News of Han Jin’s rash advance had reached Qu Du, causing a sensation. The few surviving Jinyiwei returned with a sack of heads, signaling that Shen Zhechuan, Xiao Chiye, and Qu Du had broken ties completely—there was no longer any possibility of negotiation. Han Jin’s capture enraged Han Cheng; by the time Shen Zhechuan left Qu Du, the Jinyiwei were already fragmented. Led by Ge Qingqing, the remaining Jinyiwei were guarding the Xi family in Juexi, while Fei Sheng had gone into hiding with his loyal men. Han Cheng had very few troops left.
The Jinyiwei had reached their peak under Ji Wufan, declined under Ji Lei, and under Han Cheng, they had become little more than a broken ceremonial guard. Fei Sheng’s men were capable veterans, but Han Cheng’s early exposure of his lethal intent had cost him the chance to win them over.
“When the larger situation stabilizes, the Jinyiwei must reorganize the twelve divisions. Right now, with so few men, it’s shameful and ineffective,” Han Cheng said calmly, seated just below the Empress Dowager. “I notice many young nobles are idle lately. Give them a post, and they won’t cause trouble in this critical time.”
The Empress Dowager wore a diadem of kingfisher feathers, her hair perfectly arranged, sideburns trimmed neatly, with gold and jewel pendants dangling at her ears. She looked magnificent, suited to the grand halls, as a peony belongs in a courtyard of red gates and gilded splendor. Despite her age, her presence had not dimmed. Playing with a parrot using a wooden spoon, she barely glanced at Han Cheng and said, “The Jinyiwei are for official duties. Many hereditary sons are already there; adding more will eventually ruin them. After the Eight Camps’ defeat outside Dan City, it’s clear we need both new men and to prune the old.”
Han Cheng, entrusted with giving idle nobles a post, replied, “I think the same. I’ll consult the Ministry of War tomorrow and draft a memorial for the cabinet. Empress Dowager, Hai Liangyi is so ill he can barely stand. He’s served the state all his life. We can’t let him collapse in office; he must have an arrangement.”
He meant to have Hai Liangyi retire home. The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, lightly tapping the spoon, and handed it to Lady Liu Xiang, then said kindly to Han Cheng, “It’s a heart illness. He hasn’t recovered yet. Many affairs in the six ministries rely on him; we cannot simply send him back. Wait a little longer.”
Han Cheng gritted his teeth privately at the soft resistance, but maintained a composed expression. “With you ruling, Empress Dowager, of course you decide these matters. Since the Eight Camps were defeated near Dan City, Xiao Chiye has escaped to Zhongbo. The Ministry of War should dispatch the Qidong garrison to intercept him; otherwise, by the time he returns to Li Bei, the Li Bei cavalry will gain an extra twenty thousand soldiers!”
The Empress Dowager washed her hands and said, “If you could intercept him at Qu Du, there’d be no worry. Zhou Gui of Cizhou is competent and caught in a difficult position; he won’t offend Li Bei. Xiao Chiye returning to Li Bei is inevitable. Sending Qi Zhuyin would only pit him against the Li Bei cavalry. Talking about troop deployments here is easy, but where will the supplies come from? Hezhou cannot bear it.”
“Then we’ll just let Xiao Chiye return to Li Bei?” Han Cheng exclaimed, rising. “That only strengthens Li Bei’s cavalry!”
The Empress Dowager, supported by Lady Liu Xiang, gazed at the garden’s blooms and said, “Han Cheng, do you think Xiao Chiye returning to Li Bei will automatically be a boon?”
Han Cheng inclined his head respectfully. “I don’t understand. I await your instruction.”
“Xiao Jiming inherited the command of the Li Bei cavalry from Xiao Fangxu, taking ten years to achieve his position. He is the heart of the army,” the Empress Dowager explained, watching Hua Xiangyi chasing butterflies with her maids, smiling. “Xiao Chiye has been away for six years; returning now is like a wolf cub entering another’s territory. He claims Qu Du is not his homeland, but he’s too young to understand how times have changed. Bringing two thousand elite troops, he will gradually find himself out of place. Xiao Fangxu ensured the Li Bei cavalry remained unified; this is his strength, but it also makes it hard for Xiao Chiye to fit in. To become the alpha wolf among the pack, he must have the resolve to overcome the former leader.”
