Chapter 221

Chapter 221

The Xingping Emperor gave Grandfather two options: either he remains to defend Jingzhou and Qi Heng goes to attack the Liang Kingdom, or Qi Heng stays in Jingzhou and Grandfather goes to attack the Liang Kingdom. In any case, the Xingping Emperor has made up his mind—he is determined to attack the Liang Kingdom this time!

After reading the letter, Xiao Mu placed the letter on the table and remained silent for a long while.

Tong Sui picked up the letter, and as she finished reading, her heart sank.

The Emperor was determined to proceed with his plan. If Grandfather stayed in Jingzhou and the Emperor encountered danger, the Emperor might hold Grandfather accountable, and Grandfather would undoubtedly blame himself. However, if Grandfather went to war, it would mean going against his better judgment to accompany the Emperor on this risky venture, endangering not only himself but also the lives of the 100,000 soldiers under his command.

The stakes were too high, and Tong Sui didn’t dare to offer any advice, waiting instead for Grandfather to make the decision.

After a long silence, Xiao Mu sighed deeply and looked at Tong Sui. "What do you think? Does the Emperor want me to lead the army to attack the Liang Kingdom, or does he prefer Qi Heng?"

Tong Sui: "It must be you."

When the northern regions were still in turmoil, Grandfather rose with a few hundred men from Lingshui Village and quickly stabilized Wei County, defeating the rebel King Li Gang in one fell swoop, becoming the ruler of seven counties. Qi Heng, on the other hand, misjudged the situation and mistakenly viewed another rebel, Shi Yi, as a wise ruler, nearly costing him his family's lives. It was only because Qi Yun surrendered in time that Qi Heng was given a chance to redeem himself.

Qi Heng's title of marquis was earned through his bravery in battle, while Grandfather’s title of duke was earned through his wisdom and courage.

Although the Xingping Emperor was eager for success, he understood the dangers of attacking the Liang Kingdom. At this moment, he needed a brilliant commander like Grandfather to increase the chances of victory.

"Grandfather, is the Emperor trying to provoke you? Forcing you to resolve the Jingzhou issue quickly for the sake of the larger campaign against the Liang Kingdom?"

If Tong Sui didn’t know the Xingping Emperor well, she might have thought that the Emperor was merely conducting official business or questioning Grandfather's capabilities compared to Pan Yong. But Tong Sui understood that the Xingping Emperor, an upright and serious emperor, was acting more like a younger person throwing a tantrum, betting on the fact that Grandfather wouldn’t have the heart to let Qi Heng accompany him on this dangerous venture.

Grandfather smiled bitterly and nodded.

Tong Sui remained silent, her mind racing with concerns.

It was hard to blame the Xingping Emperor for pressuring Grandfather, as the Emperor clearly trusted him more. But at the same time, the Emperor was gambling the entire Great Yu Dynasty.

"Alright, Grandfather has a task for you."

Xiao Mu put away the letter and said with renewed energy, "Thanks to the Emperor’s trust and confidence in me, I have the opportunity to fight in my later years. Now that the Emperor still needs me, I am prepared to face any danger or hardship without hesitation."

Call it arrogance, but only he could increase the chances of success for this campaign, and only he, leading the 100,000 soldiers on the western route, could minimize the casualties.

The next day, Tong Sui set out to find merchants familiar with the terrain and conditions of the Shu region. Meanwhile, Zhou Xian and Zhou Gui, along with a group of military doctors, traveled to various parts of Jingzhou to procure the necessary medicinal supplies for the campaign. In the camp, Zhao Jin continued to train the troops, ensuring that the soldiers' morale would not slacken just because there was no current war in Jingzhou.

Grandfather’s arrangements were not hidden, and Xie Jian, upon receiving the news, immediately guessed that the Xingping Emperor was sending Grandfather westward to attack the Liang Kingdom.

