Chapter 154 From Now On, You and Liang State, Liangzhou…

Chapter 154: From Now On, Liang State and Liangzhou Will Be...

The Marquis of Liangzhou immediately summoned his generals for discussion.

"Father, you petitioned the court last year to strengthen defenses. Why didn’t they send reinforcements? Now, with just thirty thousand men, how can we hold off more than a hundred thousand Xiongnu cavalry?"

Zhang Qian’s eyes flared with anger as his fist slammed onto the table with a loud *bang*, causing the teacups to rattle.

"If they can’t hold out, they send urgent requests to Liangzhou—are the lives of Liangzhou’s soldiers not worth anything?"

The memory of the twenty thousand soldiers lost in last year’s battle for Zhongwei still haunted Zhang Qian deeply.

His dissatisfaction with the court had now turned into hatred—for the emperor, for his incompetence, for dragging Liang State into this dire situation.

Zhang Qian’s words resonated with the other officers, who clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white, eyes blazing with anger.

The Marquis of Liangzhou scanned the room, his expression darkening. "I called you here to discuss solutions, not to listen to complaints."

Zhang Qian turned away stubbornly.

"Zhongwei is calling for aid—do we help them or not?" the Marquis of Liangzhou asked gravely.

Defending the homeland was the duty of Liangzhou’s soldiers. In the past, they would have answered without hesitation. But after last year’s events, they hesitated. The court’s stance was clear—they were being sent to their deaths needlessly.

The lives of Liangzhou’s soldiers were just as valuable. They were sons, husbands, fathers. They could sacrifice, but not meaninglessly—especially when Liang State’s current crisis was entirely self-inflicted, making it all the more infuriating.

Silence fell over the room.

To aid them galled them; to refuse shamed them.

Finally, Zhang Ding stood. "Father, I believe we must still go to their aid."

All eyes turned to him.

"First, Liangzhou has defended against barbarian invasions for generations. Now that the Xiongnu are slaughtering our people, how can we stand by? Second, if Liang State falls, where will Liangzhou go? When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken."

His words seemed to calm the earlier fury. Zhang Ding’s two reasons—one of righteousness, one of survival—both cut to the core.

"How do we save them?" the Marquis of Liangzhou asked, watching him.

Liangzhou had lost twenty thousand men last year. Though not devastating, it was still a heavy blow. Moreover, their scouts reported another Xiongnu force advancing toward Liangzhou. Clearly, Wudati Hou meant to keep them occupied, preventing any rescue—and likely setting an ambush along the way.

Gong Sunmao rose, walked to the large table, and studied the map closely before tracing a route. "We could send a general with forty thousand elite troops through the Huiyang route to ambush the Xiongnu. If Wudati Hou turns back, Zhongwei’s siege will be lifted, and we can then rely on the city’s defenses to hold them off."

The generals nodded—it was a viable plan.

"Who among you will take command?"

"I’ll go," one said.

Before the Marquis of Liangzhou could finish speaking, two or three generals saluted.

Zhang Qian hesitated for a moment before raising his fist. "I volunteer for the mission."

Though he had been resentful earlier, now that his father had made the decision, he would not oppose it.

The Marquis of Liangzhou surveyed his officers, nodded, and was about to appoint Zhang Qian as the commander when urgent news came from outside the courtyard—

"Alert! The Qiang have invaded the borders of Liangzhou and are now at the gates of Xiping and Jincheng!"

The Marquis of Liangzhou shot to his feet.

Xiping in the east and Jincheng in the west—both were being assaulted from both flanks by the Qiang, and with the Xiongnu advancing from the northwest, Liangzhou was now under threat on three sides.

The plan they had just settled on was disrupted by this sudden urgent report.

The Marquis of Liangzhou seemed to hold his breath for a long moment before finally inhaling deeply. In an instant, his gaze appeared much older.

All the misfortunes had come at once.

He looked at the assembled officers and said, "Let us deliberate again."

No matter how urgent Zhongwei's situation was, they had to secure Liangzhou first.

Zhangye, Xiping, and Jincheng all needed troops for defense, leaving little manpower to spare for rescuing Zhongwei.

In the end, the Marquis of Liangzhou appointed Zhang Qian as the commanding general, ordering him to lead 20,000 cavalry to rush to Zhongwei under the cover of night.

Most of the Liangzhou Army consisted of infantry, and with only 30,000 cavalry in total, this was the most the Marquis of Liangzhou could spare.

All he could do was hope everything would go smoothly.

Yet, he had an ominous premonition.

...

With the barbarian invasion, Liangzhou was gripped by tension, and even the air seemed to thicken.

