Chapter 747: Chu Lushan's Problem

Around the Spring Equinox of the second year of Xiangfu, while the escalating northwestern war still drew little attention, the situation in Guangling Road, which had been excellent, suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse. This greatly worried the Liyang capital, and it all stemmed from the young Xie Xichui's ability to "turn the impossible into reality." After the soldiers on the eastern front of Guangling had grown accustomed to Kou Jianghuai's unpredictable troop movements, their commander, Song Li, steadily advanced, consolidating his gains step by step. He continuously compressed the West Chu army's room to maneuver, not only reclaiming all lost territories but also successfully inciting several West Chu lieutenants who had rebelled to switch sides. This cornered Xie Xichui's main force of 20,000 infantry along the Dangyin River and Yamao Valley line. At the time, Song Li's army comprised 30,000 Guangling Road infantry, along with 8,000 highly skilled cavalry as mobile forces. Combined with Song Li's consistently cautious military command, it seemed like a situation where victory was all but assured. The only question was whether they could conquer the former capital of West Chu before the Start of Summer. Yet, at this moment when victory seemed within reach, Xie Xichui, despite being outnumbered, suddenly unleashed his strength, taking the initiative to array his troops for battle.

Rumors spread afterward that Song Li had deployed all his cavalry, intending to "thin their ranks" with several thousand horsemen, employing tactics perfected by steppe nomads. The 8,000 cavalry divided into three units, each further splitting into five ranks. Light cavalry led the way, with elite cavalry behind. Upon encountering the enemy, the elite cavalry would swiftly charge through gaps, unleashing volleys of arrows. Then, maintaining their formation, the elite cavalry would retreat, followed by the light cavalry, repeating this process to maximize the advantage of their mounted archery. Once the enemy's formation was in disarray, they could pierce through and fight. However, Xie Xichui only deployed 5,000 heavily armored, powerful infantrymen. Wielding ten-foot-long *modao* blades, they advanced in a dense horizontal formation, disregarding the arrows, moving forward like a solid wall. When the Guangling cavalry, their maneuver space shrinking, were forced into a full charge, they encountered these heavily armored infantrymen, who seemed like the reborn Great Halberdiers of West Chu. The outcome was six words that later left officials in the Ministry of War in Tai'an City speechless: "Men and horses shattered upon impact!" The remaining, shattered cavalry could only retreat from the battlefield, flanked by their own central infantry. What followed was an even more brutal infantry battle. The Guangling infantry, though their morale had plummeted, did not retreat but still struggled to withstand West Chu's advance. Commander Song Li, not hesitating to put himself in harm's way, led 800 death-defying soldiers to break through Xie Xichui's *modao* formation. Even so, in the ensuing conflict, Xie Xichui—whom the Liyang court had mockingly called "a clever housewife without rice to cook" before the war—repeatedly deployed reserves, each numbering less than a thousand, into the battle. Every deployment precisely rescued critical situations. Song Li was by no means an ordinary general; he fought valiantly, twice leading troops to within a hundred paces of Xie Xichui's formation, only to be repelled by volleys of arrows. After this, Xie Xichui used several thousand cavalry, previously ambushed in the rear, to charge. Song Li had anticipated this and, despite the fierce fighting, strictly ordered his heavily depleted cavalry not to "casually enter the fray" in full support. He allowed only cavalry lieutenants to lead 500 horsemen in rotating attacks, which kept the Guangling cavalry and infantry from collapsing immediately under the charge of 3,000 West Chu cavalry. The West Chu and Guangling armies fought from noon until dusk, with bodies strewn across the field. Xie Xichui's 20,000 infantry suffered 15,000 casualties, while Song Li's 40,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry, upon withdrawing from the battlefield, numbered fewer than 5,000 combat-ready men. But the true revelation that sent chills down the spines of both armies' soldiers was that after Song Li voluntarily retreated more than ten *li* from the battlefield, Xie Xichui deployed 3,000 light cavalry who appeared as if from nowhere, full of vigor. These cavalry were prevented from expanding their gains and pursuing by Song Li's 5,000 ambushed troops, which he had originally intended to use for a surprise victory.

