Chapter 135

Chapter 135

In [Dayuan], there were many rules regarding the inheritance of titles.

After [Prince of Pingnan] fell gravely ill, the public face of the Pingnan Prince’s household was [Prince of Pingnan's Heir]. Since [Prince of Pingnan] was a prince of a different surname, holding a special status, the title of the Pingnan estate would only pass to [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] after his death. [Prince of Pingnan] had few offspring, many dying young or in war, and the current heir was born to [Princess Consort Pingnan], making him the legitimate son.

Because this heir seemed lackluster in the eyes of the court, often memorializing to surrender military power, the court saw him as lacking the Prince of Pingnan’s authority—a mediocre person. In the past, they might have thought the Pingnan estate was upheld by [Prince of Pingnan]'s old subordinates, but now, learning from secret files that [Prince of Pingnan]'s trusted confidant had died, [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] became highly suspicious.

How could someone who kept the Pingnan army stable after all the Prince of Pingnan’s loyal subordinates were gone be an ordinary person!

The Crown Prince's words about how many troops in Jiangnan could be trusted seemed to be coming true as more clues came to light.

"Then [Old General Chen] probably can’t hold out much longer," [Shen Changcun] said solemnly.

[Hu Buyu] and [Shen Changcun] both came from the Ministry of War. They knew better than anyone how big a threat it would be if the Pingnan estate turned out to be the [Secret Faction] for the entire southern region.

On the sand table, the situation grew increasingly complicated. At first glance, the imperial army seemed to have the upper hand. [Hu Buyu] and [Meng Jinyuan] studied the sand table and suddenly paused when they saw the position of Xuzhou... [Marquis Cen'an] had rebelled, [Prince of Qin] had rebelled—these two major forces, one east and one west, had rebelled. If the Pingnan Prince joined in...

[Ying Fusheng] pointed to the southern border of [Dayuan] on the sand table, from Xuzhou to the three prefectures of Jiangnan, then through Jiangling to Western Shu. This was almost the entire southern boundary of [Dayuan]. The four prefectures of Western Shu, where they were currently providing disaster relief, lay right along this boundary. That meant if either the Jiangnan or Western Shu military failed to hold, the entire south would be plunged into war, leaving nowhere to take refuge.

Just then, a sharp falcon cry sounded outside the Eastern Palace. [Ye Xuanqi] intercepted [Qi's falcon], which was used for communication between [Qi Hanzhou] and [Ying Fusheng]. It hadn't returned to the capital since the conflict in Western Shu began.

When [Ye Xuanqi] handed the secret letter from the message cylinder to [Ying Fusheng], Ying Fusheng noticed his own hand trembling as he received it. Suppressing his anxiety, he opened the top of the cylinder, where only four Chinese characters were written: "Youzhou has lost its advantage."

"Your Highness?" [Hu Buyu] saw for the first time such an unpleasant expression on [Ying Fusheng]'s face.

[Ying Fusheng] released his grip, and the letter fell to the ground.

[Qi Hanzhou] rarely reported bad news. The seemingly simple phrase "Youzhou has lost its advantage" immediately alerted [Ying Fusheng] to a problem, because it would take a lot for Youzhou to lose its footing. If this happened, it meant their original plan with [Qi Hanzhou] had gone awry.

He quickly walked to the sand table, realizing the issue. "Western Shu may have fallen."

Only if Western Shu had been overrun from within would the elite troops he had set aside for [Qi Hanzhou] and the [Lu Family Army] fail to reach Youzhou, affecting the situation there.

If Western Shu fell, wouldn't the [Lu Family Army] on the Youzhou battlefield be in great danger?

[Hu Buyu] and [Meng Jinyuan] paled slightly. [Ying Fusheng] tightly gripped the letter. "Has the [Light Garment Guard] sent any other news?"

[Ye Xuanqi] shook his head.

"I will enter the palace and ask His Majesty to dispatch troops," [Ying Fusheng] said.

[Hu Buyu] immediately stopped him. "Your Highness, this is no small matter. There is no clear evidence regarding the Pingnan estate, and many military officials in the court have connections to the Pingnan estate!"

If the Pingnan estate truly rebelled, the number of troops to be mobilized would not be just ten or twenty thousand, but at least fifty thousand. Such a mobilization would be a major affair in the court, requiring the approval of the remaining military officials.

Any misstep could be seen as slandering the Pingnan estate’s loyalty and martyrdom.

"We should go," [Meng Jinyuan] stopped him. "You are now the Crown Prince. The military officials already have criticisms of the Eastern Palace. At this time, the Eastern Palace needs the support of the court officials even more."

[Hu Buyu] nodded. At this moment, the Crown Prince was the last person who should show his face.

"It's different," [Ying Fusheng] looked at them, understanding their goodwill. "If you two propose troop mobilization, the court will inevitably object. Going through the Six Ministries and the Grand Secretariat will take at least several days."

[Ying Fusheng] did not want that outcome. That was precisely why it was difficult to mobilize troops in the court.

