In November, Qudu was filled with continuous cold rain. Every section of the city walls was covered with defensive siege equipment. The Qudu army did not mix with Luo Mu’s Chazhou irregular troops brought over; each side stayed clearly separated.
Luo Mu had returned to Qudu, no longer the submissive figure he had been years ago. Now he was Qudu’s pillar of support. When he entered the city, Chen Zhen personally came to receive him. He had changed into a fresh official robe and stood with Chen Zhen on the city wall, looking toward Dancheng.
“The defensive troops from the remaining seven cities are being transferred toward Qudu. It will be in these next few days. Altogether, we can gather fifty thousand men for you.” Chen Zhen leaned on the battlements, each breath carrying cold air. “The military supplies in the Qudu armory can also be used. Hold for as many days as you can.”
Although Luo Mu was a civil official, when he went down to Chazhou he had been reorganizing military supplies and suppressing bandits, so he was not unfamiliar with military affairs. He held an umbrella and said, “Shen Zechuan is not a man who is good at war. His defense of Duanzhou was out of necessity—he had no choice but to hold it. Right now he only has twenty thousand Dunzhou garrison troops. It is as hard as ascending to heaven for him to break through Qudu.”
Qudu had sealed the eastern city gate. Refugees fleeing from Dancheng were gathered at the gate. As they spoke, they looked down—at the foot of the city were all displaced civilians.
“There is one matter that must be reported to His Majesty through the Minister,” Luo Mu said, pointing at the refugees. “Shen Zechuan is skilled at winning people’s hearts. If these refugees cannot be brought into the city for resettlement, once snow falls he will certainly find ways to win them over. Then he will use this to spread reports widely. I fear it will be disadvantageous to the court.”
Cai Yu had lost to Shen Zechuan in Chazhou precisely because he lost on the word “benevolence.” Saving people from disaster was like being their reborn parents. Shen Zechuan had even cleared Shen Wei’s name of military defeat—so why shouldn’t they imitate him? Rumors of Shen Zechuan providing relief in Yong City were already spreading in the west. If Qudu could not regain an advantage before winter, they would suffer losses even before the war truly began.
“In your view,” Chen Zhen looked at Luo Mu, “what should be done? Qudu is already overcrowded. Even the drainage ditches of Donglong Avenue are filled with people. If more refugees are taken in, it will ruin the rules of the magistrate office, and the granaries cannot sustain them.”
“Turn the refugees into our own use,” Luo Mu said. “Most of them are strong young men. We can conscript them into the army to serve the state. As long as Zhongbo is defeated, the court’s future rewards will not be lacking. What is this little food today? If we save a bit, it will still be enough.”
Luo Mu dared to say this because he had also “borrowed” grain when passing through Hezhou.
“Minister, please look,” Luo Mu raised his hand and pointed for Chen Zhen to see. “Cizhou is one of Shen Zechuan’s critical points. He has established a large grain warehouse for the Huai-Cizhou tea merchant route there. It supplies the northeastern grain-and-horse routes to the north and supports Chazhou during natural disasters to the south. If we can seize Cizhou, it will be entirely beneficial and without harm. Shen Zechuan’s movement on Dancheng has already caused panic among the western cities. He also needs to recover his breath and cannot act rashly. But we are different. Suppressing rebels—we can send troops whenever we want. To strike him, we only lack timing.”
Chen Zhen looked at Luo Mu. “That timing is hard to come by.”
“It is not difficult,” Luo Mu said. “In the end, Shen Zechuan is Shen Wei’s son. He entered Qudu seeking the imperial throne. If he succeeds, Shen Wei—the traitor of the ages—will be enshrined in the ancestral temple.”
He looked back at Chen Zhen and smiled slightly. “Who can accept this?”
“Persuasion?” Li Jianting turned back. “This is wartime. If we send scholars out and anything goes wrong, I do not think you can bear the responsibility.”