At the grand court session held after the urgent 800-li dispatch reached the capital, there was a cascade of impeachments against Song Li, accusing him of incompetent command and squandering a significant advantage. The Emperor was furious and issued an imperial decree ordering Song Li to the capital to confess his sins. However, at a subsequent smaller court meeting, attended only by key central ministers, Emperor Zhao Zhuan was the first to speak highly of Song Li, saying that the fault lay not with the Guangling army, much less with Song Li himself. Zhao Youring, the second-in-command of the Central Secretariat, frankly stated that although Song Li had worsened the Guangling war situation—because before Lu Shengxiang's arrival, Guangling Road had temporarily lost its land combat capability and could only place its hopes on King Zhao Yi of Guangling's naval forces—he had ultimately, at the cost of a minor defeat, gauged the true strength of the West Chu army. Yang Shenxing, an old general from the Spring and Autumn period, was coincidentally granted an exception to attend this small court meeting. He immediately knelt and prostrated himself, tearfully begging for forgiveness. He did not try to excuse himself, instead stating that the death of Yan Zhenchun was due to his own fault and that of the veteran soldiers of Jizhou. Emperor Zhao Zhuan did not pursue the matter; instead, he kindly comforted the old general who had disgraced the court. He even appointed Yang Huchen, his eldest son, who had lost an arm in the Guangling conflict, as Deputy General of Jizhou, to lead the recently relieved Jizhou veteran infantry to Jibei, to atone for his father's mistakes.

After the Spring Equinox, a formidable army of 100,000 from the Southern Border had reached Xiangzhou. King Zhao Bing of Yan'chi became gravely ill en route and had to hand command over to his heir, Zhao Zhu. Meanwhile, Grand General of Cavalry Lu Shengxiang and another decorated veteran general, of the same generation as Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun, launched a two-pronged offensive with a combined force of 40,000 elite troops. They coordinated with the Southern Border army, forming a pincer attack against the West Chu rebels. Before this, it seemed the Liyang court had, at the tremendous cost of nearly 90,000 casualties and the death of a vassal king, forged the reputations of two young West Chu figures: Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai.

From West Shu came an announcement that shocked the world. Chen Zhibao, another non-royal king after Xu Xiao, submitted a memorial to the capital, stating that he commanded over 10,000 troops and could depart from West Shu to reinforce Guangling at any time. Though rejected by the Ministry of War, the news still resonated throughout the court and the populace. It was hailed as "joyful spring thunder," which clearly showed the transcendent status of the "White-Robed Military Sage" in the hearts of the Liyang people. It seemed, to Liyang, that those brilliant literary figures who had "defected" from Beiliang—be it the ever-popular Chen Zhibao, the Neo-Confucian master Yao Baifeng, the imperial relative Yan Jiexie, or Jin Lantai, now a high-ranking Vice Minister of Rites—all made the grand Tai'an City feel particularly pleased. Inside the Beiliang Protectorate, Xu Fengnian, along with Chu Lushan and other border generals from Liangzhou, were gathered around a makeshift sand table, discussing the gains and losses of Xie Xichui and Song Li. This was perhaps the Beiliang generals' only diversion during wartime.

Huang Laifu, the captain of Huaiyang Pass, spoke with considerable disdain, "This Xie kid's tactics? He learned them from us! Secretly accumulating strength in areas where battle lines can't be fully deployed, then committing forces in batches at critical moments—any Beiliang border captain with a shred of sense knows that. The only thing he's got going for him is that *modao* formation, which he trained from who knows where. It's fine against Guangling cavalry, but against our Iron Cavalry, heh, they'd end up just like the Great Halberdiers of West Chu did back then."

Xu Fengnian replied, "This is, after all, the first instance of infantry defeating cavalry since the Spring and Autumn period. Regardless of Song Li's cavalry combat strength, we should get to the bottom of it. Are there detailed dispositions of the *modao* formation?"

Chu Lushan, as always engrossed in the geographical details on the sand table, looked up and chuckled, "We're still waiting for news from the Fushui Chamber. But based on rough estimates of casualties, Xie Xichui's *modao* formation should be much more refined than the Great Halberd formation of old. I believe Gu Jiantang's Two Liaos region will soon adopt it, and he'll undoubtedly be demanding a large sum of military funds from the Ministry of Revenue."