All the Zhang family's sons were leading troops in the field, while Madam Cui held down the fort in Liangdu, organizing the women—her two daughters-in-law and several granddaughters—to calm the people, sew uniforms and boots, tend to the wounded, and ensure the supply of water and food to maintain logistics, especially medical care for the injured.

Apart from the battlefield medics, much of the nursing in the city was done by women. After receiving field dressings on the front lines, the wounded were transported back to the city to be cared for by these nurses.

Zhang Hongying and Zhang Yinhua, the two sisters, also came to the hospital to help. Most of the time, they were responsible for managing staff and coordinating supplies, but when things got too busy, they would personally step in to assist.

Finally snatching a brief moment of rest, the two sisters happened to meet. Both were dressed in white linen smocks now stained with blood. They exchanged weary smiles.

Zhang Yinhua looked at the similarly dressed nurses bustling around and thought of Jiang Congyan.

"This medical system was set up by Sister Ah Yan together with us when she was still in Liangzhou. A few years ago, I worried whether she would be mistreated after going to the Xianbei. But now, it seems the Xianbei might be the safest place after all. Liang State and Liangzhou have been thrown into chaos, with the Xiongnu and Qiang advancing fiercely. Who knows if Liangzhou..."

Hearing the despondency in her sister's voice, Zhang Hongying thought she might be exhausted from recent efforts, compounded by the suffocating tension of war, and thus let slip these thoughts.

She had once felt the same way, believing it would have been best if Ah Yan had stayed in Liangzhou. No one could have predicted how quickly the situation would change. After ten years of peace, Liangzhou was finally plunged into turmoil.

Zhang Hongying stepped forward and hugged her sister. "You're right. It's good that Ah Yan can keep herself safe in the Xianbei. Liangzhou will be fine too. Grandfather, Father, and our brothers are wise and brave, the soldiers fearless in battle. If we stand united, Liangzhou will pull through this."

"Yeah," Zhang Yinhua rested her head on her sister's shoulder.

...

Several days after Zhang Qian led the reinforcements to depart, a messenger from the capital arrived with an imperial decree from the Emperor of Liang, ordering the Marquis of Liangzhou to dispatch 50,000 troops to rescue Zhongwei.

The Marquis of Liangzhou barely skimmed it, snorted, and walked away without a word.

The messenger was left hanging, temporarily dumbstruck. When he realized how thoroughly he'd been snubbed, his face darkened.

It was said the Marquis of Liangzhou was high-handed and insolent, showing zero respect for the Son of Heaven—and indeed, the rumors were true. As the Emperor's personally appointed envoy, bearing the Emperor's authority, he had been blatantly disrespected!

The Marquis of Liangzhou stepped out of the military tent, a cold smirk twisting his lips as he clenched the silk letter tightly in his hand. Fifty thousand? The emperor’s got some nerve.

Nevertheless, he eventually summoned Gong Sunmao and ordered him to draft a letter to be sent back to Chang'an, explaining Liangzhou's current situation to the emperor.

——

When Zhang Qian led the Liangzhou Army straight to Zhongwei, he never expected that the Liang State's forces had already lost the city—along with Yongkang and Zhongning.

These three cities had been sacked by the Xiongnu the previous year, leaving almost no survivors. After reclaiming them, the court had stationed garrisons there. Qian Zhong had indeed worked hard to repair the city walls, even conscripting laborers from Haiyuan and Guyuan. But against a force of 100,000 Xiongnu cavalry, how could 30,000 defenders stand a chance?

Thus, the Liangzhou Army led by Zhang Qian was in deep trouble.

Even if he followed the plan to flank and ambush the Xiongnu from behind, their numbers were too few to do much damage.

Zhang Qian did not act recklessly. He kept sending out scouts, and two days later, he finally received good news—backup was coming.

Given this, Zhang Qian huddled with his advisors and decided to coordinate a two-pronged attack with the reinforcements.

He sent a letter to He Yang and carefully slipped his troops behind enemy lines.

When He Yang got the letter, he called Zhou Hong and his subordinates. After hashing it out, they all agreed the plan was feasible and sent a reply agreeing on the timing.

That night, under the cover of darkness, troops materialized out of nowhere behind the Xiongnu camp on the quiet plains. The Xiongnu ranks broke into chaos, and the Liangzhou Army rode the wave to recapture Yongkang County.

Meanwhile, He Yang and Zhou Hong each led their troops in surprise attacks on Zhongwei and Zhongning.

They had expected success, but the Xiongnu fought like demons.