“Your Majesty,” Luo Mu prostrated on the felt carpet, “Shen Zechuan is deeply scheming. He will surely first encircle and then persuade, drawing people’s hearts to him. If we sit in Qudu waiting for death, the situation may change in an instant. Moreover, Jiang Wanxiao is also observing Qudu’s direction when he goes to Qidong. Therefore, I believe a battle of words is necessary at this moment.”
Luo Mu did not say it directly, but as time passed, Li Jianting’s identity became increasingly difficult to convince others of. If they delayed further until Gao Zhongxiong regained strength and struck again, and Dancheng’s civilian hearts—once pacified by Shen Zechuan—would be even harder to recover.
“Your Majesty, we have already lost the initiative in the Dancheng battle,” Chen Zhen also persuaded. “If we can regain a victory without shedding a single soldier’s blood, it will also boost Qudu’s morale at this moment.”
“Facing a great enemy, we should unite in common hatred,” Kong Qiu thought for a moment and said. “If we can consolidate the hearts of the southwestern people, this winter will no longer be difficult to defend.”
Li Jianting said, “It is widely rumored in Qudu that Shen Zechuan is narrow-minded. That is truly false. I observe that in Dancheng he acted steadily and unhurriedly. If you intend to force him into action with words alone, I fear it will be very difficult.”
“This move is not aimed at Shen Zechuan,” Luo Mu said firmly, raising his head. “It is aimed at Yao Wenyu.”
Yao Wenyu was Shen Zechuan’s strategist. Not only did he help command talented people across the realm, he also played a crucial role in implementing the Six Provinces household registry reforms. Most importantly, he persuaded Shen Zechuan to accept former Qudu officials. Figures like Gao Zhongxiong were spared disgrace because of his discernment. Without Yao Wenyu, Shen Zechuan’s Zhongbo administrative staff could not have reached such scale.
Kong Qiu and Cen Yu had both been disciples of Hai Liangyi. Hearing Luo Mu mention Yao Wenyu, they both turned slightly. Cen Yu, moved by talent, said, “I… heard that Yuan Zhuo has been unwell after arriving in Zhongbo. If—”
“You are right, Minister Cen!” Luo Mu said. “We will gather civilians outside the city to persuade surrender. If Yao Wenyu dares not come, Zhongbo’s morale will collapse, and Shen Zechuan will only be a timid coward. If Yao Wenyu truly dares to come, returning to his old grounds will break his arrogance!”
Cen Yu suddenly stood up and pointed at Luo Mu, blurting out, “You are truly—!”
Truly vicious!
Yao Wenyu was gravely ill, and already dragging along both broken legs. For Luo Mu to force him to the city gates was to make him face old acquaintances of Qudu, and even more to display his half-dead state to the world—look at him, the once world-renowned jade of talent just two years ago!
“As long as Yao Wenyu is harmed,” Luo Mu bowed deeply, “Shen Zechuan will suffer a heavy blow.”
He did not finish speaking. Before a full army formation, the scholars were unarmed. If Yao Wenyu could not withstand the crowd, the garrison troops would surely be enraged. In chaos, blades do not distinguish. If Dunzhou troops injured the scholars, Shen Zechuan’s reputation would also be ruined.
Li Jianting looked at Luo Mu. This man, in pursuit of victory, did not hesitate to design such a cruel scheme—it could already be called ruthless and heartless.
Feng Quan quietly glanced sideways at Xue Xiuzhuo, who had been hidden at the very back. Moments later, Luo Mu indeed said, “Minister Xue is highly respected among the students, and also shares the same master lineage as Yao Wenyu. I believe this task should fall to you.”
Xue Xiuzhuo rose silently and said, “Yao Wenyu, even with a crippled body and broken legs, still assisted Shen Zechuan. He is no longer the noble scholar of former times. Your scheme is to make the world witness a scene of teacher and disciple destroying each other.” He looked at Li Jianting. “I will not do it.”
Feng Quan smiled faintly while pouring tea.