The burly captain from Qingyuan Military Town frowned, "According to intelligence, Xie Xichui and Song Li aren't single-minded; they're both cunning, cautious yet bold in their use of cavalry and infantry. Before, I only heard that Kou Jianghuai of West Chu was skilled at long-distance rapid marches; even if his overall forces were fewer than the enemy's, he could achieve local numerical superiority. And he never defended or attacked cities, fighting as if his infantry could be used as cavalry—very intriguing."

Chu Lushan cackled, "Kou Jianghuai is using a dazzling series of victories to show the world how future wars in the Central Plains should be fought. It's no longer as simple as 'you attack, I defend.' Every battle aims to annihilate the enemy's effective forces. If you hole up in a city, I'll find ways to force you out to fight. If you deploy a large force outside the city, I might not engage immediately. I'll wait for the perfect opportunity, when I'm certain of victory, to wipe you out again. It's like slicing meat with a sharp knife—a few pounds at a time. Do it often enough, and you'll hit bone. If Gu Dazhu's initial proposal to 'fight outside the gates' was eye-opening for later strategists, then Kou Jianghuai's innovative approach is a perfect extension, which could perhaps be called 'fighting outside the city.' It minimizes the significance of cities, and if used well, allows one to seize the initiative everywhere. Of course, when I fought in the heartland of Beiliang, I was already using these tactics. But since the spearhead wasn't aimed at Liyang, those officials in the imperial court never felt the sting."

The Willow Sprout Cavalry General rubbed his chin and said, "Guangling Road finally had a capable general like Song Li holding the fort, and the Liyang Emperor, clearly out of his mind, just summoned him to Tai'an City for punishment? It's obvious Zhao Yi's navy will also be devoured by Cao Changqing."

Xu Fengnian shook his head slightly and said, "Purely in terms of the Guangling conflict, Song Li should not have been removed. However, from a broader perspective, the court's seemingly self-destructive actions are actually consistent with its overall strategy. At that time, they destroyed the Eight Spring and Autumn States and enfeoffed military generals. Now, the Zhao family needs to reclaim military power across the land to properly handle the future all-out war with Beiliang. Yang Shenxing and Yan Zhenchun's quelling of rebellions with their private armies is one aspect of the situation. Meanwhile, the successive appointments of figures like Tangxi Sword Immortal Lu Baijie, Southern Expedition Commander Lu Shengxiang, Dragon Gallop General Xu Gong, Liaoxi General Tang Tieshuang, and now Song Li, to official positions in the capital, represent a more covert aspect. The court deliberately condoned the restoration of West Chu, and apart from not expecting West Chu to deliver such a strong initial blow, everything else unfolded as anticipated. Even the current deployment of 100,000 troops by King Yan'chi northward for support was pre-arranged. Don't be fooled by Xie Xichui clearing out the Guangling land battlefield in one go; he was actually just helping the court ensure more of King Zhao Bing of Yan'chi's men died. Ultimately, the court is using this to diminish the power of vassal states and suppress local military forces. It's an overt strategy, you could say."

After cursing both of the Zhao emperors as "bad sorts," the Willow Sprout Cavalry General immediately turned to Xu Fengnian with a smile. "Your Highness views problems differently from us uncultured brutes. It's 'high house...' hmm, 'high house' what was it?"

Huang Laifu quickly interjected, "High house build... damn it, I forgot too."

Chu Lushan rubbed his forehead, a bit embarrassed.

"High-level strategy," Xu Fengnian chuckled.

The two captains said in unison, "Yes, high-level strategy!" They then complimented him, "Your Highness is incredibly talented!" "Your Highness's knowledge is truly impressive!"

Our Beiliang Protector-General's gaze seemed a little melancholic.

Xu Fengnian teased, "Alright, flattering isn't your forte. Just stick to leading troops in battle. When you win big victories in the future, I'll be happy to flatter you."

The entire hall erupted in laughter.

After Chu Lushan returned to the Beiliang sand table and finished discussing deployments with the generals, he and Xu Fengnian walked to Chu Lushan's residence. As Xu Fengnian entered the cramped courtyard, he sighed, "You've truly had it tough."

