Chapter 634: Tears

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A carriage calmly made its way towards Sancang. The coachman was Song Keli's refined-looking page. Yuan Benxi, seated inside, kept the curtain drawn, gazing blankly at the V-formation of wild geese flying south in the sky. The bird that stands out catches the most wind. Yet, whether it's a single family, a clan, or an entire nation, there will always be someone who steps forward.

After Song Keli left Weize County, he no longer had access to official court gazettes. However, Mr. Yuan would periodically seek him out for candid conversations, intentionally or unintentionally 'revealing secrets,' which Song Keli naturally believed him without question. The Battle of Sancang was the first major defeat sustained on the territory south of Tai'an City since the current Emperor's ascension. During the Yonghui years, two expeditions to Nanzhao, though fruitless, at least saw both sides win and lose in a dozen or so battles of varying scale. In contrast, the cavalry battle at Sancang in the first year of Xiangfu resulted in the death of General Yan Zhenchun and the complete annihilation of 30,000 elite cavalry. This was a defeat that could not be concealed. The court and commoners of Liyang were shaken. If Yang Shenxing's predicament could be attributed to underestimating the enemy, then the Yan family cavalry's direct, no-trickery clash with the Western Chu rebels, which still ended in utter defeat, forced the court's prominent officials and nobles to re-evaluate Western Chu's strength. Song Keli, dedicated to serving his country, was deeply worried until Mr. Yuan candidly spoke with him, revealing the true intricacies and often deceptive machinations of the imperial court, opening the young Song family talent's eyes.

"Have you noticed something? Yang Shenxing's 40,000 veteran Jinan soldiers, his newly formed five to six thousand cavalry, and Yan Zhenchun's original 30,000 elite cavalry guarding the capital region — aren't they all a certain individual's 'personal army'?"

Song Keli exclaimed, "But isn't the cost a bit too high?"

Yuan Benxi smiled calmly and said, "On the court's side, primarily the Ministry of War led by Gu Lu and the 'Scholar's Bureau' where the Imperial Diarist resides — none of these departments believed that the two meritorious veteran generals, Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun, would be utterly defeated. They were expected to lose only after Cao Changqing, the backbone of Western Chu, made an appearance. However, if the capital's forces are now 'seemingly' heavily crippled, what reason does Prince Guangling, Zhao Yi, have to remain inactive?"

Song Keli sighed, "First suppressing military power, then the weakening of feudal lords will naturally follow. This is an overt strategy."

Yuan Benxi neither confirmed nor denied. After a moment of hesitation, he said with a self-deprecating smile, "I have read some military texts, but I've never dared to claim mastery of military affairs. Therefore, regarding battle strategies, I always avoid intervening if possible. It is valuable to know oneself, to play to one's strengths and avoid weaknesses. Often, as long as you don't make mistakes, opportunities will arise. Yang Shenxing lost in the imperial court, not on the battlefield. Otherwise, with the forces along the Kui Xiao front being evenly matched, if Yang Shenxing had adopted a steady approach, he could have gained an advantage. But Yang Shenxing fought wars for most of his life, and in his old age, he stopped viewing himself as a powerful regional governor, instead believing he was merely a 'court official.' It's only natural that in the end, he lost due to factors outside the battlefield. Song Keli, you must take this as a lesson."

Song Keli nodded vigorously.

Yuan Benxi continued, "Yan Zhenchun was implicated by Yang Shenxing and forced to hastily move south to Sancang, where the Western Chu cavalry, rested and ready, awaited him. Furthermore, an unexpected 3,000 heavy cavalry intervened at a crucial moment. It was a planned ambush against an unprepared force. The more disciplined Yan Zhenchun's army was, and the more his soldiers were willing to fight to the death, the deeper they fell into Western Chu's trap. Given Yan Zhenchun's experience, he surely would have guessed that the Western Chu's 20,000 light cavalry had hidden ambushes behind them. He just didn't anticipate that those 20,000 cavalry alone would push his 30,000 cavalry to their absolute limit. The court's first mistake led to a cascade of errors, while Western Chu's first move gave them the advantage throughout. It seems Western Chu has talented successors. The Ministry of War has records of over a dozen young individuals, four of whom are exceptionally talented. Two of these four have already emerged: Pei Sui, from the Pei clan, is managing affairs in Kui Xiao. This man is young but mature, with extensive family learning, but he lacks a certain spark. In the Battle of Sancang, the cavalry general Xu Yunxia, who led 20,000 light cavalry in a fierce fight against Yan Zhenchun, was full of spirit but couldn't accurately gauge the timing for the heavy cavalry's charge. Given this, the operations on the northern front must be the work of either Kou Jianghuai or Xie Xichui, two of the four."

