Chapter 745: Hulu-Kou Builds a Jingguan

In the grand hall, apart from Xu Fengnian and Xu Weixiong, the highest-ranking and most influential officials were Beiliang Protector Chu Lushan, Cavalry Grand Commander Yuan Zuozong, Vice-Commander Zhou Kang, and Infantry Vice-Commander Gu Dazu. When Xu Fengnian proposed a desperate defense of Tiger Head City, Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong remained silent. It was Zhou Kang and Gu Dazu who first began to argue. Gu Dazu was renowned for his "world situation theory" during the Spring and Autumn Wars and for his "nation-preserving" strategy of ensuring Southern Tang fought its battles outside its borders. Yet, it was precisely the seemingly aggressively-minded Gu Dazu who raised an objection, disagreeing with the Beiliang border army committing all its strength to help Liu Jinu defend Tiger Head City to the death. Conversely, Zhou Kang, who hailed from the Partridge veteran camp, supported Xu Fengnian's view. Gu Dazu completely disregarded Xu Fengnian's presence and stated mercilessly, "Such a hastily made strategic change is more detrimental to the Beiliang border army than replacing a commander mid-battle! Military affairs are no laughing matter!"

Zhou Kang retorted sharply, "Water has no constant form, and troops have no fixed array. Adapting to the situation, what's wrong with that?"

Beyond this rhetorical question, Zhou Kang continued with some profound remarks: "When our Beiliang formulated the military strategy for You and Liang Prefectures years ago, the Grand General and Li Yishan were still alive. At that time, the initial intention was only to anticipate Northern Mang advancing south into the Central Plains via two routes: Beiliang and Jizhou. The Northern Mang barbarians only viewed Beiliang as an impenetrable fortress, and even if they couldn't directly bypass it, they would only station five or six hundred thousand troops here to tie down our Beiliang border army, not the dire situation we face today with their entire nation attacking You, Liang, and Liu Prefectures.

"Strategies and rules are rigid, but our Beiliang soldiers are living! The over one hundred thousand border cavalry in Liangzhou are not to be underestimated!"

Zhou Kang repeatedly referred to "our Beiliang" and mentioned Beiliang's early military administration and border cavalry. The old general's unspoken meaning was clear: Gu Dazu, a latecomer and outsider, might be the infantry's second-in-command, but Beiliang values its cavalry above all else, especially in Liangzhou. Therefore, Gu Dazu should "know his place" right here, right now. Indeed, the military was much like the imperial court, not only valuing seniority but also background. In Beiliang, officers and generals who transitioned from the infantry to the cavalry often faced disdain and a long period of adjustment. Naturally, there was some criticism within the Beiliang border army regarding Gu Dazu, who had been personally promoted by Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian frowned but remained silent. Gu Dazu did not immediately lose his temper, though his expression was far from pleasant. He said coldly, "I am merely discussing the matter at hand. No one denies the fighting prowess of our Beiliang border cavalry. However, possessing great strength does not mean that we, who lead the troops, can squander it recklessly. Battlefield campaigns are like a chess match; a grandmaster who only knows how to play 'power chess,' even if they temporarily save a lost piece or successfully 'slaughter a dragon,' will ultimately suffer overall losses. I do not wish for the Beiliang army to be a player with the strength of a tenth-dan grandmaster but only the vision of a sixth-dan player. Beiliang now holds four prefectures, and these four prefectures have hundreds of cities, military garrisons, strategic passes, and formidable strongholds. Is it truly wise to decide the fate of over a hundred pieces based on a single piece like Tiger Head City without more careful consideration?"

Zhou Kang clicked his tongue and said, "That tone... why does it sound like Chen Zhibao speaking?"

Gu Dazu finally showed anger, "You, Zhou the Partridge! Today, in front of Grand General Zhou and the King of Beiliang, I'll say it plainly: the Beiliang army should not completely dismiss Chen Zhibao. Even the King of Beiliang has explicitly stated that 'Manual of Military Preparedness' should not be banned in the border army, so why is it forbidden, even a single volume, in your Zhou Kang's Liangzhou cavalry?! Zhou Kang, do you intend to become an unyielding military faction like Zhong Hongwu? You've disliked me for so long, and I've disliked you for quite a while too!"

Normally, Cavalry Grand Commander Yuan Zuozong would act as a mediator, perhaps even subtly favoring Gu Dazu, the "outsider." His general reasoning was that for the sake of family harmony, as a mother-in-law, he should side with the daughter-in-law when his son and daughter-in-law argue, as that truly helps his son. However, with Xu Fengnian present today, Yuan Zuozong comfortably practiced his "closed-mouth meditation" and relaxed. Chu Lushan, that scheming fellow, simply watched the two vice-commanders blush and argue with great interest, enjoying the spectacle.

