Chapter 104 The Land of Rising Winds

Chapter 104: The Land of Rising Storms

This plain, nestled between the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, would, in times of peace, undoubtedly be a vast expanse of fertile farmland. But now... it remains a desolate wasteland. Most commoners had already been relocated south of the river, leaving few behind. So, who remains here?

"Earlier, Her Majesty ordered those unwilling to abandon their ancestral lands to return. Yet, these people dared not linger long in such a contested region. Before long, they took advantage of the guards' negligence and fled. Some even boarded ships in Xuzhou, escaping eastward overseas."

Wang Shen'ai: "They were meant to guard the frontlines to preserve their prestige, yet they deserted without orders. Label them traitors. Once the war in the Central Plains is settled, send men overseas to hunt them down."

Chu Lingyuan froze for a moment: "...Wait, seriously?"

Was this really necessary? She had brought it up purely as a joke. Just imagine—those fleeing had no servants left, meaning they had to build their own ships. Who knows if they’ll even survive the voyage?

But past experiences had proven one thing: unless Her Majesty explicitly admitted she was unsure and sought counsel from her ministers, her word was law!

Perhaps this overseas pursuit held another purpose.

Wait a minute...

If Her Majesty said this, did it mean she believed this war would surely be won?

"If you have something to ask, just say it. No need to hesitate."

Chu Lingyuan thought for a moment before asking: "What weighs on Your Majesty’s mind right now?"

What weighs on her mind...

The initial unease and hesitation had long been buried beneath the fervor of her resolve to march. What remained was—

"Perhaps... joy. Joy that my ministers remain young, in the prime of your lives. Joy that, unlike what the heavens foretold, I can personally lead this campaign to the northern front."

"This is indeed a campaign without precedent, but so what?"

Liu Yiming, leading a vanguard of elite troops, showed no hesitation as dusk fell, charging northward like an arrow loosed.

While recently contemplating how to establish a military academy, she had also never neglected training her own elite troops, honing their instincts.

This young general had once walked a path no one had paved. Now, galloping across this night-shrouded wilderness, she refused to let doubt take hold.

After all, this road was not hers alone to tread!

Earlier, Liu Bobo had merely been tasked with scouting the north, yet he dared cross into Ye and set it ablaze. Now, she would not be outshone.

"Eyes forward!" Liu Yiming spurred her horse and shouted. "Last year, a certain General Liu attacked Ye with nothing but ragtag conscripts from Yanzhou and Xuzhou. And what of you?"

They were handpicked by the Light Chariot General from the Beifu Army—could they dare fall short?

Yet this cavalry unit, laden with supplies for the journey, though far ahead of Wang Shen'ai’s main force, would not be the first to cross the Yellow River and reach the north.

Long before battle reports reached Jiankang, the troops in Luoyang had already split into two divisions and advanced.

One, led by Liu Yu, forded the river in waves at Mengjin and Xiaopingjin before regrouping.

The other, under Liu Bobo, first entered Yanzhou before awaiting their moment to ford the river.

"I don’t quite understand," Liu Yu’s deputy general asked. "Had the General not said you were to reinforce the Dingzhou Military Governor? Why are we still acting separately?"

Liu Yu rested his hand on the People's Monument after crossing the river. The cool spring evening wind made the etched names feel even colder to the touch, yet the grooves beneath his fingers seared with memory. "Hah, am I not supporting him now?"

"Relay my orders!"

"Split the elites five ways, each with a scout detachment. Advance north and neutralize Wei’s outposts. If you cannot wipe them all out, deceive them into thinking we intend to push deep into Bingzhou through Hedong, assaulting Pingcheng, Wei’s underbelly. After five days, turn east!"

The deputy general immediately understood, shouting: "At once!"

Indeed, to "support" meant ensuring the vanguard could focus entirely on their assault—not necessarily marching side by side.

If they were fortunate enough to glean intelligence from defecting civilians, who could guarantee the Ying Army’s movements wouldn’t be reported to the Wei forces?

If the Wei Army intended to march in force from Ye, they would surely fear attacks from behind.

Any hesitation on their part would be Liu Bobo’s opening!

Five days later, their main force would also march toward Ye as reinforcements.

If the Wei forces, misled by false intelligence, chose to retreat, their deliberate advance might perfectly intercept them.

To the deputy general, his general’s reputation as an all-around prodigy—praised even by the heavens—was not just due to his martial prowess. Twenty years of hard-earned experience allowed him to hold the line even as the Wei Army prepared for a full-scale assault.

With this order, the marching troops seemed to shed their restlessness, settling into the encroaching dusk.

Yet within the ranks, men moved, soldiers advanced, and the general himself gripped his weapon, gazing fixedly at the storm-wreathed peaks.

For some reason, when he handed over the defense of Hangu Pass to Fu Yan, a sudden restlessness had quieted. It felt as though joining this campaign against Ye—to thwart Wei’s schemes—was a battle foretold.

Not merely to jockey for glory among the Emperor’s many generals.

"General?"

"Nothing. I was just considering the Wei King’s intentions." Liu Yu finally sensed something amiss.

Just as Her Majesty would never recklessly strike at Guanzhong, and with Jiankang still wary after the failed aristocratic families' rebellion, even if the Wei Army avoided Luoyang’s scouts and marched south, they would be halted by Jiankang’s unbroken ranks. A single misstep in such a full-scale invasion could lead to total defeat—worse than Fu Jian’s folly!

Yet though doubts arose, he could not yet fathom their scheme.

They had already mobilized swiftly, leaving no time to verify the situation before the noose tightens.

Even if they misjudged Wei’s movements, fortifying Ye preemptively to block their advance would not be wrong!

