Chapter 216

Chapter 216

Given that Xiao Shouyi and his nephews had all gone to the battlefield, this pregnancy held a special significance for the Xiao family.

Tong Sui had full confidence in her aunt's pulse-taking skills, but after Madam He’s initial *elation*, she became somewhat *anxious*. So, Tong Sui sent for her grandfather to come over.

Zhou Jingchun had already asked all the necessary questions. After sitting down to feel Lin Ningfang's pulse for a while, she smiled and said, "It's indeed a joyful pulse. Judging by the pulse pattern, she's been pregnant for over a month."

With everyone watching, Lin Ningfang blushed slightly.

The women were buzzing with excitement. Xiao Mu spent some time with Zhou Jingchun before seeing him off, as he needed to return to the clinic. Only then did Xiao Mu return to the hall.

Madam He happily said, "Dad, we should write to Shouyi and the others right away so they can share in our happiness. Especially Uncle Three—he's going to be thrilled!"

Xiao Mu looked at his granddaughter-in-law.

Lin Ningfang said, "I would like to keep this a secret for now. The Third Master has an impulsive nature. If he knows about the child, I'm afraid he might rush back and lose focus in battle. We wouldn't want this joyous event to turn into a misfortune because of him."

Xiao Mu nodded and said, "Ningfang is right. Make sure no one mentions this in the letters. We'll give him the surprise when he returns."

Madam He said, "Absolutely. He needs to stay focused on the battle. Don't worry, Dad, I won't say a word."

——

In Jizhou, Feng Ji was speaking with Zhao Liangchen when a servant reported that Xiao Zhen's army was now twenty li outside the city.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ji said to Zhao Liangchen, "Let's go out of the city to welcome them."

Zhao Liangchen smiled and as they walked out, he said, "Back when the Emperor first took them to Datong to meet me, I never would have thought they'd have such great abilities. Even famous generals like Meng Jingye and Mei Huaixin were defeated by them."

Feng Ji said, "In the past, when traitors were in power, there were many talented individuals who were unappreciated. It was a blessing that the Xiao family met the Emperor, and the Emperor gained powerful allies."

Zhao Liangchen said, "Yes, take this campaign against the Wu country, for example. I have to keep an eye on Lü Sheng and can't spare any attention. Chen Wang is mostly unreliable; we'll still need Xiao Zhen to lend a hand."

When the two great generals arrived outside the city, Xiao Zhen's 50,000 cavalry had also arrived. The main army stayed behind as Xiao Zhen led nine commanders to greet the two generals.

After the formalities, Feng Ji said to Xiao Zhen, "Send someone to guide the troops to the main camp for rest. Shall we enter the city first?"

Xiao Zhen, looking at the mountains looming over Jibei, showed a hint of sadness and said, "Commander, if it's convenient for you, we would like to pay our respects at General Feng's tomb first."

Feng Ji felt a pang in his heart and sighed, "I thank all of you on behalf of my grandfather. However, national affairs come first. Let's wait until the war is over, and I'll take you there."

As guests, Xiao Zhen didn't insist further.

On the way into the city, Xiao Zhen asked, "Has General Chen arrived?"

Feng Ji said, "He's far away in Liaoyang. He received the Emperor's decree later than you, Brother Zhao, so he probably won't arrive until the day after tomorrow."

Xiao Yan said, "Excuses. We came all the way from Luoyang; could he be farther than us?"

Xiao Zhen gave him a sideways glance.

Naturally, Feng Ji wasn't displeased by Xiao Yan's candid remark. Now, both he and the Xiao family were on the Emperor's side, while Chen Wang was the outsider.

A day later, Chen Wang finally arrived with his 70,000 cavalry, though he arrived late.

Chen Wang was fifty-eight this year, strong and robust. He had five deputies by his side, three of whom were his sons, one was his trusted aide, and the other was Qiao Changshun, whom the Xingping Emperor had placed there.

Before the generals could exchange greetings, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Xiao She, and Qiao Changan rushed out to surround Qiao Changshun, teasing him with shock or laughter.

Xiao Yan: "Man, the food in Liaozhou must be amazing. Look at you, you're about to turn into a pig!"