Xu Fengnian calmly stated, "Those qualified to discuss matters here wear official hats of the third or second rank; it is right that you speak your minds. However, regarding Tiger Head City, while we can identify and rectify any oversights, the decision to defend it for a year will not change."

This was directed at Gu Dazu. Then Xu Fengnian said to Zhou Kang, "Do not ban Chen Zhibao's 'Manual of Military Preparedness.' General Zhou, when you return, you will take the lead in copying one volume, including all commanders, captains, and generals. No one is exempt. After copying, send it to the Beiliang Protectorate. I will personally review it. If anyone has someone else copy for them, or if anyone refuses to copy, I will personally go to their army and have a good talk with them. If we still can't come to an agreement, I'll send them to Youzhou to serve as infantry."

Zhou Kang's face turned bitter as he cautiously haggled, "Your Highness, that book has over a hundred thousand characters, and one volume has nearly ten thousand. Warfare is raging right now. How about we wait until we have some free time?"

Xu Fengnian gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes and said, "Shall we have a good heart-to-heart talk first? Perhaps enjoy some wine while my second sister prepares some appetizers? After eating and drinking your fill, General Zhou, you'll be well on your way to Youzhou."

Zhou Kang quickly waved his hand and laughed, "No need, no need! I'll light the lamp and burn the midnight oil to copy the book when I get back. I guarantee my subordinate captains and commanders will finish copying every single character within ten days."

After the two vice-commanders of the infantry and cavalry left the Protectorate for their respective army camps, Yuan Zuozong smiled and said, "So, it was a fifty-military-strokes each situation."

Xu Fengnian said with concern, "Zhou Kang received fifty strokes, but Gu Dazu might feel he received five hundred."

Yuan Zuozong asked, "Then, should we call him back and talk to him privately? General Gu is not an obstinate person. As long as the reasoning is sound, the old general will listen."

Xu Fengnian sighed somewhat helplessly, "But the problem is I'm not confident I can convince him. It might only add fuel to the fire and make Gu Dazu even more stubborn. It's better to keep him guessing like this now. Gu Dazu doesn't know whether I'm selling a divine elixir or a dog-skin plaster, so he'll just hold his nose and do as he's told."

Xu Fengnian looked around the hall, seeing only his second sister, Yuan Erge, and Chu Lushan. He gave a wry smile, "Now that it's just family, I can finally stop pretending to be a profound figure."

Chu Lushan, aside from enjoying the spectacle of the two old generals, focused more on the sand table. In truth, this Beiliang Protector's civil and military achievements had always been overshadowed by his notorious reputation, constantly underestimated and looked down upon by the entire Central Plains imperial court. Especially after the older generation of Central Plains figures passed away, Chu Lushan was only occasionally mentioned for his feat of leading a thousand cavalry to conquer Shu. He was considered far inferior to Yan Wenluan and Chen Zhibao, and even less impressive than Yuan Zuozong, who shone brightly in the Princess Tomb battle. At the time, many were shocked that Chu Lushan, an official not even of the fourth rank, was appointed Beiliang Protector. However, the Beiliang army itself and their sworn enemy, Northern Mang, were not surprised, which demonstrated how generally indifferent and deliberately ignorant the Liyang court was towards Beiliang. A saying widely circulated among Beiliang border army high-ranking officers: from the moment this corpulent man first saw a sand table, he became utterly engrossed. In his early years, regardless of whether there was warfare or not, he loved to stare at sand tables of various countries and regions, lost in thought. No one knew what was so captivating about them, until one time Princess Consort Wu Su asked him, and Chu Lushan revealed the truth, saying, "It's like reading a book. Read it a hundred times, and its meaning will naturally reveal itself." Later, when the Central Plains was unified and Xu and Zhao "divided," Chu Lushan had no fewer than a hundred sand tables of various sizes in his home in Beiliang. It was rumored that the largest one occupied an entire building; there was no standing room on the first floor, and one had to go straight up to the second floor to overlook it.

Chu Lushan gazed at Tiger Head City, the northernmost point in Liangzhou on the sand table, then glanced at Xiaguang City, the southernmost point of Youzhou's Gourd Pass. He spoke softly, "It's not impossible to defend Tiger Head City for a year. I've thought of a reason that might convince Gu Dazu."