She turned to Han Cheng, smiling.
“The Xiao family dislikes internal strife, but sometimes there’s no choice. They have long been a model of brotherly respect, yet such loyalty wavers before military command. Battlefields are cruel, and the realm of power is even crueller; transitions often mean fratricide.”
Han Cheng felt dwarfed under her gaze, hurriedly agreeing. “Your wisdom is unmatched, Empress Dowager, but Xiao Jiming is gravely wounded. Xiao Chiye filling the gap seems justifiable.”
“Is Xiao Jiming dead?” she asked.
Han Cheng shook his head.
“He’s alive,” the Empress Dowager continued. “He can coordinate military affairs from the rear. Xiao Fangxu leads from the front. Both father and son manage the Li Bei cavalry, requiring mutual understanding to maintain balance. Xiao Chiye, with both command and combat abilities, disrupts this equilibrium. He may not aim to replace his elders, but he will quickly see that Li Bei is not as secure as it seems. His return is a hidden threat to unity.”
Such a situation arose naturally, not by deliberate design, its roots dating back to the day Xiao Fangxu led the Li Bei cavalry against Qu Du. Its consequences are unknown.
“The world troubles the mediocre, and the genius suffers in its own way,” the Empress Dowager said calmly. “With Xiao Jiming, why must Xiao Chiye exist? Six years can change many things. Xiao Chiye’s suffering in Qu Du stems from his talent, and upon returning to Li Bei, it will continue. When brotherly loyalty realizes that only combat ensures survival, the pain deepens. Whether Xiao Jiming yields or Xiao Chiye avoids conflict, once bonded brothers clash, estrangement is inevitable.”
Han Cheng felt both chill and exhilaration in the warm May sun.
“The late emperor is buried, and preparations for the new ruler must proceed,” she continued. “When will you present the heir you found for me to see?”
Han Cheng bowed deeply. “The courier rides urgently to Qu Du. At most in five days, Your Majesty will meet him.”
The Empress Dowager said, “If you are so certain he is the heir, you must have trustworthy proof. Civil officials led by Hai Liangyi are not easy to appease. Prepare accordingly.”
Han Cheng accompanied her a while longer, then departed. Once he left, Hua Xiangyi approached the Empress Dowager, holding a branch of flowers.
“The Hans have never risen this high; a little wind and they lose restraint,” the Empress Dowager said, pacing. “Han Jin was defeated at Dan City, a fool—despite favorable conditions, he was captured. How can such a man handle responsibility? Han Cheng today pushed for sending forces to rescue him, unaware that Han Jin was spared precisely to leverage him.”
“I’ve noticed the commander’s demeanor has improved; he no longer calls himself ‘your servant’ when paying court,” Hua Xiangyi said. “Aiming high, he must already be planning the so-called heir. He won’t be content just leading the Jinyiwei.”
“He wants to become a regent,” the Empress Dowager said, plucking the flowers from Hua Xiangyi. “The child he chose—I’ve investigated—it’s not the late emperor’s descendant, only a distant relative. For such a trivial matter to seize the Li family throne is absurdly ambitious.”
She paused, reflecting. “But right now, there’s truly no one else.”
At that moment, Fuman hurried in, bowing. Flatteringly he said, “Minister Xue requests an audience.”
That night, Dantai Hu distributed rations. As Shen Zhechuan predicted, Han Jin had advanced with light supplies, bringing little food. But the elite troops had gone days without proper meals and finally ate their fill tonight.
Shen Zhechuan, emaciated after his teacher left, found the forest stripped bare—not a rabbit in sight. Xiao Chiye gave the extra white flour buns and dried meat to Shen Zhechuan, while he ate only dry cakes and thin rice soup, like the others.
“I’ve followed my master’s orders, sending word to Zhou Gui so he’s prepared,” Dantai Hu said, squatting by the fire. “After two days, we’ll pass Cizhou, and our master will return home.”
Xiao Chiye tossed firewood into the flames. “We sent word so he would cooperate with our plan. Han Jin is in our hands; he has no choice.”
“Han Jin arrived just in time,” Dantai Hu grinned. “Just the other day we were wondering how to cross Cizhou; he delivered himself!”