Li Jianting stared at Xue Xiuzhuo. In that brief silence, her gaze turned strange. She then said in a soothing tone, “That is natural. I also cannot bear to trouble the minister. Since Jiang Wanxiao has no news yet, let the inner court select students for this task.”
Raindrops struck the eaves, producing a soft pattering sound, as if something else was being born.
“Where exactly did you come from?”
That night, Li Jianting had asked Feng Quan this.
Feng Quan knelt in the deep, unfathomable shadow and replied slowly, “This servant was originally the son of an official family in Jin City. My maternal uncle was the convicted official Shao Chengbi. Back then, my maternal family was implicated and exiled to Zhongbo. This servant was born in Zhongbo. Later, Minister Yanqing searched for former officials and rescued me from suffering, bringing me back to Qudu.” He raised his head, speaking in a timid and helpless tone. “This servant and my uncle were like father and son. I was willing to enter the palace to seek justice for him, and under Minister Yanqing’s personal instruction, I served in the palace under two emperors and one empress… until Your Majesty, with utmost caution.”
Xian De, Tianchen, and the Empress Dowager—all died in power struggles. Among them, Emperor Tianchen Li Jianheng’s death was the most suspicious. Murong assassination in the Xue residence was no secret. Xue Xiuzhuo still refused to replace Feng Quan, continuing to let him serve Li Jianting.
“You report all my daily affairs to him,” Li Jianting leaned closer. “Is Xue Yanqing watching me because he fears I cannot be a proper emperor?”
Feng Quan did not dare answer.
Li Jianting stared at him for a long moment. “Murong’s assassination of Li Jianheng—was it Han Cheng’s order, or Xue Xiuzhuo’s order?”
Feng Quan tried to avoid her gaze, but Li Jianting suddenly gripped his chin. Leaning in, she said, “Ever since I entered the palace, he has been watching me…” She suddenly laughed coldly. “No wonder he dares to be a solitary minister. The emperor’s life is truly in his hands.”
Xue Xiuzhuo was willing.
He was even willing to discard himself—so of course he would also discard others.
“Shao Chengbi wants to reopen old cases,” Li Jianting released Feng Quan, her voice cold. “Only I can allow it.”
Qi Shiyu lay across the bed, looking worn down by illness. His hair had turned much whiter, no longer resembling the elegant figure who once rode into Qudu and frequented Hongxiu Street. His lips were wet with saliva; Qi Zhuyin wiped it away with a handkerchief.
“Jiang…” Qi Shiyu spoke with difficulty. “Jiang Wanxiao is coming. When he arrives, you… talk to him… we will send troops… to Qudu.”
Qi Zhuyin rolled up her sleeves, exposing her arms, and washed the handkerchief in a copper basin by the bed. “We’ll see.”
Qi Shiyu’s chest rose and fell violently. He rolled his eyes and said, “Protect the emperor… stabilize power… you are the one of Sheng Yinnian…”
“Two regions and three provinces have already rebelled,” Qi Zhuyin said calmly, continuing to wash. “How long can the Sheng emperor still sit? Relying on those ten thousand Qudu troops, they cannot even get out the city gates.”
“Qi Zhu, Zhuyin!” Qi Shiyu suddenly raised his voice. “Unfilial daughter!”
Qi Zhuyin wrung the cloth, silent.
Tears soaked Qi Shiyu’s temples. His lips trembled. “You are ruining me… ruining the Qi clan… in the future you won’t even be allowed into the ancestral tomb…”
Sunlight from the window slanted onto Qi Zhuyin’s back. She carefully hung the cloth as if she had not heard.
“If Shen Zechuan is defeated,” Qi Shiyu said bitterly, “can you alone withstand the Qi clan? The world will all hate you. You forged my message… you—”
Qi Zhuyin smoothed the cloth and turned her head in the lattice shadow of the window, looking at the layered trees and flowers. After a brief silence, she said, “If Shen Zechuan is defeated, then take my forged message and the matter of coercing my half-brother into writing it to Qudu. Kong Boran is smart—he would rather kill me alone than let you die, old marshal.”
