Chapter 220

Chapter 220

Xiao Mu set up his main camp twenty miles northwest of Jingzhou, forty miles away from Xie Jian's camp in the southeast of the city.

Xiao Mu was the commanding general leading the defense against the enemy forces of the Ling Kingdom. Since Xie Jian was under his command, he brought a squad of personal guards to welcome Xiao Mu. However, what he saw was a carriage at the front of the army, flanked by a young man and woman.

A personal guard whispered, "General, isn't that Zhao Jin, Zhao Liangchen's second son, and Lady Anguo from the Xiao Family?"

Xie Jian replied, "It should be."

The guard continued, "I heard that the Duke of Wei is already seventy-three. Could he be exhausted from the journey?"

Xie Jian gazed at the carriage, knowing not to underestimate the old general who had risen from humble origins to become a duke.

As they drew nearer, the carriage stopped first.

Tong Sui dismounted her horse and approached the carriage, saying, "General, General Xie Jian has come to welcome you."

A cough came from inside the carriage, and after a moment, a slightly trembling hand emerged, lifting the curtain.

Seeing this, Tong Sui helped lift the curtain, revealing the old man's figure.

Xie Jian quickened his pace and bowed to the old man, saying, "This subordinate, Xie Jian, pays his respects to General Xiao Mu."

Xiao Mu said, "General, please, no need for such formalities! When I was still farming in the village, I had already heard of your illustrious reputation. It is because of your defense that the rebel ministers of the Lu family were unable to continue encroaching on imperial territories. Today, I see that you truly live up to your reputation. Aman, give me a hand out of the carriage."

As the old man leaned forward to get out, Tong Sui supported him while explaining to Xie Jian, "Due to the increasingly hot weather, General Xiao has been unable to ride a horse for the past five days. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Xie Jian quickly responded, "General, you should rest in the carriage. With a battle imminent in Jingzhou, your health must come first!"

Xiao Mu said, "Alright, alright. No need to worry about these old bones. If you don't mind, how about joining me for a chat inside the carriage?"

Some of Xie Jian's personal guards tensed up, fearing that the old man might have some hidden assassination method aimed at their general.

The carriage curtain was still lifted, revealing only Xiao Mu inside. Xie Jian politely asked, "What would you like to discuss with this subordinate?"

Xiao Mu smiled wryly. "His Majesty sent me to reinforce you, but I know nothing about river battles. I would like to ask the general to explain how the navy is trained and what the considerations are for river battles."

Xie Jian replied, "Since you wish to know, this subordinate will humbly share what he knows."

Tong Sui moved aside, gesturing for him to enter the carriage.

Before boarding, Xiao Mu said to Tong Sui, "Sit on the carriage bench and join me in learning."

Zhao Jin, hearing this, came over and said, "General, can I board the carriage too? I want to learn as well."

Xie Jian's personal guards paled, wondering if the old man intended to lure their general into the carriage and then have Zhao Jin assassinate him.

With his eyes downcast and expressionless, Xie Jian heard the old man say, "There isn't enough space. If you want to learn, ask General Xie yourself later."

Zhao Jin retreated to the side of the carriage window on his horse.

As the carriage slowly moved forward, Xiao Mu sat back on the cushioned seat and pulled out a notebook from under it, handing it to Xie Jian. "Here are some questions I came up with during the journey. I would appreciate it if you could help clarify them for me."

Xie Jian said, "...You can just call me Wengu."

He opened the notebook, and the first entry was about the types of military equipment used by the navy. After thinking for a moment, he began to answer truthfully.

Tong Sui, sitting sideways on the carriage bench, listened attentively as well. Whenever she encountered unfamiliar terms, she would ask Xie Jian to explain them in more detail, including the structure of the warships.

By the time they reached the campsite Xiao Mu had chosen, Xie Jian had talked himself hoarse.

The next day, Xiao Mu continued to recuperate in the main camp, sending Zhao Jin and Tong Sui to visit the Jingzhou camp on their own. Both Zhao Jin and Tong Sui were complete landlubbers and, being young, their eyes lit up like kids in a candy store when they spotted the hundreds of warships neatly lined up by the riverbank.

"Uncle Xie, can we go take a look at the warships?"

It was Old Master Xie who first had Tong Sui call Xie Jian "Uncle Xie," and Zhao Jin followed suit.

Xie Jian, looking steadfast and avuncular, said, "Yes, but be careful as the ships are rocking."

Tong Sui and Zhao Jin boarded the same ship. They had many questions, so Xie Jian arranged for two of his deputies to explain things to them while he waited on the shore.

A deputy asked suspiciously, "General, what is Xiao Mu really planning?"

Everyone knew that Xiao Mu had come to seize military command from Xie Jian. Now that the old fox was in the camp, wasn't he afraid that by sending the two young ones into the Jingzhou camp, they might be used to threaten him?