By the Dragon Boat Festival, Xie Jian’s secret agents in Hezhou sent word that Qi Heng’s army had left Hezhou and was heading west.

Xie Jian understood. With the military power in Hezhou now under the control of the court, Qi Heng was free to keep an eye on him, while Xiao Mu was tasked with assisting the Xingping Emperor in the campaign against the Liang Kingdom.

The deputy general said, "Do you think Han Zongping's campaign against the Liang Kingdom will go smoothly?"

Xie Jian: "War is influenced by too many variables—timing, geography, and human harmony. I can’t predict the outcome, but I can say that this is not the best time for the court to attack the Liang Kingdom."

Another person said, "Regardless of how it turns out, we need to focus on our own situation first. Qin Sizhu has already been dealt with by the court. Now that the experienced and shrewd Xiao Mu is too busy to bother with us, and that hot-tempered general Qi Heng is said to be coming our way, will he confront us head-on?"

"If he dares to come, we have 80,000 troops just as he does. It’s uncertain who will emerge victorious. If it comes to it, we’ll cross the river by boat. A bunch of soldiers unskilled in river crossings can hardly do anything to us."

"Ah, don’t be so hasty. It’s not that simple. If Han Zongping dares to send Xiao Mu to attack the Liang Kingdom, he must have a plan to stabilize Jingzhou. Otherwise, if Jingzhou falls into chaos, Xiao Mu’s army would be cut off from retreat. Do you think Han Zongping would risk such a foolish move?"

The ones who had been yelling the loudest were momentarily stunned and looked at Xie Jian in unison.

Xie Jian: "Wu Bin is right. Even if Han Zongping overlooked it, Xiao Mu would resolve the threat to Jingzhou for his own safety. Just wait, before Qi Heng arrives in Jingzhou, Xiao Mu will definitely make a move."

——

On the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, Grandfather and Granddaughter, Tong Sui, received letters sent from the north by Xiao Zhen.

This was the first letter Xiao Zhen had sent since leaving the capital.

The courier first delivered the two letters to Grandfather. As Xiao Mu handed his granddaughter-in-law's letter to Tong Sui, he explained on behalf of his grandson, "If he could, Second Master would want to send a letter every day, but the two places are too far apart. It would be a waste of the court's resources to frequently trouble the couriers with trivial matters. He can only take the opportunity to send family letters along with battle reports."

Tong Sui, delighted, asked, "Did they win a minor victory in the north?"

Xiao Mu: "A minor victory. The grasslands are vast; they have plenty to chase after."

Tong Sui sat next to the old master's long desk and opened the envelope. As she took out the letter, a small white dried flower, flattened from being pressed, fell out.

Feeling a bit nervous, Tong Sui stuffed the flower back into the letter when she saw that the old master was focused on reading the grain ledger.

The letter was only one page, written in mid-April. Perhaps worried that the courier might encounter trouble on the way and the letter could be intercepted by others, Xiao Zhen only wrote about daily trivialities and didn’t mention the battle situation at all. He just urged them to be careful in Jingzhou. The only words regarding personal affection between husband and wife were: "The wildflowers bloom all over the grasslands, and seeing this one made me think of you."

Tong Sui could picture Xiao Zhen dismounting, crouching in the grass, gazing at the flower for a moment, before gently plucking it.

She quietly glanced at the dried flower hidden in the envelope. It had five pale white petals and a golden core.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Tong Sui slowly slid the letter back in.

Noticing her quick movements out of the corner of his eye, Grandfather asked, "Just one page?"

Tong Sui's ears felt warm as she replied softly, "Second Master has always been a man of few words."

Xiao Mu: "Second Master told me a lot, and asked me not to forget to celebrate your birthday."

Tong Sui: "We celebrate it every year, but this one feels different."

Xiao Mu: "Every year is different. This year, it's just the two of us outside. How about this evening, we invite Uncle Xie over to have longevity noodles together? He's taught you so much. Though we may not have a formal teacher-student relationship, the bond between us is as strong as any."