Crushing the viper in its nest—this was the way!

But such thoughts need not be shared with subordinates, lest rumors spread. Especially among the auxiliary forces eager to serve their country.

"The Wei King’s intentions?"

Liu Yu said: "When heaven itself has decreed, why does he still resist? Does he truly believe Her Majesty would mistreat the Hu people?"

The deputy general quickly replied: "Then let us go to Ye and teach him heaven’s judgment!"

...

Little did they know, the figure standing atop Ye’s walls was not Tuo Bagui, but indeed the Queen of Wei.

Cui Hao stared at her silhouette, momentarily stunned, before ascending the steps to take his place behind her. "My Queen."

Mrs. Liu did not answer immediately, her gaze lingering on the blood-rusted scars of Ye’s battlements. Just as Cui Hao prepared to call again, she suddenly spoke: "It has been so long since I last walked outside. How curious—even this ruined city seems fascinating now. Tch—"

"What news do you bring, Mr. Cui?"

"We cannot remain in Ye for long. This is merely our rear guard, no fortress." Cui Hao raised a letter in his hand. "Just now, our men intercepted a coded dispatch, sent by a Great Ying general back south. They thought to hide it among Later Yan’s correspondence, unnoticed by us. Little did they know—once we took Ye, no one would cross this border unopposed!"

Mrs. Liu's gaze shifted sharply: "What does the letter say?"

Cui Hao clenched his jaw: "The one responsible for assisting Later Yan in launching a counterattack against our Great Wei is none other than that King of Chu, Huan Xuan! No—now he should be called the Marquis of Chu, Huan Xuan! Guess how he got here? By crossing the sea to Liaodong!"

Who would have thought? Yong'an, who seemed to have been quietly recruiting capable officials and managing internal affairs in the rear, would place such trust in Huan Xuan, without fear he'd declare independence upon reaching Liaodong.

Such trust is something any subject would desire.

But when this monarch and his general are their opponents, the situation becomes far more dangerous!

"After arriving at Zhongshan, they advanced while simultaneously taking advantage of the chaos to eliminate the northern aristocratic families! Now they are attempting to seize all of Hebei, connecting it to Yong'an's territory."

Mrs. Liu thought to herself—if she were in Yong'an's place, with such an opportunity to root out dissent early and prevent hidden disloyalty, she would make the same choice.

But what she said aloud was: "In that case, Mr. Cui's position must be decisive now?"

Cui Hao: "Yes!"

Mrs. Liu pressed further: "If his goal is to seize all of Hebei, he must be pushing south by now. So what we must do is immediately head north and take them by surprise?"

Cui Hao once again gave a resolute answer: "Yes!"

"Good, then we march!"

...

But surprise wouldn't come easily.

If command of these troops had been in Murong Xi’s hands, he might have been somewhat careless. But the one truly leading this "revenge campaign for Later Yan" was not him—it was Huan Xuan.

To cleanse himself of his reputation as a laughingstock, even though he encountered no effective resistance when taking Zhongshan, Huan Xuan dispatched several hastily trained scouts as soon as they turned south.

And one of these scouts, just before the main force was about to march south, brought back shocking news.

Ahead, in the direction of the lightly defended, once Liu Bobo-conquered city of Ye, an astonishing number of Wei Army troops had suddenly appeared.

Not just three or five thousand—but at least tens of thousands, blocking their path forward.

Murong Xi, still young, leapt up from where he had been sitting. "Marquis of Chu, what is happening now?"

Huan Xuan shot him a cold glance, instantly quashing any thought of slipping away. "What’s happening? It means the letter we previously prepared to send to Great Ying may have been intercepted."

"You didn’t think that after cutting through Liaodong into Hebei, humiliating the Wei Army and their supporters, they wouldn’t react at all, did you?"

Murong Xi blurted out: "Of course not!"

"Then what’s the problem? If they want a fight, we’ll fight!" For a fleeting moment, Huan Xuan felt unease—but the imperial edict tucked in his sleeve, bestowed by His Majesty, weighed heavily, steadying his nerves.

Huan Xuan raised his gaze and snapped: "Is there any issue?"

"No... Wait, yes, there is!" Murong Xi stammered. "According to the scouts, the Wei Army overwhelms us numerically. How do we fight?"

Charging blindly into battle would be no different from suicide.

Huan Xuan replied calmly: "If we lack troops, then we recruit more. We’ve been winning every battle—why should we be the ones to retreat? Reorganizing our troops won’t be enough..."

After a brief pause, he gave a firm answer: "Call the banners! Use Zhongshan as the center and levy troops from the surrounding areas!"

"But..." Murong Xi hesitated. "After the late emperor’s passing, the Murong clan’s prestige in the north plummeted. The north has always been mercenary—whoever wins rules. By that logic, our cause of vengeance might rally morale, but it won’t help much in recruitment."

Huan Xuan smashed his fist on the table and rose. "When did I say we’d use the Murong banner? The situation has changed, and so must our strategy. It’s not just the court officials who know allegiance has shifted—proclaim it publicly: the Yan Army is now under Great Ying’s command, and this land beneath our feet is Great Ying’s Ji Province!"

"The Mandate of Heaven is clear—the Mandate of Unity belongs to His Majesty. Will these northern Xianbei wait for His Majesty’s arrival and die alongside Tuoba Gui, or will they seek glory by rallying to the rightful ruler? With the imperial edict before them, let them decide!"

As he spoke, Huan Xuan raised the edict from his sleeve. "This is His Majesty’s decree, claiming sovereignty over the people of Ji Province."

Murong Xi: "..."

Was he imagining things, or was that the same edict that had once appointed him Conquest-General of the West?