—I’ll have Little You beat every last one of you—”
“…” You Hongzhuo made a face at her from the side.
Everyone froze for a moment, then burst out laughing all over again.
In the past, the Luan Shi had gathered together survivors of war from the region north of Jin Territory and south of Yanmen Pass to form their own force. Supplies had always been extremely scarce, and they had lived for years under the shadow of war or hunger, watching their comrades die around them—the mood had always been somewhat oppressive. But after the victory in the last war, and after years of cooperation with the Lady Chancellor Lou Shuwan, supplies had finally become more plentiful this year. Fewer people were dying, they had a place to settle, and something to look forward to. In this gathering, even Liang Siyi had returned to something like her old girlish nature, and everyone who saw it felt joy in their hearts. The courtyard was filled with a festive mood.
After laughing and joking like this for a while, some naturally returned to the earlier topic.
“…That assassination attempt the other day wasn’t so simple… For years now, Xue and Zhan have gone back and forth with the Lady Chancellor, cooperating well enough on the whole, but that doesn’t mean Jin Territory and the southwest are truly of one mind. At least—relations aside—when it comes to actual business, the Lady Chancellor has always tried to get the upper hand over the Huaxia Army, or at least over Xue and Zhan, taking whatever advantage she can. That tug-of-war has always been there…”
“…When it came to this business with Zou Xu, it touched the Huaxia Army’s bottom line—or at least Xue and Zhan’s. As for the Lady Chancellor, she’s always used every method available to chip away at them bit by bit, and Xue and Zhan obviously couldn’t just let her keep doing it forever. An assassination attempt right on the street, and then shutting down operations in Dongcheng afterward—that was them making it clear to the Lady Chancellor: this is as far as it goes. And it seems the Lady Chancellor got the message too—I heard she brought food to the prison herself and had a good long talk with Xue Guangcheng and Zhan Wu… You know her temper, she used to throw inkstones at Xue Guangcheng…”
“…What neither side really expected was just how impressive Zou Xu’s response would be. Or maybe… they’d already thought it through, and just wanted to use the chance to test his mettle, since he’s got so much money now, and dealing with this side of things, conflict was inevitable sooner or later… Before Mister Ning himself comes out, or sends out another true disciple to properly deal with this Zou Xu, Xue and Zhan are going to be locked in a slow tug-of-war with him in Jin Territory. And since a fight is coming either way, that first move was really just testing the waters, seeing what he’s made of…”
As a large collective, the Luan Shi, though made up mostly of adopted sons and daughters that Wang Juyun had taken in from the martial world and men who lived by the blade, naturally also had among them people skilled in military strategy. One of them now offered a careful analysis of the situation, and, as always, managed to see quite a lot that others hadn’t.
“…After teaming up with Dai Mengwei to take Bian Liang, when it comes to actual supplies and weapons, Zou Xu has already taken plenty from Liu Guangshi. What he needs most right now is standing—face, in the eyes of the world. So once Bian Liang was settled, he came to Jin Territory to talk cooperation. As long as they can work together, everyone can look up to them a bit more going forward. Think about the pressure Mister Ning in the southwest puts on him—who else would he dare offend? Right now he just wants the whole world to know he has real ability, that cooperation with him is possible now—and that even if the Huaxia Army does eventually march out, there’ll still be a few people left who can work with them…”
“…The way he handled himself made him look good in front of the whole world, and the Lady Chancellor took the opportunity to squeeze a good sum out of him—call it the price of buying his own face. He won’t want to give up too much, but he’ll have to give something. As for the Huaxia Army, the negotiations with the Lady Chancellor did settle things, but in this first round, Xue Guangcheng, having planned things poorly, ended up on the losing end. The Huaxia Army has deep enough foundations not to worry over one or two setbacks like this, but you still have to admit—this Zou Xu is formidable. No wonder he’s Mister Ning’s own true disciple…”
At the simple long table, a rather clean-looking man who resembled a scholar tapped the table and lowered his voice. “…That day on the street, Zou Xu’s words kept provoking the Huaxia Army people into making a move, saying they were an embarrassment. At the time, Xue Guangcheng and the others were holding grenades, with the Lady Chancellor standing right in front of them. Of course Xue Guangcheng wouldn’t act recklessly, but if that provocation had pushed one of the people around him into suddenly acting out… Zou Xu would’ve been thrilled to death—blowing up the Lady Chancellor right there would have changed the entire balance of power in the realm.”