Wudati Hou reacted swiftly. Far from being angered by the Liang forces’ ambush, his catlike eyes lit up. *Here come the lambs to the slaughter*—he had feared these Han people would cower like turtles in their shells. But now that they had emerged, they were nothing more than prey for the taking.

The Liang State soldiers had never faced the Xiongnu in battle before. At the first clash, they were overwhelmed by the enemy’s sheer presence. The Xiongnu horses were massive, nearly twice their size, and their bloodied swords broke the Liang troops’ spirit instantly.

Thus, what was meant to be a coordinated two-pronged attack collapsed as the Liang army buckled and ran.

"Great General, the casualties are too heavy. If we continue like this, our men won’t hold out. Perhaps we should retreat to Guyuan for now."

"Great General, if we lose all our troops here, we’ll have no hope of retaking the cities. It’s better to withdraw to Guyuan and regroup."

Surrounded by such counsel, He Yang hesitated briefly before finally agreeing.

The reinforcements retreated to Guyuan. However, Zhang Qian, who had just captured Yongkang, remained unaware of this development—until the city was besieged by the Xiongnu army, who taunted him from below:

"Your Han lackeys got their asses kicked by the Khan and ran home crying! You Liangzhou Army have been abandoned—hahaha!"

Zhang Qian’s eyes widened in shock. He slammed his fist against the city wall, blood welling from his split knuckles.

The walls, battered by three successive sieges, were already in ruins. Outnumbered by the Xiongnu, the Liangzhou Army barely managed to hold the city by the skin of their teeth.

They had defended the city—but the battle was lost.

The Liangzhou Army was now trapped in Yongkang like a lone fortress. Worse still, their supplies were nearly exhausted.

He Yang had retreated to Guyuan, where Zhou Hong sought him out. "We withdrew—but what about the Liangzhou Army?"

He Yang had no answer, his face burning with guilt.

One of his strategists spoke up instead: "The Great General was backed into a corner."

As the supreme commander, He Yang’s orders were absolute. Besides, the retreat was already underway—there was no use arguing now. Zhou Hong could only leave, fuming. Several days later, Zhao Bian’s reinforcements also arrived in Guyuan.

By all logic, with a hundred thousand troops defending the city, they should have been able to hold their ground. Yet, against all odds, Wudati Hou captured Guyuan in just a month and marched straight for Xiaoguan.

The Liang forces had been reduced to less than half, and now their retreat to Xiaoguan was also vulnerable.

Xiaoguan was the western gateway to Chang'an. If it fell, Chang'an would be in grave danger.

When the news reached Chang'an, it sent shockwaves through the aristocratic clans once more. They were in turmoil, with some even gathering their valuables in preparation to flee south at any moment.

The Emperor of Liang was furious.

"Wasn't He Yang leading a hundred and thirty thousand troops? How could he lose even while defending a city? And what about the Marquis of Liangzhou? Didn't I order him to reinforce? Was even he powerless to stop the Xiongnu?"

Not one minister dared speak up, not even Sima Wei, who was usually the most skilled at sycophancy.

"Tell me, what should we do now?"

But given the current situation, no one could think of a good solution.

Send more reinforcements? The Xiongnu were like wolves and tigers—even another hundred thousand troops might not withstand their cavalry. A million might stand a chance. But did Liang State have a million soldiers? No.

"Weren't you all so eloquent before? Why are you silent now, huh?"

The officials froze in even greater fear, many stealing glances at Sima Wei, who remained unmoved.

Finally, Cui Civil Affairs Minister broke the deafening silence in the hall: "This aged minister submits that reinforcements must be dispatched. Additionally, we could gain aid from the Prince of Mobei."

At these words, all the ministers in the hall widened their eyes and turned to look.

Even the Emperor of Liang was momentarily stunned.

Cui Civil Affairs Minister continued, "The alliance between the Xianbei and Liang State still stands, and he has married Princess You'an. We can use this to request assistance."

Slowly, the others caught on.

"But... might Tuo Baxiao refuse to send aid?" someone voiced skeptically.

Cui Civil Affairs Minister remained composed. "Naturally, I only suggest we try."

Chun Yumin seemed thoughtful. "This minister also believes Cui Civil Affairs Minister’s proposal is worth attempting."

"We could offer Tuo Baxiao incentives—as long as his demands are within Liang State’s capacity to bear, losing some gold, silver, or provisions is insignificant. If Tuo Baxiao agrees to send troops, the crisis at Xiaoguan will naturally be resolved."

The ferocity of the Xianbei cavalry was no less than that of the Xiongnu, making this a viable plan. Yet, some still worried, "Wouldn’t this strengthen the Xianbei? After all, they already occupy Hejian and Hedong, separated from Liang State by only a thin line."

