Chapter 738: Bone Ashes

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Daoist masters fly to the heavens and burrow into the earth, capable of taking a head from a thousand *li* away; Buddhist Bodhisattvas, with downcast brows and furious eyes, can shake Mount Kunlun with a raised hand. Who dares say scholars lack spirit? In a rage, they can make even the Emperor look disheartened. Traversing rivers, lakes, and songs, I wield a sword that makes immortals kneel; with a raised saber, a raised sword, and raised wine, three hundred thousand iron cavalry conquer the heavens.

**Co-Chasing the Deer**

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Update Time: 2015-01-23 21:57:15Word Count: 4746

When Hong Biao led his twelve hundred horse bandits to the battlefield, the sight before them became etched in their memories forever. The Rouran Iron Cavalry, touted as the Southern Dynasty's elite, lay dead, their bodies piled high to form "Jingguan" (pyramids of corpses). The gleaming white-armored cavalry unit was unfamiliar and shocking to the bandits. Among them were some well-traveled individuals who could discern that this cavalry's setup was between heavy and light cavalry, with each rider having two or even three horses. However, compared to the Youzhou cavalry led by Yu Luandao, they were clearly more "imposing" because each mount carried a heavy spear, and both riders and horses wore "partial plate" armor.

After the bandits entered the battlefield, they were ordered to decapitate the Rouran cavalrymen, continuing to pile bodies into mounds. The "White Riders" began dismounting and hanging their armor on their unridden warhorses, preparing to withdraw from the field. As the bandits chopped off the Rouran heads, most instinctively glanced at one particular rider, who sat tall on his horse, helmetless, holding a long spear, and possessing a sturdy build. This rider approached Xu Fengnian, remaining mounted, and looked south with him, lamenting, "It's a pity that Hong Jingyan escaped back to Hulu Pass with a few hundred personal guards. Otherwise, if he had died here, the remaining Rouran Iron Cavalry would be insignificant. Yang Yuanzan would have lost all his flexible mobile forces, and we could have directly charged into Hulu Pass, competing with North Mang to see who could form an encirclement faster. Now it's impossible; seven thousand elite cavalry from two Nabo are still watching from the east."

Xu Fengnian shook his head, saying, "Things can't always be perfect. If you hadn't arrived in time, the North Mang Grand Commander would have joined forces with Hong Jingyan, Zhong Liang, and Murong Baoding. Not to mention Yu Luandao and his three thousand Youzhou cavalry, even I would have found it difficult to leave. Song Diao'er's defection is nothing, but Tuoba Qiyun, who early on guessed I would appear outside Hulu Pass, is not to be underestimated. His ability to persuade the venerable North Mang Imperial Tutor to come here indicates he possesses terrifying influence in North Mang's central command. Second Brother Yuan, when we confront him in the future, we must be extra vigilant."

Yuan Zuozong, the current commander of the Northern Liang cavalry, narrowed his eyes, which had prominent epicanthic folds, and nodded. "Northern Liang previously focused more on Dong Zhuo, and we indeed overlooked Tuoba Qiyun."

Xu Fengnian looked around. "Where is she?"

Yuan Zuozong smiled. "Captain Wang has already headed west with a detachment of skirmishers. She probably doesn't dare to see you."

Xu Fengnian felt a touch of helplessness. Qing Niao, once a second-class maid and assassin in Wutong Courtyard, had returned from her training in North Mang with the Momentary Spear, a relic of Wang Xiu. She then joined the Grand Snow Dragon Riders, rising through the ranks to become a Captain of Skirmishers through her military merits. This urgent journey to Hulu Pass to "rescue" him saw her more frantic than anyone, leading a detachment of skirmishers ahead, creating a gap of nearly a hundred *li* from the main army. According to Northern Liang military law, she should have been thoroughly reprimanded by the commanding general and expelled from the army long ago. Yet, after the battle, she immediately disappeared. Yuan Zuozong gave the utmost trust and tolerance to this orphan of the Spear Immortal Wang Xiu, not because she was a "prince's close attendant," but because, despite being a woman, she was the finest soldier on the battlefield. The first to eighth heads of the Rouran Iron Cavalry were all shattered by her Momentary "Arc Spear" in one breath. Xu Fengnian glanced back. In the distance, his third disciple Lu Yunchang, long separated, was beside his eldest disciple Yu Dilong. It seemed Lu Yunchang was doing all the talking, spitting as he spoke, while Yu Dilong remained silent. Xu Fengnian sighed, wondering if Wang Sheng, the girl who had followed "White Fox Face" to North Mang to practice swordsmanship, had found her own fortune.

Yuan Zuozong softly said, "It's time to go."

Xu Fengnian nodded. "Indeed."