Chu Lushan, habitually bending at the waist, chuckled, "Don't let Baller Lu's extravagant, carefree life these past years fool you. Back when I was starving, just having a hot steamed bun would make me ecstatic. It was only after joining the Xu family army that this fat started to accumulate bit by bit. Your Highness might not believe it, but Baller Lu wasn't skin and bones, but his whole body together was only about 120 pounds. But back then, the meat was firm, and I could endure hardship."

Xu Fengnian genuinely hadn't known this. He glanced at the mountain-like Baller Lu and said, "I can't imagine what you looked like when you were thin."

"Who says?" Chu Lushan sighed. "Even I've almost forgotten."

Xu Fengnian had specifically brought the two jars of chess pieces today. Chu Lushan had someone find a well-crafted kauri wood chessboard, and for the first time in a long while, they sat opposite each other. Xu Fengnian took white, Chu Lushan took black, and they began their game.

Xu Fengnian lost. Chu Lushan finally won.

Because Chu Lushan had waited all these years, finally able to play without intentionally letting his opponent win. Sitting cross-legged on a large embroidered stool, Chu Lushan stared blankly at the board, sighing with some emotion, "Today I finally learned the true depth of His Royal Highness's chess skill. So, back then, Baller Lu was holding back, and His Royal Highness never played seriously either."

Hearing the somewhat unfamiliar title "His Royal Highness," Xu Fengnian was momentarily lost in thought. He sighed and said, "I sent someone to Qingzhou to find Lu Xu, but the result was disappointing. Lu Xu sent a message back, saying he'd rather go to the capital than come to Beiliang."

"Everyone has their own ambitions; you can't force them," Chu Lushan grinned.

Xu Fengnian hummed in agreement, helplessly adding, "I heard that Xu Xiao also captured many Spring and Autumn scholars in the past, but most of the ones he favored were unwilling to serve under him, so he had to release them."

Chu Lushan's smile faltered slightly as he softly said, "Godfather did release them, but many of them were secretly killed by Baller Lu afterwards. Among them was an elder, a close friend of that Yuan Baixiong fellow."

Xu Fengnian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "No wonder Second Brother Yuan said he wanted to light your sky lantern!"

Chu Lushan chuckled, "Unlike Mr. Zhao, Mr. Li and I came from humble backgrounds. I was naturally at odds with the aristocratic families, and I don't have Mr. Li's magnanimity. Back then, when I saw those arrogant fellows, I just wanted to chop off their heads with one blow. Looking back now, I should have been a bit softer then, killed a few less."

Xu Fengnian was speechless.

Chu Lushan gently twirled a cool chess piece between two fingers and said, "Setting aside the officials from the Yonghui Spring, people like Tangxi Sword Immortal Lu Baijie, Chief Minister Qi Yanglong, Libationer of the Imperial Academy Yao Baifeng, Grand Academician Yan Jiexie of the Dongyuan Pavilion, Southern Expedition Commander Lu Shengxiang, Dragon Gallop General Xu Gong, and others—these were invited to the capital by Zhao Dun to fill the vacancies left after Zhang Lu's downfall. As for Song Keli and the rest, they were deliberately suppressed by Zhao Dun during his lifetime, so that the next emperor could demonstrate boundless imperial grace. Then there are figures like Vice Minister of War Tang Tieshuang, the New Chess Sage Fan Changhou, Song Li of Guangling Road, Grand Tutor Chen Wang, Jizhou General Yuan Tingshan, Sun Yin, and Lu Xu—these are the 'new talents' personally cultivated by the new ruler, Zhao Zhuan."

Chu Lushan sneered, "Except for every move being 'unreasonable' against our Beiliang, their other preemptive actions perfectly conform to orthodox chess principles."

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Zhao Dun's choice of the Fourth Prince Zhao Zhuan over the First Prince Zhao Wu for succession must have been well-considered; we cannot deny that. So far, Zhao Zhuan has been flawless."

Chu Lushan suddenly looked at Xu Fengnian with a playful glint in his eyes.

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea; there's nothing between me and the Empress. Do you think the Zhao imperial family is blind? Besides, you know Yan Dongwu and Li Fuzhen are of the same ilk; they both treated me with disdain back then. To be precise, they regarded me as an enemy."