“That damned Zou Xu…” someone cursed.
Then another asked, “Aren’t Zou Xu, Xue Guangcheng, and Zhan Wu all from the Huaxia Army? Why would they even need to test each other out?”
“Being in the same Huaxia Army doesn’t mean they know each other,” said the scholarly-looking man, tapping the table again. “Zou Xu is Mister Ning’s true disciple, always at his side back at Xiaocang River, and later in the southwest. Xue Guangcheng used to work undercover under Liu Yu—they say it was him who brought Liu Yu down. As for Fifth Brother, he’s always been in Jin Territory; back then he was the one keeping watch on Tian Hu. When they took down Tian Hu, I hear Mister Ning himself and the great steward Dong Fangxian were both there, but the actual legwork was really done by Fifth Brother.”
He clasped his hands together. “And now, these three men—bang, they’ve collided!”
“They’re all heroes, aren’t they…”
“How is Zou Xu a hero… but he’s certainly a man of ability.”
“Still, this time he really did get the better of Xue and Zhan…”
“Well, he is Mister Ning’s disciple after all. Xue Guangcheng really wasn’t careful enough this time. But as for Fifth Brother…” the scholar shook his head. “Fifth Brother is no simple man either. He came up from the wilds, and though Mister Ning didn’t personally train him, back during the affair with the Tiger King, when Mister Ning came in person, he addressed him as ‘Fifth Brother,’ from what I hear. Think about what kind of man it takes to earn that title from Mister Ning himself…”
“I asked around carefully about what happened on the street that day,” the scholar went on. “When Xue made his move, Fifth Brother stayed back watching the whole time, only stepping out afterward to say a few words. Zou Xu handled himself well, but Fifth Brother could easily have kept pressing him with more accusations—he didn’t. Maybe he’d already seen through Zou Xu’s methods and chose not to show his own edge. You see, that’s what makes someone a real master—showing off with sharp words means nothing. Who knows what he’s really like when he actually kills…”
“And besides… that ambush on Xuanwu Street was only the opening act—the real drama has been the negotiations between the Lady Chancellor and Zou Xu these past few days, which I hear have been quite difficult. From what I understand, everything Zou Xu’s side has asked for, the Lady Chancellor has carefully circled and scrutinized. You know why?… Even though the Huaxia Army gave Jin Territory all this technology, that was the Huaxia Army acting on its own initiative. Zou Xu is Mister Ning’s disciple—what he wants might well be the very best of it, or there could be some deeper intention behind it… These people are all complicated, all cunning as anything. Little You… Great Hero You, you went to the southwest—is it really like that over there?”
The question was thrown to You Hongzhuo, who smiled and nodded. “Brother, just call me husband-in-law, that’s fine. When I was in Zhang Village, what I heard most from the soldiers training alongside me was about the people in the strategy department—that their hearts were black through and through, and if you ever became their enemy, they’d sell you out without a second thought. This Zou Xu… seems to have spent time in the strategy department too, come to think of it.”
“The southwest has no shortage of talented people,” the scholar said, nodding. “But if even Xue and Zhan here can’t get the better of Zou Xu, who knows who Mister Ning will need to send out to really deal with this bastard for good…”
Though the Luan Shi and Jin Territory were currently allies, they remained, in the end, two parallel systems. As for the negotiations between Lou Shuwan and Zou Xu, this side could only observe from a distance, unable to actually take part—though it remained a matter of close attention nonetheless. Everyone chattered on at length, debating, in a manner not unlike arguing over who would win a fight between legendary heroes from different eras, over who within the Huaxia Army might be able to keep Zou Xu in check. In truth, the title of Mister Ning’s direct disciple was still enough to intimidate a good many people. If even Xue and Zhan couldn’t hold him down here in Jin Territory, sooner or later the Luan Shi too might find themselves threatened by a figure like him.
As the lively discussion carried on, the afternoon drew close to evening, and someone came over and said, “Father’s back.”
Although they had cooperated closely with Jin Territory for several years now, the Luan Shi’s true base was not in Weisheng. In the past, it had usually been Wang Juyun and An Xifu, both skilled at coordination, who held down operations here, while the troops and the general populace were generally settled in regions further north that, having experienced the ravages of war, were far less prosperous.