Chun Yumin barely contained his exasperation. Liang was facing existential threat, and they were still worrying about such inconsequentials.

Since sending more reinforcements might not stop the Xiongnu, everyone eventually agreed to seek Tuo Baxiao’s aid.

Once the matter was quickly settled, Sima Wei suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, as a princess of our great Liang, how can Princess You'an stand idly by while her homeland faces peril? Why not prepare a personal missive for the envoy to take to the Xianbei, commanding her to personally persuade the Prince of Mobei? Judging by the Prince’s conduct during his time in Chang'an, he clearly values Princess You'an. This would increase our chances of success."

"The princess is just a woman. Is this appropriate?" Chun Yumin objected.

"She is no commoner. This is for the sake of Liang’s sovereignty, for the greater good. What is the issue?"

Chun Yumin looked away.

He had no counterargument, though he felt somewhat ashamed.

The matter was quickly settled. Chang'an mustered another eighty thousand reinforcements to reinforce Xiaoguan at once, while an envoy was dispatched through Jinyang, past Yanmen, straight to the royal court at Shengle to gain audience with Tuo Baxiao.

Since receiving word of Wudati Hou's southern advance in April, Jiang Congyan hadn’t felt at ease for over a month.

Tuo Baxiao picked up on her distress and tried reassuring her more than once, but it didn’t help.

Come early June, Jiang Congyan got word of an envoy from Liang State.

Two weeks earlier, she had learned that Wudati Hou's army had already captured Guyuan and was advancing straight toward Xiaoguan. At this critical moment, sending an envoy... there was only one thing this could be about.

What was Tuo Baxiao thinking?

The very next day, the Liang envoy showed up.

Jiang Congyan accompanied Tuo Baxiao to meet him.

The envoy, dusty and worn out, had clearly rushed here in great haste.

The moment he saw Tuo Baxiao, his face brightened eagerly, and he first introduced himself.

“I am Minister Chen Tao, specially dispatched by the Emperor of Liang as an envoy to the barbarian tribes. My respects, Prince of Mobei.”

“At ease,” Tuo Baxiao replied indifferently from his seat on the main dais, his tone icy.

Chen Tao’s stomach dropped a little. Suddenly, he noticed Jiang Congyan sitting beside Tuo Baxiao on the same wide couch, and he was stunned on the inside.

There were distinctions of rank—in Liang, even the empress could not sit beside the emperor.

Was it because Tuo Baxiao, being from the barbarian tribes, did not care about such etiquette? Or was it because he was utterly smitten with the princess?

In any case, this boded well for him. If it was the latter, persuading the princess to then persuade Tuo Baxiao would ensure the success of his mission.

Maintaining a respectful expression, Chen Tao presented the state letter and began his rehearsed spiel.

He first said they were as close as brothers now that the nomadic tribes and Liang had allied. Now that one was in trouble, how could the other bear to stand by and watch? He then cited stories of political marriages, saying that since the Prince of Mobei had wed a princess of Liang, they were now family, and family should naturally help one another.

Tuo Baxiao listened to his lengthy, rambling speech, losing patience with the wordiness.

“So the Emperor of Liang wants me to send troops to fight Wudati Hou?” he cut him off bluntly.

“If the Prince of Mobei is willing to lend aid, Liang would owe him a great debt.”

Tuo Baxiao scoffed. “Keep dreaming. You expect me to mobilize my forces just because Liang asks nicely?”

Chen Tao froze at the outright rejection but pressed on. “Of course not. Liang is willing to offer gold, silver, and provisions as compensation for the troops.”

Tuo Baxiao remained unmoved.

Chen Tao continued with more flattery, nearly talking himself hoarse, but Tuo Baxiao ignored him and dismissed him outright.

Left alone in the hall, Tuo Baxiao noticed her somber expression, clearly upset. He cupped her soft cheek with his large hand. “Do you want me to intervene?”

She lifted her lashes to look at him, her eyes glistening with held-back tears, hesitating to speak.

“Tell me. I want to hear your true thoughts.”

After a long pause, she finally spoke in a low voice. “The Liang court is corrupt, and the Emperor is incompetent, swayed by slander. I don’t feel much loyalty to a country like that. But… the nomadic tribes are brutal. If the cities fall, it’s the common people who will suffer. And Liangzhou…”

If she could do nothing, she might only lament. But now, she had the chance to persuade Tuo Baxiao. Doing nothing would eat at her.

Those are living, breathing people—hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives.