"Baller Lu was just thinking what if there was something," Chu Lushan replied cheekily.

Xu Fengnian laughed, chiding him, "Do you really think every woman in the world should like me?"

Chu Lushan put down the chess piece, extended his hands, and said with an utterly straight face, "Your Highness, you don't know this, but among the well-informed noble young ladies in the Central Plains right now, there are no fewer than eight thousand, if not ten thousand, who adore you!"

Chu Lushan continued leisurely, "There's nothing to be done about it. In a hundred years of the *jianghu*, there might be many with superb martial arts, but very few who are also dashingly handsome and romantically charming. If you count them up, there's only the Old Sword God Li Chungang. Wang Xianzhi? Just an old coot. Tuoba Pusa? A northern barbarian. Deng Tai'a's sword skills are truly profound, but unfortunately, he doesn't pass the looks test. Originally, Qi Xuanzhen and Cao Changqing could each be counted, but one is a Daoist immortal who never involves himself in worldly affairs, and the other is a bookworm who only thinks of restoring his nation. So, Your Highness, you're the only one who doesn't disappoint! You've traveled the Liyang *jianghu* twice, with countless anecdotes, interesting stories, and romantic escapades. You've been to Tai'an City, you're the dignified King of Beiliang, and you even defeated Wang Xianzhi! Countless rare calligraphies and paintings you've deemed 'forgeries' are circulating in the capital and Jiangnan. At the same time, the powerful rise of Daxe Ping and Xuanyuan Qingfeng has indirectly built momentum for Your Highness, who once visited Huishan. How could those young ladies not go crazy for you? It's like a long-awaited rain after a drought!"

Xu Fengnian truly hadn't expected this outcome. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Is that so? Then more people will surely resent our Beiliang now." Chu Lushan laughed heartily, "Of course! Not to mention distant places, take the women in Rouge Commandery who have no trouble finding husbands. As long as a matchmaker says a man looks even a bit like Your Highness, their value suddenly skyrockets!"

Xu Fengnian could only smile in response.

After a brief silence, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift.

Chu Lushan suddenly asked seriously, "Your Highness, there's something I don't know if I should say."

Xu Fengnian replied, "You can ask, but I might not answer."

The fact that Baller Lu would ask so solemnly wasn't because Xu Fengnian wanted to play games, but because he truly wasn't sure he could provide an answer. Sure enough, Chu Lushan asked a very tricky question. "After Your Highness went to Beiliang, especially after returning to Beiliang with Xu Huainan's head, Baller Lu knew that this great war with Beiliang would be different from what everyone imagined. So, Baller Lu must ask Your Highness today: if one day, the exact same choice your adoptive father faced back then is laid before you, how will you choose?"

Xu Fengnian hesitated, but Chu Lushan stared intently at him and quickly continued, "Your Highness knows one thing: the person on the dragon throne of the Zhao family at that time might not be Zhao Zhuan; it could be Zhao Zhu, who was with Your Highness at Danton Pass!"

Xu Fengnian remained silent, but Chu Lushan, who had asked the question, continued, "If that time truly comes, it will be the same choice, but the world's landscape will no longer be the same. Compared to the Xu family's certain defeat with no chance of victory back then, in the future, the Xu and Zhao families—at worst, we'll have an even chance of victory! The great tide is in our hands!"

The chess game between them was decided, dead.

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath, and said bitterly, "Baller Lu, I've disappointed you."

Chu Lushan slowly lowered his head.

Xu Fengnian also lowered his head, silent, staring blankly at the chessboard.

At some point, Xu Fengnian remained seated, while Chu Lushan had stood up and moved to Xu Fengnian's side. He bent down with some difficulty, reached out a hand, and gently ruffled Xu Fengnian's head, softly saying, "Although I'm disappointed not to hear the answer I wanted, Your Royal Highness, you might have forgotten that when you were little, among all the adopted sons, you were always closest to this big, silly Baller Lu. I've always been proud of that, happier than winning any battle."

"If one day, Baller Lu, who has been lonely since childhood, leaves these three hundred pounds of fat on the battlefield, don't be sad."

"My life, Chu Lushan's life, having a home, it was worth it."