This, too, was simply unavoidable. More than a decade earlier, the Jurchen had swept south several times, and everywhere south of Yanmen Pass, including Taiyuan, had been reduced to rubble. It was amid these mountains of corpses that Wang Juyun, adapting the old teachings of Manichaeism, had gathered together the surviving few. They had lived out in the open, directly facing the threat of the Jurchen beyond Yanmen Pass; they had eaten human flesh; they had built shelters among the ruins of Taiyuan. And every time the Jurchen swept south again, wherever these people were sheltering would become the very first line to face the enemy’s blade.
That he had managed to gather these people into a fighting force, to keep them moving, to keep them alive, and even, within his ideals and whatever reality allowed, to keep extending a hand to more survivors—this was the state of affairs Wang Juyun had struggled with everything he had to maintain.
After defeating Liao Yiren, Lou Shuwan had made room to settle the Luan Shi, but the first phase of development hadn’t been able to properly accommodate them right away—another unavoidable reality. Still, compared to the tragedies of the past decade, everyone here was already living in a far better state than before.
At the grassroots level between the two forces, small frictions naturally still occurred—an unavoidable reality in any world. And so, since the previous year, Lou Shuwan and Wang Juyun had been in ongoing negotiations over these matters.
From a broad perspective, it would clearly be best for Jin Territory to fully absorb the Luan Shi as a military force, directly into its power structure, using the population under Luan Shi’s rule to help fill this land, which, having suffered through war, was also in need of people. But in actual practice, this had proven difficult to carry out smoothly. This was because Wang Juyun had built up this force, in the past, through a shared faith and something close to a “family” structure. During the hardest times, the mid-to-upper ranks of the Luan Shi had remained tightly bonded, huddled together for warmth. Trying to fold them directly into Jin Territory’s system, giving them new positions and new superiors, was, in practice, almost impossible.
And even at the grassroots level of the Luan Shi—those who had crawled out from the mountains of corpses in places like Taiyuan—people had already grown accustomed to the Manichaean teachings Wang Juyun had passed down. Though Wang Juyun had already simplified the doctrine considerably, that spirit of mutual aid and shared survival had genuinely moved a great many people.
And even with the alliance already in place, if Wang Juyun’s teachings were to spread widely and openly across Jin Territory, even the Lady Chancellor—who herself carried the identity of the “Descended Mysterious Maiden”—was not entirely willing to accept that. As a political figure, her instincts made her wary of religion: something that could be tolerated on one hand had to be suppressed on the other.
Wang Juyun, unlike Lin Zongwu, was no mere warrior full of empty ambition and no real means. Though he now held to good intentions, it was precisely because of the purity of those intentions that the faith of the believers under him was all the more pure as well. And so, once the Luan Shi were rapidly absorbed into Jin Territory, both Lou Shuwan and even Wang Juyun himself had certain concerns about what consequences might follow.
Because of all these complicated factors, by the end of the previous year, plans for what lay beyond Jin Territory’s borders had gradually taken shape. For the Luan Shi, either heading north—even rebuilding Taiyuan—or heading west to rebuild the Hengshan defensive line for the entire Central Plains, had both become viable options.
After careful thought, the decision reached by Lou Shuwan and Wang Juyun was to pursue both lines of development simultaneously. With the Jurchen threat still looming, no one, whoever they might be, could be entirely confident of holding the Taiyuan region firmly. And yet Taiyuan remained important. So, on one hand, developing and rebuilding Taiyuan as a forward base, a transit hub, even a training ground; and on the other, developing both Jin Territory and the northwest into a solid rear base—this became, roughly, the mid-term strategic plan shared between Jin Territory and the Luan Shi.
The overall strategy was ambitious, perhaps even overly so, given their actual strength, and there was a real risk of overreaching. But regardless, the time had come when it had to be put into practice.
There would be no better window of opportunity than this.
And so, starting from the New Year, brothers and sisters of the Luan Shi stationed near Weisheng had gradually begun gathering here, joining Jin Territory’s troops on the fifteenth of the first month for a military parade and exercise. Though nothing had been officially announced, word had already quietly spread that Jin Territory was considering expansion. And by this month, Zou Xu’s visit could even be seen as one more show of support in this whole affair—which was exactly why Lou Shuwan had no intention of turning it down.
All of which had led, in turn, to that half-hearted assassination attempt by the Huaxia Army, and all the complicated wrangling that followed.