Tong Sui understood that the old master was finally going to "deal with" Xie Jian, so she personally went to the Southeast Camp to invite Xie Jian.

Southeast Camp.

As soon as Tong Sui left, several of Xie Jian's deputies gathered around. Upon learning that Xiao Mu had invited Xie Jian for a birthday noodle dinner, someone immediately advised, "It must be a trap; you can't go, General Feng!"

Recalling Tong Sui's clear and innocent eyes and the old master's actions, Xie Jian said, "If a young lady isn't afraid that we might harm her in the camp, and I, on the other hand, am afraid to go alone because of a possible ambush, wouldn't that make us a laughingstock among heroes? Wu Bin, after I leave, you will temporarily take charge of the Jingzhou navy. If something happens to me and I don't return, don’t feel obligated to seek revenge. You can either surrender to the court or to the Ling Kingdom; decide for yourselves."

"Impossible, if something really happens to you, we'll fight Xiao Mu to the end!"

"Yes, we swear to stand together with you, General Feng!"

——

On a summer evening, the sun was still glaring. Wearing casual clothes, Xie Jian arrived at the Northwest Camp with only two personal soldiers. As they approached the camp gate, he saw Tong Sui already standing there. She wore a plain white short jacket and a lake-green long skirt. Her dark eyes and porcelain skin glowed softly in the evening light, like the shimmering ripples on the river at sunset.

The two personal soldiers exchanged glances. If not for the fact that this Lady Anguo was Xiao Mu's granddaughter-in-law, they would have suspected that the old master was trying to use a beauty trap.

Xie Jian was not a man driven by lust. The only thing he felt from Tong Sui was the respect and admiration a young general had for an old general, even if it was feigned, it was as genuine as it could be.

"It's embarrassing for me, Aman, to trouble Uncle Xie to come over and celebrate my birthday in such hot weather."

Xie Jian smiled and said, "The honor is mine to celebrate Lady Tong's birthday. A humble gift, please accept it with a smile."

A personal guard brought over a box measuring three feet on each side, which clearly did not look like a small gift.

Tong Sui exclaimed, "What is this?"

Xie Jian opened the lid of the box and removed a layer of silk cloth covering the gift, revealing a two-foot-long "warship" model. The craftsmanship was so exquisite that you could even see the carvings on the window frames.

Xie Jian explained, "Every time the naval forces develop a new warship, they make a batch of these ship models. I can see that you are very interested in warships, so I am giving you this one as a keepsake."

Tong Sui was very pleased with the gift and sincerely thanked him, saying, "General, you are like a mentor to me. Aman will always remember this time in Jingzhou."

Xie Jian smiled and followed her into the main camp.

Xiao Mu was waiting in front of the large tent, also in casual clothes. After the three sat down and chatted for a while, the kitchen delivered a basin of longevity noodles.

Tong Sui first served a bowl to the elder, then to Xie Jian.

We're all eating from the same pot—if there's poison, we'd all be affected.

This was a basin of fish noodles, made with the freshest Jingzhou river fish, with the bones removed, making the fish tender and the soup delicious.

Noodles couldn't be left out for long, so the three focused on eating first. After they were full, Tong Sui brought out a Go board, and Xiao Mu played a game with Xie Jian while Tong Sui knelt beside them to watch.

After a while, Xiao Mu broke the silence, saying, "Wengu, I assume you've been wary of me since the day I arrived in Jingzhou?"

Xie Jian looked at the elder and smiled lightly, "If you have no intention of harming me, Elder, why would I need to be on guard?"

Xiao Mu: "It's not that I want to harm you, but you, along with Qin Sizhu, and even Wang Dingxian and Qiu Yue, have been amassing troops and disregarding the court's orders. The court sees you as a threat, and as a threat, you must be eliminated."