Yu Luandao approached Xu Fengnian and Yuan Zuozong. Yuan Zuozong smiled and asked, "General Yu, the Grand Snow Dragon Riders are still short a deputy general. Are you interested? Although I don't have the authority to appoint, the Prince is right here. If you agree, I guarantee the Prince won't refuse; he'll merely go along with it."

Xu Fengnian smiled knowingly. Several personal armies within the Northern Liang border forces were "family assets" left by Xu Xiao for his children, arguably the most extravagant gesture in the world. Except for Xu Fengnian's own eight hundred White Horse Volunteers, which had always been few in number, his youngest son Xu Longxiang's "private army" had grown from ten thousand to thirty thousand cavalry, becoming the backbone ensuring the security of Liangzhou. Xu Fengnian's two elder sisters, Xu Zhihu and Xu Weixiong, also had their own personal armies; nearly ten thousand true heavy cavalry in Northern Liang originated from these two units. The Northern Liang Protectorate could deploy these personal armies, which were officially under General Xu Xiao's children's names, but generally did not interfere with their specific internal military affairs.

Yu Luandao calmly replied, "The Grand Snow Dragon Riders are good, but my Youzhou cavalry is no less capable."

Yuan Zuozong merely smiled without speaking, not taking offense at Yu Luandao's "lack of appreciation." On the contrary, he felt a genuine admiration for this outsider's steadfastness in Northern Liang.

Xu Fengnian suddenly said, "At that time, Cai Nan, who held overall military authority over Hezhao and Jizhou, blocked the Youzhou cavalry, so only ten thousand of their thirty thousand cavalry could be dispatched across the border. Old General Tian Heng was angered by the Northern Liang Protectorate—or to be precise, by my insufficient assertiveness—and was so annoyed that he refused to serve as deputy general, retiring to his fields to enjoy his grandchildren. It's said he privately cursed that my courage was all used up in that one act of defying the imperial decree."

Yu Luandao's heart tightened. "Although General Tian's pique was inappropriate, Tian Heng is seasoned and prudent, and his military tactics are impeccable. The Youzhou cavalry cannot do without this 'stabilizing needle.' If His Highness intends to assign blame, I, Yu Luandao, am willing to use all my military merits to atone for Tian Heng."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "I have no intention of settling scores later. I merely hope that after you return to Youzhou, you will deliver a message to Tian Heng for me: tell him to stop sulking. It's not as if I don't know his family situation; both his sons died in battle before coming of age. Where would the old general get grandchildren to 'enjoy'? For the thirty thousand Youzhou cavalry, he will be the commanding general, and you, Yu Luandao, will be the deputy general. Shi Yulu and Su Wenyao will be appointed 'Xi Cavalry General' and 'Piao Cavalry General' respectively, each leading ten thousand Youzhou cavalry. Most likely, the old general won't want to be the commanding general then. Just tell him it's an order from me and the Protectorate: he either serves as commanding general or continues to 'enjoy his grandchildren.'"

Yu Luandao immediately beamed, cupped his fists, and said, "This humble general obeys the order!"

Xu Fengnian said in a deep voice, "These three thousand two hundred cavalrymen will form the 'No Retreat Camp,' and you, Yu Luandao, will concurrently serve as its first commandant! As for the soldiers in this camp, I, Xu Fengnian, will also have a name on its roster, but not counted as active cavalrymen."

Yu Luandao bit his lip, his eyes reddening. He suddenly wheeled his horse around, galloped several hundred paces, took a banner with the character 'Xu' from a Youzhou cavalryman, and facing the three thousand two hundred Youzhou cavalry, roared, "The Grand General has ordered that our three thousand two hundred Youzhou cavalry form the 'No Retreat Camp'!"

Yu Luandao held high the blood-soaked banner. "'No Retreat Camp'! The banner is raised today!"

The three thousand two hundred cavalrymen collectively drew their Northern Liang sabers.

All Grand Snow Dragon Riders also mounted their horses and drew their sabers, willingly adding to the prestige of this valiant Youzhou border army, the first among them to earn a "camp name."

Yuan Zuozong, a "veteran general" of Northern Liang who had personally participated in a series of Spring and Autumn battles, after drawing his own saber, instinctively glanced at Xu Fengnian.

Yuan Zuozong did not see the fervor and longing that typically appeared in young military commanders. Yuan Zuozong softly said, "Death in war is inevitable."

Xu Fengnian softly said, "Let's go."

This cavalry unit swiftly moved west, leaving behind them outside Hulu Pass terrifying Jingguan, built from mountains of Rouran Iron Cavalry corpses.

About half an hour later, over a hundred cavalrymen slowly arrived at this grim battlefield. Leading them were two North Mang generals, both in their thirties. One of them gazed at the Jingguan, his expression complex. "In an even match of numbers, is there really no way to fight against those ten thousand cavalrymen?"