Xie Jian replied, "He’s probably just observing. As long as he doesn’t turn on me, I won’t turn on him."

Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Jin ran to the bow of the ship and vomited into the river with a "wah."

Deputy: "...And they think this guy can take over from the general?"

Tong Sui didn’t expect Zhao Jin to be so susceptible to the rocking. Watching him stagger off the ship, she asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Zhao Jin waved his hand, his face pale as he sat on the ground, "I'm fine. Go ahead and continue your tour."

Tong Sui spent almost the entire day on the ship. She even learned how to steer and understood the flag signals used by the navy to convey messages.

Faced with such an eager and intelligent young woman, when Tong Sui continued to ask questions calling him "Uncle Xie," Xie Jian was genuinely willing to explain things to her rather than just brush her off.

——

On the tenth of April, the day after Xiao Mu's army arrived in Jingzhou, the Ling Kingdom's 50,000 naval troops attacked the neighboring Hanzhou. Wang Dingxian, the defending general of Hanzhou, led the troops to defend the city and simultaneously sent a request for reinforcements to Jingzhou.

Since Xie Jian had a pact with the Ling Kingdom, he used the possibility of a sneak attack by the Ling Kingdom on Jingzhou as a reason to hold back his 80,000 naval troops, requesting Xiao Mu to send reinforcements to Hanzhou instead.

Xiao Mu ordered Zhao Jin to lead 30,000 troops to reinforce Hanzhou, and Zhao Jin set off without a word.

At this point, Xiao Mu only had 50,000 troops left, fewer than Xie Jian's 80,000.

Inside General Feng’s main tent, someone couldn’t help but advise, "General, why don't we make our move tonight?"

They were dissatisfied with Han Zongping’s demand for Xie Jian to surrender his personal property and Xiao Mu's attempt to seize military command. They already viewed Xiao Mu's army as the enemy.

General Feng said, "No, we continue to wait for news from Hezhou."

With Zhao Jin's 30,000 reinforcements, Hanzhou successfully repelled the Ling Kingdom's 50,000 naval troops. As the two armies were at a stalemate, on the afternoon of the nineteenth of April, battle reports from Hezhou reached all three parties almost simultaneously.

Xie Jian had his own spies. Upon hearing that Qi Heng had sent someone to Xiao Mu's side, he brought Tong Sui, who was observing the navy drills, to see the old general.

When they arrived at Xiao Mu’s tent, they found him slouched in a chair, dressed casually and still looking weak from his illness.

Xiao Mu pointed at Xie Jian and Tong Sui, instructing the messenger to repeat the message.

The messenger, clearly excited, recounted the events, "Yes, Qin Sizhu accepted bribes from the Ling Kingdom and prearranged for them to send troops on the fifteenth of this month. He planned to join forces with the Ling Kingdom's 100,000 troops to attack General Qi Heng's 80,000 troops from both sides. However, General Pan Yong learned of Qin Sizhu's planned treason and, on the morning of the eleventh, tricked Qin Sizhu into the weapon workshop and personally killed him, successfully seizing command of the Hezhou army.

"After taking command, Pan Yong ordered the camp to be tightly secured to prevent any leaks. He then coordinated tactics with General Qi Heng. On the fifteenth, the Ling Kingdom launched their attack with 100,000 troops. Qi Heng led his forces into battle, while Pan Yong secretly maneuvered behind enemy lines. It was a brilliant strategy—by the end of the day, nearly the entire enemy force of 100,000 was wiped out, with only about 18,000 managing to escape."

General Xie's eye muscles twitched as he listened attentively. Once the messenger finished, he knelt on one knee and requested, "General, the morale of the Ling Kingdom has taken a huge hit. I am willing to lead our troops across the river to take the states of Chang and Yue!"

Xiao Mu coughed and said, "Wengu, don't be hasty. Although the Ling Kingdom has suffered defeat, our Great Yu Dynasty still has concerns in the north and the southwest. For now, our strategy against the Ling Kingdom should focus on defense. We shall wait for the Emperor's next military order."

Xie Jian nodded. "Yes, sir."

After returning to his own camp, several of Xie Jian's deputies immediately gathered around him. Previously, they had been eager to join forces with the Ling Kingdom, but now they were filled with frustration. "That strategist was boasting so much when he came, but they lost 90,000 elite soldiers in just one battle?"

"If I were Qi Heng, I would immediately lead my troops across the river to take Jinling!"

In short, the deputies were not optimistic about the Ling Kingdom's future.