Xiao Ye: "Or maybe your wife’s worried you’ll start chasing skirts out here, so she’s been feeding you like a pig to keep you too ugly for anyone to notice."

Xiao She reached out and pinched Qiao Changshun's arm. "All flab, no muscle."

Qiao Changan stared at his elder brother's face. "Are you even my brother, or did someone switch you? Which side of my butt has the birthmark?"

Qiao Changshun: "Back off, all of you. You can’t act like this in front of General Chen."

After saying that, he moved close to Chen Wang, speaking with both embarrassment and disdain. "General, these are my brothers. We’re all from the same village and don’t know much about manners. Please don’t take it personally."

Chen Wang looked them over and finally settled his gaze on Xiao Zhen's face, smiling. "I’ve heard the Xiao Family is full of tiger generals, and seeing you today, I can see why the reputation holds true."

Xiao Zhen called Xiao Yan and the others behind him and bowed to Chen Wang. "In front of a general like you, we’re just rough country folk. We can’t compare to real tiger generals."

Chen Wang saw that Xiao Zhen's words were polite and his expression sincere, without a hint of sarcasm, more like the demeanor of a cautious civil official who avoided giving offense.

Military men tended to be tough and straightforward, while civil officials were often more cautious and skilled at navigating complex situations.

From what Chen Wang knew, the Xiao Family often relied on clever tactics and deception, unlike the more straightforward approaches of Fan Zhao, Feng Ji, and Lu Gong.

"Brothers, how have you been?"

Chen Wang went to speak with Feng Ji and Zhao Liangchen, relying on his seniority to call them 'brother' directly.

Zhao Liangchen snorted. Feng Ji, with his good temper, smiled and invited the man into the city.

After the main generals had eaten, they first discussed tactics.

Even though Xiao Zhen was the supervising general, he stood to the side, letting the three famous generals take the main positions in front of the maps. Even when they asked for his opinion, he deferred to them, appearing to have no particular ideas of his own.

Feng Ji seemed used to his behavior. Zhao Liangchen openly displayed his contempt, while Chen Wang observed quietly without rushing to get close to Xiao Zhen.

Soon it was time for the evening banquet.

Xiao Yan and the others drank until they were drunk and took Qiao Changshun to the Xiao Family's main camp. After all, they hadn't seen their brother for a long time.

Outside, they had to put on a show, but inside the tent, Xiao Yan grabbed Qiao Changshun's fat arm tightly and spat in disgust. "How did you let yourself end up like this?"

Qiao Changshun said helplessly, "Can all of you not be in such a hurry? Let me explain slowly, alright?"

Xiao Yan let go in disgust.

Qiao Changshun sat next to Xiao Zhen and pointed at the group of people. "I know you don’t like being called fools, but look at Second Brother. He treated me the same as always and could tell right away that something was up."

Xiao She: "What’s going on? Tell us."

Qiao Changshun asked them to sit down and lowered his voice. "Don’t let Chen Wang’s arrogance fool you. His five sons are all top-notch generals."

Xiao Yan: "Five? I only saw three."

Qiao Changshun: "He didn’t bring the other two. The Chen family officially controls 70,000 troops, but they actually have 100,000 in total. This time, he brought out 70,000, and two of his sons are leading the remaining 30,000 to defend their hometown. You have no idea. When I first arrived in the Chen family's territory, his five sons surrounded me. If I had been the slightest bit dishonest, my head would have been gone."

I'm not afraid of smart people, but I am afraid of reckless ones. Whether you're from the Xiao Family or the Emperor himself, if you offend me, I'll kill you first!

Qiao Changan: "What does that have to do with your weight gain?"

Qiao Changshun: "Chen Wang wanted to win me over, so he sent boxes of gold and jewels to my place. I had no choice but to pretend to accept them. Since I accepted the money, how could I refuse when they invited me to feasts and drinking sessions? To convince them I was just a country bumpkin dazzled by wealth, I stopped training and indulged in all the feasts and drinks. No wonder I packed on the pounds."

Xiao Ye: "Thinking about the hardships we endured while training troops in the Southern Camp, I don't know whether to pity you or envy you."