Qi Shiyu’s message to Qudu was false. It was something Qi Zhuyin forced her half-brother to write. But did Qi Shiyu truly have no choice? He was acquiescing, leaving the Qi clan a retreat. If Shen Zechuan were defeated, Qi Shiyu would rather hand over Qi Zhuyin to preserve the clan.
From the moment Qi Zhuyin decided not to send troops, she was no longer a daughter of the Qi family. The freedom Qi Shiyu gave her ended at the Qi clan. If Qi Zhuyin could no longer bring glory to the clan, then she was no different from her useless half-brothers.
Qi Zhuyin did not stay long. After hanging the cloth, she left the room. Several half-brothers waited under the eaves, all too afraid to look up at her. She took the Zhujiu handed over by Qi Wei and ignored them.
Qi Wei followed Qi Zhuyin out of the courtyard and said softly, “Minister Jiang should be arriving.”
Qi Zhuyin asked, “Is Madam ready?”
Qi Wei opened his mouth but said nothing. Qi Zhuyin followed his gaze and turned her head, seeing Hongying lifting the curtain as Hua Xiangyi stepped down from the carriage, lifting her skirt.
Hua Xiangyi’s white floral fragrance was faint and refreshing. She supported herself with a slender hand, only realizing it was Qi Zhuyin after stepping down.
Qi Zhuyin wanted to say something and casually said, “Oh…” She looked at Hua Xiangyi, somewhat tired. “The flowers are quite nice.”
Hongying at the side coughed behind her hand. Hua Xiangyi’s cheeks flushed slightly. Her fingers loosened; she originally intended to withdraw her hand but somehow changed her mind and continued holding Qi Zhuyin’s arm.
“Tea pavilion is ready,” she said softly. “Later we will invite Wan Xiao to rest there. There is a screen set up in the middle so Madam can also rest briefly, and just let Ji Ran take a look.”
“You are the madam, so you make the arrangements,” Qi Zhuyin said. “Jiang Qingshan is sharp-tongued in Juexi. Be careful not to lose in conversation. In any case, military authority is still in my hands. Unless I am killed, no matter how eloquent he is, Qudu cannot be saved.”
Hua Xiangyi’s embroidered shoes showed a slight pointed curve. She smoothed her skirt and smiled at Qi Zhuyin. “I have a plan.”
Shen Zechuan picked up a handful of remaining grain from Dancheng and looked at the granary layout. “The granary has not been maintained for years. Now that winter is approaching and rain continues for many days, the grain cannot be kept here any longer—it will become damp and moldy.”
Fei Sheng closed his oil umbrella and replied, “The gentlemen think the same. But the timing is bad, Master. If we move the grain rashly and cause suspicion among the citizens, then all our previous efforts will be wasted.”
The Dunzhou garrison had been stationed here for less than half a month. They ate and slept more cautiously than when outside the city. Fortunately, Shen Zechuan had sufficient grain and did not starve the soldiers. Although there were private grievances below, no incidents had occurred. Many civilians in Dancheng fled westward, blocking Shen Zechuan’s path forward.
“The remaining grain is not much,” Yao Wenyu said. His wheelchair was wet and left marks as it moved. “Winter is bitterly cold. Dancheng has no grain and still must be relieved. Instead of transferring supplies from Cizhou later, my lord should distribute grain on site.”
The grain in Dancheng was what remained from the Pan clan. Transporting it again would be troublesome. Distributing it locally could calm the panic of the citizens and also save winter relief supplies. Zhongbo’s reserves were limited. If Qudu could only besiege without attacking, both sides would simply be competing for endurance.
“Jiang Wanxiao has gone to Qidong. Luo Mu used this as reason to persuade the Yan clan to reconsider, and the Yan clan was indeed moved. A few days ago, grain from several cities was sent into Qudu, and Fengshan training ground has been converted into a storage site. The water route south can directly reach Hezhou. Master, Qudu is preparing for a long war.”