Song Keli slowly said, "I've heard of Kou Jianghuai. His ancestors were all great generals of Western Chu. He himself delved deep into military strategy and tactics. In his early years, he was an astonishingly brilliant figure at the Shangyin Academy, becoming a Jishang Scholar even before coming of age. He also possessed the courage to personally charge into battle, a rare talent combining both civil and military prowess. As for Xie Xichui, I haven't heard of him. Mr. Yuan, are Western Chu's northern front plans truly not the pre-established strategy of the Confucian Sage Cao Changqing?"

Yuan Benxi shook his head and said, "Without these outstanding young people, how would Cao Changqing dare attempt to restore the kingdom?"

Yuan Benxi suddenly burst into laughter, the kind that was loud and continuous. Song Keli was momentarily stunned. In his impression, Mr. Yuan was always calm and composed in every situation, wise almost to the point of being cunning, yet deeply reserved, rarely showing genuine emotion. After his hearty laugh, Yuan Benxi picked up his wine flask, took a sip, and said, "I spent my entire life confined to the Hanlin Academy, listening to endless lofty discussions from esteemed scholars. Though often pedantic, they were, after all, a small group of the most well-read individuals in the world, not without their merits. Alternatively, I dealt with a group of shadowy figures operating behind the scenes, who possessed remarkable insights and exceptional talents, whether in meticulous detail or in outstanding foresight, planning ten steps ahead. As a result, on this trip out of the capital, staying in town inns and listening to the grandiloquent chatter of impoverished scholars and village folk, I discovered a different kind of charm."

Song Keli was caught between laughter and tears, not daring to comment freely. On this southern journey, he had indeed overheard many ridiculous remarks from narrow-minded individuals. Song Keli usually let them go in one ear and out the other, but Mr. Yuan, on the other hand, found them endlessly amusing, enjoying his food and wine even more. For example, some crude townsfolk said that Cao Changqing of Western Chu, nicknamed 'the High Official,' was too foolish. Why didn't he hide in the capital and assassinate the current Emperor? He had already tried three times, what harm would a few more do? It would be better than doing nothing on Guangling Road. Others had even "more practical" suggestions, saying that if they were Cao Changqing, they would bring martial arts experts to the northern front, kill a few thousand people every few days, and march all the way to the foot of Tai'an City without losing a single Western Chu soldier. Of course, there were also some unique insights, with people raising objections: If that's the case, why doesn't our imperial court heavily recruit top martial artists from the martial rankings and send them all to Northern Mang? What's the point of General Gu Jiantang's border army or the Beiliang Iron Cavalry? Clearly, there are rules hidden within the heavens and earth that we common folk simply don't understand. Yet, when pressed for details, these people couldn't articulate any clear reasons. In the markets and alleys, as Western Chu rose in rebellion and hoisted the Jiang banner, the anticipated decisive victory for the Liyang imperial army did not materialize. The war remained stalemated, creating a lively and chaotic scene filled with heated arguments and fervent discussions.

Yuan Benxi chuckled softly and asked, "Do you think those common folk far from the capital are crude and narrow-minded?"

Song Keli did not intentionally hide his thoughts and nodded, "This junior does indeed think so."

Yuan Benxi shook his head. "It's not that I haven't considered integrating the Jianghu factions. However, when the late Emperor ordered Xu Xiao to 'trample the Jianghu,' it set a bad precedent. Afterwards, although the court reserved many official positions for Jianghu figures among the Imperial Gold Blade Guards, and both the Ministry of Justice and Zhao Gou distributed amulets and a considerable number of copper-embroidered carp pouches, this still pales in comparison to the ambition of the Northern Mang Empress. While expecting arrogant, top martial artists to risk their lives to jointly assassinate someone is sheer fantasy, reducing soldier deaths in a battle is not difficult. Two things, however, made me abandon the idea entirely: Firstly, His Majesty the Emperor's commitment to the traditional literary lineage, coupled with obstruction from the eunuch Han Shengxuan, and Liu Haoshi's self-important and domineering attitude within Tai'an City. Secondly, Xu Xiao's collection of all martial arts manuals into the imperial archives and the establishment of the rule for 'presenting heads to the Jianghu'—from then on, this established the principle that the court and the Jianghu should remain separate, like well water and river water, preventing the kind of synergy seen in Northern Mang where small streams merge into a great river."