Tuo Baxiao listened, then pulled her into his embrace without another word, though a thoughtful glint flashed in his jade-green eyes.

After being dismissed, Chen Tao carefully recalled the details of the meeting. It was clear Tuo Baxiao had no intention of saving Liang, but what about the princess?

He ordered his subordinates to investigate Jiang Congyan’s status among the Xianbei and how much Tuo Baxiao favored her.

Glancing around, he noticed many Central Plains-style adobe dwellings in the royal court. Come to think of it, their meeting with Tuo Baxiao had taken place in a courtyard rather than the tents commonly used by the barbarians. Were these built specially for the princess, who was unaccustomed to the grasslands?

His men returned swiftly, and upon hearing their report, Chen Tao let a smile slip.

Tuo Baxiao had only one wife—the princess—and cherished her deeply. That was enough.

If one road was closed, he would take another.

The next day, Chen Tao requested a private audience with Jiang Congyan.

After paying his respects, he presented a silk scroll. "Your Highness gave yourself up for the state by marrying the Prince of Mobei. His Majesty has been deeply concerned for you and specifically ordered me to deliver this letter of regard."

"I doubt it’s merely a letter of regard," Jiang Congyan said coolly.

Unfazed by her indifferent tone, Chen Tao lifted his sleeve to dab at his eyes, pretending at grief. "Your Highness sees clearly. To be frank, I’ve come to plead for your help in saving Liang."

Jiang Congyan watched him silently.

"Liang now teeters on the edge of ruin. Only the Prince of Mobei’s intervention can avert this disaster. Think of how the Founding Emperor toiled to build this realm. As a descendant of the Liang imperial family, how can you bear to watch his legacy crumble?"

"It is said the Prince of Mobei values Your Highness above all. If you would only persuade him, you could rescue Liang from peril and its people from suffering. This is an act of righteousness, and the world will forever remember your grace."

Hearing him invoke the Founding Emperor, Jiang Congyan’s pale face frosted over.

He was using her identity and moral duty to pressure her—if she refused, she would be painted a traitor to Liang.

The court had never sought her counsel in decisions, yet now, in crisis, they demanded her aid.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Congyan had no desire to waste further words and motioned for A Fei to see him out.

Had his plea truly failed to move her? In desperation, Chen Tao seized on a thought and blurted, "Do you know that the Liangzhou Army is currently besieged by the Huns in Yongkang City?"

"What?" Jiang Congyan’s face paled.

The Xianbei lands were remote, and word came late. With reports from the front cut off and key routes blocked by the Huns, she had only known that Liangzhou had sent reinforcements. After the Liang army’s defeat, she’d thought the Liangzhou Army stood with them.

Chen Tao let out a relieved breath.

It had just occurred to him that the princess was a descendant of the King of Chu and the Marquis of Liangzhou. Having grown up in Liangzhou, even if she felt no attachment to Liang, she couldn’t possibly let Liangzhou fall.

Just as he’d hoped!

Chen Tao elaborated on the current situation, naturally playing up the desperation.

They had been trapped in Yongkang—a small, low-walled city—for over a month. Supplies were dwindling, and without a breakthrough, they were doomed.

Even if she could harden herself toward Liang, she couldn’t stand by and watch the Liangzhou Army perish.

At noon, when Tuo Baxiao returned from the military camp, Jiang Congyan rushed to the front courtyard, her skirts flying.

Though her heart burned with urgency, the moment she saw him, she hesitated, suddenly afraid to approach.

The man dismounted and casually tossed the whip to A Long behind him before walking over. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Congyan parted her lips, her breath unsteady. "Tuo Baxiao, could you... send troops?"

Tuo Baxiao was surprised at first. Just yesterday, she had been hesitant, yet today she had suddenly made up her mind. He quickly understood. "Did something happen?"

Jiang Congyan nodded, her eyes already glistening with tears. "My uncle led the Liangzhou Army to rescue Zhongwei but was defeated. Now they're trapped in Yongkang—it's been over a month. Liangzhou is also under attack on three fronts and can't send any more troops to help."

Hearing her voice tremble, Tuo Baxiao's heart ached.

"I can."

Jiang Congyan hadn't expected him to agree so readily. She stared at him in stunned silence.

Tuo Baxiao pressed his thumb gently to the corner of her eye, wiping away the dampness there. His voice was soft as he coaxed, "The Marquis of Liangzhou raised you, so you can't bear to abandon them. This time, I'll help you save them. After this, you'll owe Liang State and Liangzhou nothing—no more ties, no more worrying about them, alright? No matter what happens, don't get involved anymore. Let them go their way, and we'll go ours."