Chu Lushan continued, "Northern Mang's decision to appoint Dong Zhuo as their Southern Court King, and to immediately mobilize a million troops to advance south in three lines through Beiliang, means they have completely abandoned the idea of moving south through Jizhou and the two Liaos. This also means that the strategy we formulated back then will definitely have loopholes. Our task is not just to patch things up, but to completely overturn certain aspects. We in Beiliang had predicted this worst-case scenario before, but at that time, it was like facing an enemy... well, for example, like facing the old Sword God Li Chungang. We guessed the elder might directly use his 'Two Sleeves Green Dragons' or 'Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate' from the outset."

Xu Weixiong said softly, "Back then, we only thought it would be one of the two strongest moves. We didn't expect both to be unleashed at once."

Chu Lushan continued, "This is also good. The fiercer the battle at Tiger Head City, and the more precarious the Liangzhou defense line appears, the greater our chance of achieving a surprise victory. Back then..."

Yuan Zuozong suddenly interjected with a smile, "Back then, Chu Lushan had quite a few objections to Li Yishan's strategy. He felt it was too 'orthodox,' only focused on not losing, rather than on how to win."

Chu Lushan smiled, "Looking back now, that's what we had to do. Without more than twenty years of 'filling in the blanks' and concealment, where would we have today's 'room to maneuver'?"

Chu Lushan slowly raised his head, looked at Xu Fengnian, and then broke into an utterly ingratiating, brilliant smile, chuckling, "This also gave me inspiration, Your Highness. Otherwise, with my small brain, I wouldn't have thought of it even if I cracked my head open."

Perhaps only at such times would one recall "Lu Qiu'er," who once vied with Li Gongde for the title of Beiliang's foremost flatterer.

Xu Fengnian laughed and chided, "Be serious."

Chu Lushan continued his unserious demeanor, "Your Highness, didn't you think of it long ago? It's just too risky, and you knew Gu Dazu wouldn't agree."

Xu Fengnian nodded.

Xu Weixiong looked at the Gourd Pass area in Youzhou on the sand table. "Difficult to attack."

Xu Fengnian said gravely, "As for whether it's difficult or easy to defend after capturing it, we've given Northern Mang the opportunity to decide."

Yuan Zuozong narrowed his eyes. "Therefore, all the fortresses centered around Wogong City and Luanhe City, their desperate, seemingly surrender-like defense, caused Northern Mang to forgo this opportunity themselves."

Fortunately, Qi Dangguo, another of Xu Xiao's adopted sons like Yuan Zuozong and Chu Lushan, was not present, or he would again be vexed about his own slowness.

Xu Fengnian muttered to himself, "Northern Mang's initial goal was to flatten Beiliang and then head straight for the Central Plains. The civil officials and bureaucrats of the Grand Pacifier's decree were meant for Jizhou, Hezhou, and the upcoming Huainan Dao, not to be wasted in Beiliang. Under these circumstances, Youzhou's Gourd Pass refusing to surrender and fighting to the death, combined with Northern Mang's own unwillingness to accept surrenders, meant that after Yang Yuanzan's massive army broke through the surrounding fortresses near Wogong and Luanhe Cities at great cost, they were almost completely destroyed. Of course, currently, it's a mixed bag of pros and cons. The advantage is that it makes it easier for Northern Mang cavalry to travel and move within the Gourd Pass, but if we launch our most powerful counter-attack in Youzhou, then Yang Yuanzan's newly reinforced army of a full thirty-five thousand will be in for a rough time."

Chu Lushan added, "To turn the tide in Youzhou's Gourd Pass battle and force Yang Yuanzan to retreat, we need to commit at least fifty thousand of our most elite cavalry, and we must succeed in one decisive battle! Directly wipe out Yang Yuanzan's elite cavalry at the crucial moment! Therefore, Tiger Head City absolutely cannot be lost. Losing Tiger Head City would mean losing Liuya and Fuling Cities, and Huaiyang Pass as well. Once the battle line contracts to the Qingyuan Zhongzhong area, allowing Dong Zhuo's army to comfortably advance south and spread out their formation, then forget about having fifty thousand idle cavalry; even five thousand would be difficult to muster. So, for Tiger Head City, we might have to sacrifice an additional forty to fifty thousand lives in the second year of Xiangfu, but at Gourd Pass, they will have to die, many, many more!"

Chu Lushan laughed sinisterly, staring at Gourd Pass on the sand table. "Thirty-five thousand people, all dying here, we'll build a magnificent pyramid of corpses!"

Yuan Zuozong sneered, "Not inferior to West Leibi."

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath. "Yuan Erge, but if that's the case..."