The other rider calmly said, "Purely in terms of combat strength, our Yelu and Murong Royal Heavy Cavalry units are actually not inferior. In battles involving over a hundred thousand troops on each side, heavy cavalry still has an advantage in breaking through formations. But if you're talking about picking a spot to duel with those ten thousand cavalrymen, there's truly no suspense at all. There's no helping it; the peak elites of the entire Northern Liang cavalry are in the Grand Snow Dragon Riders. Their troopers are all between twenty and thirty years old, their mid-to-low-ranking officers are around forty, and their high-ranking generals are all veterans of the old Spring and Autumn wars. Every warhorse is a top-grade Northern Liang mount. If our North Mang truly wanted to create our own Grand Snow Dragon Riders, it's not that we couldn't sustain them, but the crucial question is, who would be the commanding general? Dong Zhuo fits the bill, but he already commands over a hundred thousand Dong family troops. Even if His Majesty trusted him, not to mention the Northern Court's apprehension, no one in the Southern Dynasty would be willing. As for seasoned generals like Liu Gui and Yang Yuanzan, who are well-versed in officialdom, they are fundamentally unwilling to take on such a hot potato."

The first general dismounted gracefully, squatted, and picked up a Rouran scimitar with fresh bloodstains, wiping the blood off on his armor. He sneered, "Hong Jingyan is truly pathetic. All the elite troops from the entire Rouran Mountain Range were his, yet he failed to secure the title of Southern Court King, and was instead appointed Vice Minister of War for Xijing. He finally thought Hulu Pass would be easy to exploit and wanted to lead twenty thousand cavalry to wreak havoc in Youzhou. Yet, he wasn't involved in the attacks on Wo Gong or Luanhe cities. Yang Yuanzan and Zhong Tan had already begun their 'Xia Guang' (Dawn Glow) attacks. He finally got a chance to earn merit, eagerly turned around and rushed out of Hulu Pass, and what do you know? He lost half his forces to the Grand Snow Dragon Riders in one fell swoop, and the crucial thing is that this fellow didn't even dare to join the battle himself! I truly don't know if he can still hold onto his seat as 'Rouran Co-ruler.' As for competing with Dong Zhuo in the future, I think he should realize by now that it's hopeless."

The other rider remained mounted, shaking his head. "Hong Jingyan is not that simple."

The squatting general lightly touched the blade of the Rouran war saber with his thumb. "I'm curious why that fellow didn't clash fiercely with the Grand Commander. How great it would have been if he had killed that 'medicine jar' Tuoba Qiyun and that woman whose Summer Nabo title is about to be seized by Zhong Tan, and then died bravely at Zhong Liang's hands."

The other person chuckled. "From this, it's clear that in the battle of Liangzhou, this guy was truly not lightly wounded."

The squatting North Mang general stood up, looked at the one still mounted, and chuckled, "Lord Winter Nabo, that Yuan Tingshan from Jizhou personally forced Wei Jingtang to sally forth and fight us. At the time, I was completely baffled. Seven or eight hundred cavalry and four thousand infantry dared to sortie against our nearly ten thousand cavalry. It made me think that Liyang had tens of thousands of ambushing troops, or that there was a large cavalry force from Liaoxi on our tail. But within half an hour, all of Wei Jingtang's forces were wiped out. Yuan Tingshan and his father-in-law's seven thousand private cavalry didn't even make a peep. If it weren't for seeing these ten thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry corpses piled into Jingguan today, I would have thought our North Mang could just casually dispatch a hundred thousand cavalry, bypass Northern Liang, and sweep through the Central Plains in one go."

The general referred to as Winter Nabo said gravely, "The Jibei cavalry mustered by Yuan Tingshan and the private army of the Li family from Yanpu must be patiently waiting somewhere for us to return to the eastern front. We must not be careless."

Autumn Nabo pursed his lips. After mounting his horse, he tossed the Rouran scimitar, embedding it in the top of a Jingguan. "Mad Dog Yuan Tingshan truly isn't in my eyes. It's those Western Chu remnants from Guangling Road, two men named Kou Jianghuai and Xie Xichui, who interest me greatly. After Kou Jianghuai abandoned his post, Zhao Yi's 'lucky general' Song Li quickly and effortlessly recovered the territory with his troops. Their originally favorable situation on the eastern front has now degenerated to being suppressed by Song Li, unable to show their faces. It's said that all the attitudes in that small Western Chu court have changed; those who previously submitted impeachment memorials against Kou Jianghuai, accusing him of accumulating military power for personal gain, are now completely dumbfounded, and have started singing praises for Kou Jianghuai."