Yuan Benxi sighed, shook his wine flask, and looked at the young Song Keli, saying solemnly, "When smart people undertake great tasks, their methods aren't necessarily complicated; in fact, they are often very simple. But one thing must not be wrong: both the distant goal they see and the path they walk must be correct. The truly difficult part lies in 'the difficult' in 'knowing is easy, doing is hard.' Your ancestors and father, two scholars, together dominated the literary world and suppressed others. They surely knew this act hindered scholarly integrity, so why did they do it? They simply couldn't let go of their family's honor and disgrace. The current Emperor's refusal to adopt Li Dangxin's new calendar doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't pity the common people. Why? He simply couldn't let go of his own family's rise and fall. Even I, Yuan Benxi, am impressed by Cao Changqing's refined style. This high-ranking official entered the imperial palace repeatedly. As long as his intent to kill wasn't strong, my old friend and I not only didn't stop him, but twice we even turned a blind eye. Why? Cao Changqing simply couldn't let go of one person. As for my old friend and I, we couldn't bear to see the refined spirit of our generation of scholars prematurely scattered by the winds and rain."

Yuan Benxi genuinely lamented, "When a person is truly dedicated to something, they become obsessed and, in turn, genuine. The good and bad in that cannot be fully expressed in a few words."

Song Keli was about to ask another question, but Yuan Benxi had no more intention of speaking. He merely murmured to himself, "The fate of the Jianghu, it seems, has largely been sealed. As for the imperial court, its fate will also be determined within this dynasty. In the future, strategists like myself, Yuan Benxi, along with Li Yishan and Nalan Youci, will become a bygone era. As for being an Imperial Tutor, that will be an even greater luxury."

The rest of the journey south was calm and uneventful. General Yan Zhenchun and his 30,000 Yan family cavalry were now a thing of the past. The court was still deploying troops, but there were no battles in the short term, and the horse bandits had all vanished overnight. The carriage traveled without alarm or danger, even reaching the battlefield at Sancang unimpeded.

Yuan Benxi stepped out of the carriage. Instead of immediately heading to the battlefield where 50,000 cavalry had been deployed by both sides, he went to the spot where the Western Chu heavy cavalry had positioned themselves. In Liyang, only Beiliang, Jizhou, and Liangliao produced large warhorses. Western Chu's warhorses were inherently inferior to those from these three regions. Moreover, heavy cavalry's advance to the battlefield could not be the swift, unstoppable charge that common people imagined. Instead, it required a large number of pack mules and numerous auxiliary troops. Before heavy cavalry were deployed, their riders would dismount and shed their armor, choosing to conceal themselves in locations neither too close nor too far from the battlefield, patiently awaiting the opportune moment. Once these demanding heavy cavalry completed their prepared charge, the enormous concentrated impact force was unparalleled! One could say that heavy cavalry was like a beautiful woman every cavalry commander sought to keep hidden, and even more so, a terrifying 'rival' that enemy commanders least wished to encounter.

Yuan Benxi slowly walked along the heavy cavalry's route of advance during the battle, all the way to the final battlefield. He then crouched down and closed his eyes.

It seemed he could envision a series of tragic and heroic scenes from that grand cavalry battle.

The light cavalry fought until the end, then the Western Chu heavy cavalry charged forth.

General Yan Zhenchun, who had already switched several warhorses, was covered in blood and faced death fearlessly. Leading the few remaining personal guards who had protected him, he was the first to charge towards the heavy cavalry.

Those who still had horses continued to fight mounted, making one last charge and collision.

The Yan family cavalrymen who no longer had horses dismounted and formed ranks to fight on foot, together facing the unstoppable flood of armored warriors.

After the general situation was decided, the equally exhausted Western Chu light cavalry gritted their teeth and continued the pursuit.

Yan Zhenchun was the first to fall, his body dismembered.

All the officers died soon after.

Many Yan family cavalrymen, too weary to fight, stared blankly as enemy spears thrust from horseback, or watched numbly as the great sabers of the Western Chu 'foot soldiers' came down upon them.

Numerous blood-soaked banners lay fallen on the battlefield.

One cavalryman, before dying, strained to reach out and grasp a corner of a fallen banner.

After the great battle, the young Western Chu commander, who had not personally entered the fray, calmly ordered his subordinate generals to handle the aftermath. The youth showed no joy at having achieved fame through this battle. He simply sat alone on the ground, looked around, quietly lowered his head, raised an arm, and wiped away tears.

He wept both for the sons of Western Chu and for the Yan family cavalry from the opposing side.

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