But Xie Jian explained, "The Ling Kingdom's navy was defeated because of their tactics. They abandoned their ships to attack Hezhou on land, which led to Pan Yong and Qi Heng's ambush. Although Pan Yong is clever, both he and Qi Heng are land generals. If we were to send our forces across the river to attack Jinling, we might suffer losses due to a reckless advance. The Emperor is skilled in military strategy and likely foresaw this outcome, which is why he forbade Qi Heng and Xiao Mu from crossing the river in pursuit."

A deputy asked, "They are land generals, but General Xie Jian excels in river battles. Why won't Xiao Mu allow you to send troops?"

Xie Jian replied, "First, our Great Yu Dynasty should not engage in multi-front warfare at this time. Second, Xiao Mu's mission is to seize my military power. Defeating the Ling Kingdom is not his objective."

The deputies gritted their teeth and urged, "They are not giving you a way out, General. Why don't we join forces with the Ling Kingdom? With you leading them, the 90,000 soldiers they lost would mean nothing!"

Xie Jian said, "We're not at that point yet. I want to see what Xiao Mu plans to do with me."

---

After Xie Jian and the messenger left, Xiao Mu's expression darkened.

Tong Sui asked, puzzled, "With Qin Sizhu dead, we've removed an internal threat in Hezhou and killed 90,000 elite soldiers of the Ling Kingdom. Why does Grandfather not seem happy?"

Xiao Mu asked her to sit beside him and quietly shared his and Lu Gong's concerns. "The victory in Hezhou was too smooth. After this battle, the Ling Kingdom will not dare to send troops again, and Huang Qilin will not be able to stir up trouble. The Emperor, upon learning of this, will most likely launch an attack on the Liang Kingdom. The Shu region is difficult to attack and defend, and its people and officials are united. It is not like the earlier Jinzhou, where our victory was due to a combination of our brave and intelligent soldiers, the Imperial Uncle Dou's loss of popular support, and the incompetence or arrogance of the enemy's generals. Strength and weakness are relative; when the enemy is weak, we are strong."

Tong Sui, having personally experienced the danger of Jinzhou, knew that their victory was due not only to their soldiers' bravery and wisdom but also to external factors such as the loss of popular support for the Imperial Uncle Dou and the incompetence or arrogance of the enemy's generals.

Tong Sui said, "The northern front is still fighting against the Wu country, and there's Lv Sheng in Liangzhou. The Emperor is excellent at warfare. You and General Lu Gong can foresee these dangers. Surely the Emperor..."

Xiao Mu shook his head. "A master drinker falls to drink, and a master warrior falls to war. It is precisely because the Emperor has won too many battles that he might underestimate the Liang Kingdom. This time, the Liang Kingdom struck first. If the Emperor does not strike back hard, how can he vent his anger?"

Tong Sui said, "Grandfather's concerns are reasonable, but now that the southern front is stable, and the northern front has General Feng and Second Master, they should also be able to win their battles. Even if the Emperor decides to attack the Liang Kingdom, with his wisdom and bravery, he still has a high chance of victory. You shouldn't worry too much."

Xiao Mu replied, "Your thoughts are based on *jiǎoxìng*—wishful thinking. As a ruler, one must prioritize the bigger picture and not just think of favorable outcomes. Every step should be planned with the worst-case scenario in mind. Although the Ling Kingdom has been defeated, they still have the potential to counterattack. Huang Qilin in Qingzhou remains a threat, and the war with the Wu country will not end anytime soon. At this moment, the Emperor's wisest choice is to defend the nation."

It was the first time the old man had spoken to Tong Sui in such a stern tone. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Tong Sui fell silent and lowered her head.

Xiao Mu continued, "...Aman, don't be afraid. Grandfather knows you only wanted to comfort me. However, whether the Emperor attacks the Liang Kingdom could determine the fate of the Great Yu Dynasty. I don't want him to make a costly mistake, and I don't want you to hold onto false hopes. Governing a country is like managing a household. Think of the hardships we've endured on this journey, and remember the people and soldiers who have died. If we are not cautious, we not only waste their sacrifices and betray their expectations but also put our own people in danger."

Tong Sui looked up, saw the wrinkles at the corners of her grandfather's eyes, and then looked into his still-bright eyes. She solemnly said, "Grandfather, please rest assured, I have remembered."

---

Seven days later, on the twenty-sixth day of the fourth month, Xiao Mu received a personally written urgent letter from the Xingping Emperor, delivered via express courier over six hundred miles.

In the letter, the Xingping Emperor stated that he had appointed Pan Yong as the governor of Hezhou. If Xiao Mu could take control of the troops in Jingzhou within a month, he would be allowed to lead 100,000 troops to advance westward into the Liang Kingdom. Qi Heng would be transferred to Jingzhou to take over defense duties. If Xiao Mu could not accomplish this, he would remain in Jingzhou to continue confronting Xie Jian, while Qi Heng would lead 100,000 troops to attack the Liang Kingdom alongside the Emperor.