Winter Nabo softly said, "As long as Cao Changqing has not yet made his move, it means that even if Western Chu doesn't have the upper hand, they also haven't lost ground."

Autumn Nabo chuckled. "Anyway, the more chaotic, the better."

Suddenly, Autumn Nabo turned to look at his peer, also one of the Four Nabo. "Wang Jingchong, do you think there will ever be a day when Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai appear in Northern Liang?"

Winter Nabo Wang Jingchong was momentarily stunned, his expression solemn. He said gravely, "Da Ruzhe Shiwei, you also have this intuition?"

Autumn Nabo Da Ruzhe Shiwei stroked his chin. "That would be interesting. But I like it."

During the Hongjia Northern Exodus, Wang Jingchong was a Spring and Autumn survivor barely ten years old, who entered North Mang reciting classics with his family's private tutor. He had long forgotten his childhood environment, but on that arduous journey, the continuous sound of reading emanating from neighboring caravans remained deeply etched in the memory of this Autumn Nabo, whose family, even after settling in Gusei Prefecture, still upheld the tradition of farming and scholarly pursuits. Wang Jingchong fell into contemplation on horseback, muttering to himself, "To restore a single family's kingdom, yet at the cost of the Central Plains sinking once again—Cao Changqing, are you not deeply pained inside? Since you knowingly pursue the impossible, what exactly is it that you, Cao Changqing, seek?"

Da Ruzhe Shiwei glanced at this Autumn Nabo, his feelings complex. Both were of similar age, but Da Ruzhe Shiwei, despite his arrogance and conceit, had to admit that Wang Jingchong had accumulated more military merits not only than himself but also than the "she-wolf of the plains," Yelu Yuhu. And certainly more than Zhong Tan, who had just made a name for himself at the Hulu Pass battlefield. Zhong Tan had only just entered the military but instantly became a vanguard general, and after taking Wo Gong City, he was already hailed by some as the more deserving North Mang Summer Nabo. Wang Jingchong, however, had to start from the lowest ranks—squad leader, centurion, chiliarch, myriad-man commander—step by step. His eventual rise to Autumn Nabo was thanks to a Southern Dynasty family with a 'Yi'-character surname, allied by marriage to a family with a 'Jia'-character surname, serving as his backing. Da Ruzhe Shiwei's complex attitude towards Wang Jingchong largely represented North Mang's dilemma regarding these Spring and Autumn survivors. How enlightened and broad-minded the Emperor was, yet upon his ascension, he personally instigated a bloody incident secretly termed "Melon Vine Purge" by Southern Dynasty literati. The cause of the tragedy was exasperating: it was merely an urn of ashes belonging to an old patriarch from a 'Bing'-character aristocratic family. The Northern Court would originally not have cared about the life or death of such a person, but a memorial abruptly appeared on His Majesty's desk. His Majesty then decreed that any family with elders unwilling to be buried in the Southern Dynasty would have all their family ranks reduced by one grade, in addition to beheadings! Even in the decade and more after the tragedy, elderly survivors would occasionally die, still hoping to have their ashes buried in the Central Plains while building nominal tombs in North Mang, only to be exposed. It wasn't until the Grand Commander became the North Mang Imperial Tutor that this ban began to loosen. The Northern Court permitted Southern Dynasty survivors to establish only cenotaphs after death, leaving their ashes to await the North Mang army's hooves to flatten the Central Plains.

Da Ruzhe Shiwei opened his mouth and asked with a smile, "Wang Jingchong, we also have places in North Mang that are praised as 'Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall.' How do they differ from the true Central Plains in terms of customs and landscapes?"

Wang Jingchong calmly replied, "I've forgotten."

During the army's mid-journey rest, Xu Fengnian and Yuan Zuozong squatted side-by-side on a hilltop. Xu Fengnian turned and said, "If Northern Liang's three hundred thousand border troops today were not surnamed Xu but Chen, then Northern Liang would certainly suffer fewer casualties."

Yuan Zuozong did not deny it. "Many people think that way in their hearts, and I am no exception."

Xu Fengnian extended his palm and placed it on the sand. "But Li Yishan once said that if Northern Liang were ever handed over to Chen Zhibao, there would only be one outcome: Northern Liang would be better, but the world would be worse."

Yuan Zuozong looked puzzled.

Xu Fengnian chuckled softly. "Second Brother Yuan, let me keep you in suspense for now. I hope there will be a day when I can prove my master was not wrong."

Yuan Zuozong hummed with a smile. "I'll wait then, there's no hurry."

Recalling the emaciated scholar who had lived at the top of Listening Tide Pavilion in life and whose ashes were scattered at the border after death, Xu Fengnian closed his eyes and said in his heart, "Master, rest assured."

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