Xie Jian put down the Go piece and looked directly at Xiao Mu, "I have been defending Jingzhou for almost ten years, and any personal assets I have were earned through military merit. When the Emperor ascended the throne, I immediately led the Jingzhou naval forces to pledge loyalty to the Emperor, not seeking rewards. However, the Emperor asked me to surrender my personal assets. If it were you, would you be willing?"

Xiao Mu: "As far as I know, the previous dynasty rewarded you with 500 hectares of good water and dry land. Yet now, your family owns 5,000 hectares of prime farmland in Jingzhou, which is 500,000 mu of good land, 450,000 mu more than what the court rewarded you. May I ask where you obtained those 450,000 mu of land?"

Xie Jian pursed his lips, his face turning very ugly.

Xiao Mu: "Actually, you could say that you gradually acquired those lands during the years when land prices were low. But you, Xie Jian, know full well that those lands were gifts from civil and military officials all over Jingzhou. I also know that you are not a greedy person. However, in the previous dynasty, nine out of ten officials were corrupt. If you weren't corrupt, Imperial Uncle Dou wouldn't have continued to use you. Once you accepted ten mu of land, your clansmen would dare to take a hundred or even a thousand mu in your name. By the time the Emperor founded the Great Yu Dynasty, even if you were willing to surrender your ill-gotten gains, your clansmen weren't. They used filial piety and kinship to force you to remain a corrupt official, clinging to these worldly possessions."

Tong Sui watched closely as Xie Jian's hand, resting on his knee, almost tore the fabric.

Tong Sui refilled his tea cup for him.

The clear sound of water caught Xie Jian's attention. As the ripples in the teacup settled, Xie Jian's hand also relaxed. He lowered his eyes and asked, "Since you know I am a corrupt official, why haven't you made a move?"

Xiao Mu: "Because the Emperor tasked me with eliminating the threat in Jingzhou, with the focus on Jingzhou. Even if I killed the general and took away the military power, Jingzhou would lose a great naval commander. Without someone like you to defend it, Jingzhou would still be vulnerable if the Ling Kingdom sent troops. Only by protecting you and convincing you to truly support the Emperor can I truly eliminate the threat in Jingzhou."

Xie Jian looked up, shock evident in his usually shrewd eyes.

Xiao Mu glanced at the warship model placed beside his granddaughter-in-law and sighed, "It's easy to find a thousand soldiers but hard to find a good general. The Emperor sees me as such a general, but I know that you, Wengu, are the general the Emperor truly needs. Without me, the Emperor still has generals like Feng Ji, Lu Gong, Fan Zhao, and Zhao Liangchen for land battles. But without you, there would be no reliable naval generals left. Without naval commanders, how can the Emperor conquer the Ling Kingdom and unify the world?"

"Wengu, with your abilities, you are destined to be remembered in history. You should pass on your naval skills to your clansmen and let your descendants be proud of you. Don't let this generation of your family pull you down with them! They can focus on immediate gains, but as the head of the Xie clan, you need to think long-term. Don't let the future and reputation of the entire Xie clan be destroyed in your hands!"

"You would be wasting your talents if you betray your true potential again. Ling Kingdom might use you during the war, but once it's over, they'll be the first to take your life!"

"Wengu, you have the skills to leave a mark on history. Don't let short-sightedness ruin everything."

Xie Jian was already sweating profusely, and after the old man's final rebuke, he shuddered and immediately knelt next to the old man, bowing his head and saying, "I let myself get distracted by the wrong things and almost went astray. Please teach me, Elder!"

Xiao Mu had been speaking too fast and emotionally just now and was still catching his breath. He glanced at Xie Jian on his knees, then looked at Tong Sui.

Tong Sui was also holding her breath. The old man's presence made her feel like she was walking on eggshells, so imagine how much worse it must have been for Xie Jian.

For a moment, the tent was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The old man finally broke the silence and said casually, "I'm thirsty. Aman, pour me some tea."