Shen Zhechuan warmed his hands by the fire, silent.
Dantai Hu poked the dry cakes. “I’ve eaten rations like this years ago in the Dengzhou garrison. Seeing Zhongbo now—it’s unrecognizable.”
Ding Tao poured a bit of his rice to feed the sparrow in his sleeve. “This is still decent; head east, and it’s a whole different story.”
Ding Tao had a photographic memory. He recalled seeing the aftermath of battles in Duanzhou and Dunzhou six years ago with Xiao Chiye, making him nightmare-ridden ever since he began keeping records.
“You were just passing through postwar; you didn’t see Zhongbo’s past state,” Dantai Hu said, drooping his eyes, staring at his soup. “I visited Dunzhou as a child—so grand! Almost as prosperous as Qu Du. During the New Year, streets lit with lanterns, Ao Mountain beautifully adorned, crowds pressing in…”
Shen Wei, Prince Jianxing, resided in Dunzhou. They lowered their heads, careful not to glance at Shen Zhechuan, nor to irritate Xiao Chiye. The troops gradually noticed the subtle dynamic between Shen Zhechuan and Xiao Chiye.
How were they to regard Shen Zhechuan? As a consort? But which consort could command the Jinyiwei three times over? When he executed former subordinates protecting Han Jin, the elite troops took note.
Shen Zhechuan differed greatly from Xiao Chiye; he did not resemble the familiar commanding figure. Appearing gentle and humble, he rarely changed his mind in councils; even Dantai Hu was often overruled. Compared to Xiao Chiye, he seemed colder. Once veiled, his beauty now revealed a fierce, domineering streak.
Few in the elite troops dared meet his gaze. Only Ding Tao was oblivious; even Dantai Hu felt a subtle pressure. They obeyed Xiao Chiye and did not mind his preference, but they needed to understand Shen Zhechuan’s position—he possessed power to rival Xiao Chiye, which unsettled them.
Xiao Chiye idly fiddled with his ring, about to speak, when Shen Zhechuan flipped a small bamboo fan in his hand. “The wild vegetables in Duanzhou are delicious.”
The mood eased. Ding Tao looked up. “I heard that a handful of winter vegetables in Duanzhou is as valuable as gold! Do you eat them often, sir?”
“In spring, when the ice melts, my teacher chooses the tenderest vegetables for dumplings,” Shen Zhechuan said calmly, fingertips clean, untouched by the blood stains. “Not often, so I remember them clearly.”
Ding Tao carefully wrote in his notebook: “I want to try them someday. If I remember now, I won’t forget.”
Dantai Hu tousled Ding Tao’s hair. “Promising! You’ve tasted exotic delicacies, yet still think of wild vegetables!”
Laughter broke out, and the topic of Zhongbo drifted away. Shen Zhechuan warmed his hands silently.
That night, Xiao Chiye rested on a stone pillow, still awake, a slightly warm oiled paper pressed to his cheek. He sat up, sniffing Shen Zhechuan’s hand. “Where did this bun come from?”
“Ding Tao brought it from the town, asked me to save it,” Shen Zhechuan replied, sitting beside him.
They leaned side by side, backs to the river and stars, Lin Dai already asleep. Xiao Chiye unwrapped the oiled paper, pushing the bun to Shen Zhechuan. “Then eat it; it’ll get cold if you save it.”
“I’m full; you eat,” Shen Zhechuan said.
Knowing it was meant for him, Xiao Chiye split the bun, giving one half to himself, one to Shen Zhechuan. Shen Zhechuan took a few symbolic bites, letting Xiao Chiye finish the rest.
“The two million betrothal gift—take it to Li Bei or leave it in Cizhou? You need to decide,” Xiao Chiye said, sipping water from his pouch. “Ge Qingqing got the news; she’ll look after the Xi family business. Once we reach Li Bei, Qiao Tianya and Chen Yang should return; then we can establish a new residence…”
He paused, sensing an unusual stillness.
“You have something to tell me, don’t you?”
Shen Zhechuan held his ever-present small bamboo fan, glancing at Xiao Chiye with a gentle look. “Ce’an, I cannot go to Li Bei with you.”
He spoke as softly as he had atop the city wall, gently to Xiao Chiye: “Ce’an, go home.”