Before Xu Fengnian could finish, Yuan Baixiong, who usually gave the impression of being stern and unsmiling, uncharacteristically spoke softly, "Family doesn't speak two languages."

Chu Lushan suddenly, with an ingratiating look, tried to put an arm around Yuan Zuozong's shoulder, only for Yuan Zuozong to unceremoniously swat his hand away. "We're not close."

Chu Lushan cursed, "Just because I'm a bit fat, and His Highness is a bit handsome, you're judging people by their looks?!"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Hold on, hold on. You're not just a little bit fat, and I'm not just a little bit handsome."

Xu Weixiong watched the whining and aggrieved Protector, the softly smiling King of Beiliang, and the heroic Yuan Baixiong. She, too, smiled.

Unexpectedly, Gu Dazu and Zhou Kang did not immediately leave Huaiyang Pass but instead went to drink at a quiet tavern within the pass.

Zhou Kang sat with a stern face, waiting for the food and drinks to be served. "What, didn't argue enough at the Protectorate, so we're continuing here? Listen, Gu, when His Highness is free, I'd be a hundred times willing to drink and talk with him, but you and I don't see eye to eye, nor can we drink from the same pot."

Gu Dazu laughed, "It's just that times have changed. If you, Zhou the Partridge, were a Southern Tang general back then, daring to talk so much nonsense, I'd have knocked you down with a punch long ago. Once you're on the ground and can't speak, then no matter how unreasonable your words were, I'd be the only one talking."

Zhou Kang heard the rough words but, instead of getting angry, laughed. "Argue as we may, and dislike you as I may, I'll never deny that you acted like a true man in Southern Tang. Otherwise, if you took this position as infantry vice-commander, even if I couldn't stop it, I'd lead an uproar to His Highness to make your life difficult. But honestly, you were just lucky that it was Gu Jiantang who attacked Southern Tang. If it had been our Beiliang, even if you truly fought to defend the nation at its borders, it would have been useless!"

Gu Dazu poured himself a cup of wine and chuckled softly, "Believe it or not, serving as this vice-commander in Beiliang, no matter how much you old generals and veteran factions dislike me, it's still much more comfortable than fighting the enemy in Southern Tang back then. Because I know that outside the battlefield, your cavalry might all dislike me, but in a real war, if one needs to die for me, Gu Dazu, the infantry vice-commander, they definitely won't just die nine thousand instead of ten thousand. For a general, there's nothing more comforting in this world than that. So, the nastier you curse me, the more I want to buy you a drink, lest one of us ends up visiting the other's grave on Qingming Festival someday."

Zhou Kang couldn't help but laugh, "So, in the end, you, Gu Dazu, are just looking out for your own happiness?"

Gu Dazu roared with laughter, "If it's not for my own happiness, why would I willingly offer a warm face to a cold backside when you curse me? You, Zhou the Partridge, are a vice-commander, does that make your rank higher than mine, Gu Dazu?"

Zhou Kang froze for a moment, then sighed, "Today, let's just drink and not talk about military matters. We'll never agree anyway. We may not see eye to eye, but after what you said, I think drinking from the same pot is perfectly fine."

The two old men drank until they were completely drunk. During their drinking, Zhou Kang and Gu Dazu continued to curse at each other for a long time, which made the tavern owner, who knew their distinguished identities, tremble with fear. He worried that the two important figures would break into a fight if they disagreed further, and then their respective guards outside would join in, wouldn't his small tavern be easily torn down? However, while sweating profusely, the tavern owner, still a military household member, also felt a sense of honor. These were two vice-commanders of the Beiliang army! Who didn't know that any vice-commander from Beiliang would be more than qualified to become a grand general in the Liyang imperial court?

In a small courtyard within the Protectorate, where Xu Weixiong was temporarily residing, Xu Fengnian took out two chess boxes from his travel bag, but Xu Weixiong refused them, saying she had no use for them. Xu Fengnian dejectedly put them away.

After a moment of silence, Xu Fengnian squatted beside Xu Weixiong's wheelchair and gently sighed, "After three journeys through the martial world, I finally understand the painstaking effort you put in back then to keep me from floundering in it."

Xu Weixiong asked, "How so?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "A person of the martial world lives an interesting life. As Xu Xiao's son, I probably need to live a meaningful life."

Xu Weixiong shook her head and said, "Don't flatter me, and don't speak grandly of yourself. From beginning to end, all I ever wanted was for you to live well, it's that simple. Our mother, father, even your master, and even Yuan Zuozong and Chu Lushan, none of them wanted you to die meaningfully; they'd rather you live a meaningless life."

Xu Fengnian mused, "Is that so?"