The speculation he and Qi Hanzhou had was correct. The person behind [Prince of Qin] now could only be the Pingnan estate. Only the Pingnan estate could command the loyalty of the southern troops. But precisely because the Pingnan estate’s reputation in [Dayuan] was still intact, they would not rebel openly. With [Prince of Qin] and [Marquis Cen'an] as cover, they could pull the strings from behind.

That was the oriole behind the scenes.

By the time the court reached a decision, bad news from the south would have already arrived.

"This is when the Eastern Palace must step in."

From childhood, [Ying Fusheng] understood the importance of power.

That was why he occupied the Eastern Palace. Without a high position, it was hard to achieve the results he wanted.

The court and the conspirator were exactly one north and one south, with battlefields in southern Jiangnan and northern Western Shu. If the conspirator wanted to take the south in the shortest time, he would inevitably attack one battlefield to gain an advantage.

They could no longer wait for news to act. They had to act before the conspirator, or they would fall into his trap.

[Ying Fusheng] looked at the sand table, recalling the discussions he had had with [Qi Hanzhou]. He closed his eyes and could picture [Qi Hanzhou] standing before him, the key points of the south they had discussed appearing before his eyes.

Suppressing his inner agitation, [Ying Fusheng] looked at a strategic mountain pass on the map of the interior.

If the oriole was the one lying in wait, [Qi Hanzhou] had almost only one choice.

In the Western Shu Pingnan estate, a baby's cry erupted inside the silent residence. Midwives and doctors hurried back and forth, finally carrying an infant out of the birthing chamber. The midwife brought the baby to a middle-aged man standing nearby. He gently lifted the silk covering the infant's face.

-*

The wrinkled baby was not particularly attractive, but the man's expression softened. The midwife beside him said tremblingly, "Your Highness, mother and child are safe..."

Hearing this, the man paused. Beneath his seemingly calm gaze, a hint of sharpness flickered. The midwife and doctor knelt in fear. The man waved his hand, and his guards dragged them all out. "No need to let them live."

"Your Highness, spare us!"

"Please have mercy!"

The voices faded away as they were dragged off. [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] personally took the child and gently rocked the swaddled baby.

The baby's loud cries soon calmed under his soothing touch. Seeing the child settle down, [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] ran his rough thumb over the infant's cheek, his voice full of affection: "Good child."

Inside the room, [Second Prince’s Consort] struggled to open her eyes.

Seeing the man standing outside the door, she couldn't stop trembling, and could only weakly murmur, "Foster father."

"Rest well. This child will need you in the future."

[Prince of Pingnan's Heir]'s voice was gentle, sounding very easy to get along with. But [Second Prince’s Consort] was not at all relaxed, because she knew how cruel this man could be, and how she had fled the capital's pursuit to reach Western Shu safely. She watched the man hand the child to a head nanny, turn, and leave through the doorway, then she slipped into darkness.

"Urgent order from Jiangnan. [Marquis Cen'an] says everything is proceeding according to the master's plan," a subordinate reported.

"The matter in Jiangnan cannot be hidden from the capital for long. The Crown Prince will know soon," [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] said coolly. He wiped his fingers with a handkerchief, his eyes slightly lowered, a touch of gray at his temples. This look gave him the same approachable kindness as the Prince of Pingnan, and it was the face he had shown to the world countless times. "But at this point, the overall situation favors me."

[Prince of Pingnan's Heir] looked toward the northwest, the most distant Youzhou battlefield.

"How is Youzhou?" he asked.

The subordinate said, "[Prince of Qin] entered the heartland, killing two of General Lu’s top generals, and was surrounded by the [Liangzhou Army] that entered later."

"Rest assured, the Youzhou plains were once the imperial court’s ideal battlefield, but now it’s a trap for cornered beasts."

Hearing that the Youzhou battlefield had not yet been taken, [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] frowned slightly. "Why?"

"It's [Qi Hanzhou] and the [Light Garment Guard]. Earlier, they used the courier relay stations to move supplies and also had a backup plan for the [Lu Family Army] to retreat." Seeing the heir's expression, the subordinate quickly lowered his head and continued, "But rest assured, within a month, we will annihilate the Lu Family Army completely."

"Half a month," [Prince of Pingnan's Heir] said. "The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is almost supernaturally intelligent. Leave him the slightest leeway, and you give him a chance. Moreover, he’s secretly allied with Qi Hanzhou. The Youzhou campaign must not fail."

The subordinate was taken aback and was about to say it would be difficult, but when he saw the Prince of Pingnan's Heir's somewhat stern expression, he immediately stopped. "I will handle it at once."

"We must act before the court sends troops."

The Prince of Pingnan's Heir said gently, "First, cut off one of his arms."

With that, the handkerchief fell softly to the ground.

On the Youzhou battlefield, snow was falling heavily.

After days of fierce fighting, the plain was strewn with corpses. Their strongest terrain—the plains—had suddenly become a deathtrap as they were caught in a pincer move from two sides.

The Lu Family Army had never faced such a crappy situation. They had thought that suppressing the few corrupt officials in Youzhou prefecture would secure their rear, only to discover that besides the Prince of Qin's Army, there was also a hidden rebel force lying in wait on the vast western territory. At the critical moment, these rebels struck from behind, directly encircling them.