Qiao Changshun: "Cut it out. If this keeps up, your sister-in-law will really start to dislike me. I can't wait to leave that wolf's den."

Everyone looked at Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhen: "General Feng's troops are needed to fight Wu country. Relying solely on the Xiao family's 50,000 cavalry to deal with the Chen family's 100,000 troops is risky. If we're not careful, pushing the Chen family too hard might force them to rebel and join forces with Wu country. If that happens, both the Xiao family and General Feng's troops will be finished."

Xiao Ye: "Are you saying that if the Chen family offers us money, we should take it, and if they invite us for meals, we should go?"

Xiao Zhen: "Fourth Brother, Chang'an, Wen Gong, Qi Yun, and Sun Dian can accept their offers. Second Uncle, Third Brother, Fifth Brother, and Ah Gui should remain stubborn."

Zhang Wengong asked, "If this gets out, will Generals Feng and Zhao misunderstand?"

Xiao Zhen: "I'll explain it to them. As long as we can defeat Wu country and regain military control over Liaozhou, everything in between is just tactics."

——

At the same time when Feng Ji, Zhao Liangchen, Xiao Zhen, and Chen Wang were gathering in Jizhou, Tan Yuanzhen, the strategist sent by the Xiliang emperor, also arrived at the Dongling imperial palace.

The Dongling emperor, surnamed Lu, was nearly sixty and was ill. Crown Prince Lu Cheng, along with the chancellor and other generals, accompanied him as they received Tan Yuanzhen together.

Tan Yuanzhen first inquired about the Dongling emperor's health, then smiled and said, "This time, I have come to congratulate Your Majesty."

The Dongling emperor, propped up on a cushion, lifted his heavy eyelids and asked, "What congratulations are in order?"

Tan Yuanzhen: "I bring news of territorial expansion."

The Dongling emperor scoffed, "Han Zongping is currently at war with Wu country. Does the Xiliang emperor intend to join forces with me to take advantage of his weakened state?"

Tan Yuanzhen: "Exactly. Han Zongping killed Imperial Uncle Dou and declared himself emperor, gaining the support of the people in the northern regions. If given time to address internal and external threats, once he secures his throne, he will immediately march on Daling and Daliang. The only question is which to attack first. Rather than sitting and waiting for our doom, Daling and Daliang should take advantage of this chance to swallow Han Zongping's territory. Daliang can take Chang'an to the north, and Daling can cross the river to seize Jing and Hezhou. With four regions, Qingzhou can send reinforcements at any time. Han Zongping doesn't even need to mobilize the capital troops to strategize against us on both fronts."

The Dongling emperor: "Chang'an has 100,000 garrison troops, with Liangzhou border troops ready to reinforce at any time. Although Jing and Hezhou are just across the river from us, there are 200,000 troops stationed there, with Qingzhou ready to send reinforcements at any time. He Han Zongping can fend off both our armies without even using the capital troops."

Tan Yuanzhen smiled, "Your Majesty must not forget that the four armies you just mentioned—Lü Sheng, Huang Qilin, the southern clans, and the four generals—have not fully pledged allegiance to Han Zongping. Han Zongping, dedicated to the people, demanded that local officials surrender their embezzled gains. Because of this, Lü Sheng, Huang Qilin, the southern clans, and the four generals are quite dissatisfied with him. Before I came, Lü Sheng had already accepted our emperor's gifts and agreed to hold Liangzhou firmly, refusing to follow Han Zongping's orders to reinforce Chang'an. If we deploy 200,000 troops, we will surely break through Chang'an and even take Luoyang. Why not send a generous gift to Huang Qilin? As long as Huang Qilin remains neutral, taking Hezhou will be a piece of cake. No matter how brilliant Han Zongping is at warfare, he cannot handle being attacked on three fronts simultaneously."

The Dongling emperor coughed and looked at his son.

Lu Cheng's eyes lit up, clearly approving of the plan.

The Dongling emperor did not take Han Zongping lightly, but he knew this was indeed the best opportunity to defeat him. Missing this chance meant that Daling and Liang would eventually be destroyed by Han Zongping.

First, we need to eliminate Han Zongping, and then we can deal with Liang later.