You Hongzhuo had no real interest in military or political affairs, but having spent several days now among Liang Siyi’s circle of brothers and sisters, he had naturally heard a great deal about all of this. On this particular day, Wang Juyun, who had been away, finally returned to the city. Coming back with him were An Xifu, who had long managed the Luan Shi’s internal affairs, and a rugged-looking man in his forties, his face marked with several scars, who ranked among the highest of Wang Juyun’s adopted sons and daughters both in seniority and in skill—known by the nickname “Little Bright King,” Chen Fangda.
During the hardest years of the Luan Shi, Wang Juyun had taught without discrimination, and all of his adopted sons and daughters had been able to study the “Peacock King Sword.” Depending on their natural talent, however, the amount of attention Wang Juyun gave to each of them varied. Chen Fangda earned the nickname “Little Bright King” because his mastery of the Peacock King Sword was the highest among them all—in some people’s view, this also marked him as the disciple destined to inherit Wang Juyun’s legacy, to carry his coffin and see him through to the end.
Of course, within the Luan Shi, distinctions in status were not so rigidly enforced. As far as You Hongzhuo understood it, Chen Fangda’s role was more similar to An Xifu’s—effectively the second-in-command capable of managing the Luan Shi’s troops in Wang Juyun’s place.
Having just returned from outside, his hair entirely white but his spirit still sharp and lively, Wang Juyun greeted everyone warmly, asking about recent matters that concerned him, including You Hongzhuo and Liang Siyi among the rest of this extended family. The Luan Shi were currently in the midst of planning and mobilizing their forces in preparation for the campaigns toward the northwest and Taiyuan that lay ahead, but he had always considered You Hongzhuo and Liang Siyi’s upcoming marriage a great joyous occasion for this large family.
And having come to understand a great deal of You Hongzhuo’s own thinking, this old man had never once suggested that he should serve in the Luan Shi’s ranks. He had even told Liang Siyi: “Little You has a free spirit and great talent, and he’s had a master of high standing lay the foundations of his martial path. In the future, let him roam the martial world as he wishes—he has his own path, and he’ll achieve great things one day.”
You Hongzhuo hadn’t said much in response to this. He held to the way of chivalry—when war came to Jin Territory, he would naturally go to the battlefield to fight the enemy; if the Luan Shi were ever again reduced to the desperate straits of years past, he would contribute what strength he had for his wife’s sake as well. But now that Jin Territory had ample manpower and everything was going well, there was no pressing need for him to throw himself into the army.
After exchanging a few words with everyone, the travel-worn Wang Juyun went inside to wash up and rest briefly. To You Hongzhuo’s some surprise, the twin-sword-bearing “Little Bright King” Chen Fangda, after looking around the courtyard, walked straight over to him. “Which one of you is the husband-in-law?”
Liang Siyi’s expression turned complicated, even somewhat torn between laughter and exasperation. “Brother…”
Before she could finish, seeing You Hongzhuo step forward with cupped hands in greeting, the man laughed heartily and reached out to grab him.
“Father told me about your skills,” he said with a grin. “Come on, let’s have a match!”
You Hongzhuo blinked in mild surprise, while the crowd around them once again burst into laughter. The elder brother who had earlier backed down from You Hongzhuo’s challenge now looked thoroughly delighted, saying, “This is what they call the wicked meeting their match. Third Brother, give him a good beating!”
Someone else added a warning: “Third Brother, watch out, this guy’s fierce!”
The crowd naturally scattered to make room, and a moment later, as the Peacock King Sword came slashing down at him on the practice grounds, You Hongzhuo finally understood completely: this man, second only to Wang Juyun in status within the Luan Shi, similar in role to An Xifu, was—beneath his role commanding troops—every bit as much of a fight-obsessed maniac as he was.
“Hah—”
He raised his blade to meet the strike.
—And it erupted into a blaze of sparks and light.
…
Shadows of figures flickering.
Blades flashing and crossing.
The sky and clouds seemed to turn.
The sun sank slowly toward the west…
As the evening light dimmed, amid the clanging of blade against blade, Wang Juyun, having rested and changed into fresh clothes, came out from the back courtyard. Walking along the covered corridor, he saw the flashes of light on the practice grounds, the broken blades and swords scattered in the firelight, and heard, carried on that light, the exuberant laughter ringing out.
Everyone around was laughing.
The old man began to laugh too.
He, too, had once had his own years of youth—riding wild horses, dressed in fine clothes, living free and unrestrained with sword in hand.
That had all been so very long ago now…