"The route to the capital is cut off. They have detected the military courier stations, and each station is heavily guarded."

"What about the military supplies?"

"Young General Qi made advance arrangements. They didn't fall into enemy hands; everything was sent to the rear."

Inside the tent, Weng Yanqing had been stuck managing accounts. He carefully controlled the military supplies, sustaining the Lu Family Army's daily needs. But the battlefield was more severe than they had anticipated. On the retreat, they had still lost some provisions. What was originally expected to last a month could now only last half a month—would be a miracle.

"Did the urgent message reach the capital?" General Lu asked.

With the heavy snow and terrain issues, they could only rely on human messengers to send word. The court probably still thought they were holding back the Prince of Qin's Army in Youzhou, and would never think to send reinforcements. Their current situation was truly isolated and without support.

A hot-tempered officer couldn't hold back: "Who would have thought a Liangzhou Army would appear out of nowhere! They've colluded with the Youzhou troops!"

Qi Hanzhou and General Lu remained silent. Along with several veteran generals, they stared at the sand table. As commanders, they knew from the moment the Youzhou troops defected that the entire western region had probably fallen. On this battlefield, besides them and the Prince of Qin, there was someone else reaping the rewards of their conflict. And these messages could no longer be sent to the capital.

The garrisons across western Shu had united in rebellion. How could the court have anticipated such a situation?

They had now retreated to the western part of Youzhou, backed against the direction of Jiangnan, but they still hadn't broken out of the encirclement.

"You're looking at the Tianqian Pass," General Lu understood where Qi Hanzhou's gaze was fixed. "This is the only pass into the northern part of western Shu."

"Marquis Cen'an is in Jiangnan. The western Shu garrisons rebelled behind the Prince of Qin's back, so they won't immediately attack northward. Instead, they'll link up with Jiangnan," Qi Hanzhou said. If that were the case, they would likely join forces with Marquis Cen'an's rebels in Jiangnan.

"If we have to retreat, wouldn't it be better to continue north?" one officer asked. "Going north would preserve most of the Lu Family Army's strength, and we could detour back to the capital."

"Our supplies won't hold out," Weng Yanqing said. "Going north requires more supplies than expected. We won't make it to the capital."

The tent was thick with silence and gloom. General Lu sighed. "If we go north, the heartland of the south will fall."

The Tianqian Pass in western Shu was the only gateway to the central heartland of the southern region from the north. The river formed a natural advantage, and together with Jiangling, they were the two naturally fortified passes in the south. As long as they held these two passes, the central heartland of the south could be preserved. Now that messages couldn't reach the capital, any news the capital got would also be delayed. By the time the court dispatched troops, it would be too late.

If they were annihilated in Youzhou, by the time news reached the capital, the Tianqian Pass would also fall into enemy hands. Then the rebel forces north of western Shu could march directly through the Tianqian Pass, take the southern heartland, and link up with Marquis Cen'an in Jiangnan and surround the whole area, completely blocking any court relief.

"But if Jiangling falls, what's the point of holding the Tianqian Pass?" someone else asked.

"That's different. The thing now is to buy time. They came to Youzhou in such numbers to trap us in a pincer," Qi Hanzhou pointed to a location on the map. "If they can't break through the Tianqian Pass, they can only enter the southern heartland by going south through Jiangling. At least that gives us half a month."

To enter the southern heartland, there were three critical places: the Tianqian Pass, Jiangling Pass, and the three prefectures of Jiangnan.

If Marquis Cen'an rebelled, he would start from Xuzhou in southern Jiangnan. With the Jiangnan garrison there, they could hold them off long enough.

The remaining breakthrough points were Jiangling Pass and Tianqian Pass. At Jiangling, there were men like Wang Guanzhi and court informants. The only weak spot was the Tianqian Pass.

Because once the Tianqian Pass was lost, not only would the court's southward advance be hindered, but the rebels could also more easily form a pincer with Marquis Cen'an, swallowing up the entire southern heartland... Then the south would be completely lost.

Qi Hanzhou said, "Hold Jiangling and Tianqian, and we keep the southern heartland."

All the commanders in the tent looked at the remaining choice. They could die in western Shu, but before the court learned the news, they had to hold the Tianqian Pass to save the people of the southern heartland from war.

Choosing to retreat and defend the Tianqian Pass meant a fight to the death until the very end.

"Well, what's the question? Defend it!"

Everyone fell silent, staring at the perilous Tianqian Pass.

Defending meant buying time; not defending meant losing the southern heartland.

"Will we get any reinforcements?" someone whispered quietly.

"If we can last until the court gets word, that's already good. Don't count on reinforcements. By the time the Qi Family Army comes south, we'll be long dead..." an old general chuckled bitterly.

"Yes."

A voice broke the silence.

Qi Hanzhou set the sand piece down on the sand table, his gaze fixed on the key positions around the capital.

It was as if he could see another man standing before the game board, holding a piece, waiting to make his move.

"The capital will send reinforcements."