“Calling it a long war, it is still waiting for Jiang Qingshan,” Shen Zechuan said, releasing his palm. “The Qidong garrison is Qudu’s lifeline. The inner court and Xue Yanqing both know that five hundred thousand irregular troops alone cannot stop us. Stockpiling grain is a desperate gamble.”
Yao Wenyu was about to speak when he suddenly coughed.
“The granary is drafty,” Shen Zechuan said. “Fei Sheng, give my cloak to Yuan Zhuo.”
“Master cannot endure this cold wind either,” Fei Sheng signaled the guards at the door to bring clothing. “Qiao Tianya anticipated that the gentleman would forget his cloak. He had someone bring it this morning. I was waiting for the gentleman to ask.”
Yao Wenyu put on the cloak, but his coughing did not lessen. No one mentioned calling a doctor anymore. Although medicine was taken on schedule, Yuan Zhuo’s condition was visibly worsening.
“Jiang Wanxiao is going to Qidong…” Yao Wenyu started speaking, but movement came from outside the warehouse.
Dantai Hu entered with his saber and saluted Shen Zechuan, saying in a rough voice, “Governor, Qudu has sent envoys. They say they cannot bear to see the people suffer beneath the city and want to talk. Those dozen students have already been sent out of the city gate and are setting up an altar west of Dancheng waiting. Governor, now that we are strong and the enemy is weak, why talk at all? We should have Shenwei draft a proclamation and directly march into Qudu!”
Shen Zechuan wiped his hands and asked, “Who came?”
“Cen Xunyi is at the front. The rest are all students.”
Shen Zechuan only needed a moment of thought to understand the danger within.
“Jiang Wanxiao has already reached Qidong. Madam must be negotiating with him in depth. If we do not respond now, Qidong will look down on us. Moreover, prolonged siege of Qudu is not the best strategy.” Yao Wenyu covered his mouth as he coughed, then turned his head toward Shen Zechuan. “The time has come, Governor. I will go and return quickly.”
Qidong was bathed in bright sun; the tea pavilion was filled with rising steam.
Hua Xiangyi sat across the tea table, washing her hands before preparing tea.
Qi Zhuyin signaled Jiang Qingshan to sit. “You have traveled far. This is a welcoming banquet. No need to be tense—sit.”
Jiang Qingshan had just changed clothes in the side hall after traveling in wind and dust. He was not uneasy, and sat down calmly, smiling. “What merit does Jiang have to drink a cup of tea from Third Miss?”
He addressed Hua Xiangyi as “Third Miss,” an old form of address, not treating her as the Madam of Qidong but as the former ruler of Licheng. The implication was clear distance; he did not intend to engage with her.
Hua Xiangyi lifted the tea and said softly, “You must be tired from the journey. Madam is pregnant and should not stay at the inn. I have already arranged a courtyard. If Wan Xiao does not mind, you may stay at my home.”
Her “home” was the Qi residence. All inner affairs were under her control. No matter how Jiang Qingshan addressed her, she was the mistress of the Qi household.
Jiang Qingshan drank tea. This was their first exchange.
Rain in Dancheng was heavy, bamboo waves rising and falling.
Cen Yu stood uneasily on the high platform and suddenly heard flute sounds rising through the bamboo tide. He gave a soft “ah” and stood up, seeing an oil umbrella moving slowly through the rain like a flowing stream.
A boundary separated the two armies, so Yao Wenyu did not advance further. Beneath the umbrella, a white donkey stepped calmly through the water. Yao Wenyu’s blue robe hung on both sides of the donkey’s belly, his document pouch still as before. In the misty rain, he looked unchanged from years ago.
“On the day I left the capital in haste, I did not properly bid farewell to the teacher,” Yao Wenyu said, bowing from the donkey’s back. “Today, hearing that the teacher summoned me, Yuan Zhuo has come.”
Cen Yu saw him bow from the donkey and immediately knew the rumors were true—his legs were indeed gone. For a moment, emotions surged. He stood frozen, ears ringing, and could only sigh with grief: “You… why go this far!”