Chapter 807: Worthless (Part 1)

Ten days after autumn’s start, the land turns yellow.

After autumn began in the second year of Xiangfu, a startling piece of news rapidly spread across the land: it was rumored that Jiang Si of Western Chu was about to ascend the throne as empress. This meant that the princess, who had been in exile for many years, would become the second female emperor after Empress Murong of Beiliang, and the first empress regnant in the history of the Central Plains dynasties.

In response, almost all of Western Chu's key civil and military officials, including Cao Changqing and Xie Xichui, began to converge on the capital. The only exceptions were Xu Yunxia, who was guarding the vital pass north of the river, and Pei Sui, who was responsible for confronting Wu Chongxuan's army in Southern Xinjiang.

In stark contrast, the Liyang imperial court's decree to officially appoint Wu Chongxuan as the Grand General Who Conquers the South, and simultaneously promote General Hengjiang Song Li to General Who Guards the South—additionally making him one of the Deputy Military Governors of Guangling Province and ordering him to return to Guangling to assist Prince Zhao Yi in commanding the army—seemed rather overshadowed. As for the two young officials quietly accompanying Song Li, temporarily serving as probationary officials in the Ministry of Works, they were even more inconspicuous amidst the rapidly changing circumstances. Meanwhile, Yuan Guo, a former favored student of Zhang Lu, who had served successively as Minister of Rites and Minister of Revenue within just two years—and was now jokingly referred to as the "Firefighting Minister"—was neither sent out to a local position as a high-ranking regional official with high hopes from the young emperor, like his colleague Han Lin, nor was he, as anticipated by officials in Tai'an City, demoted to the war-torn Guangling Province like Wang Xionggui, and thus not appointed a deputy military governor. Instead, he took on an awkward transitional role as an imperial envoy carrying a decree. After meeting Lu Shenxiang, Yuan Guo and Song Li's party split into two groups: Yuan Guo went to meet Wu Chongxuan, while Song Li, leading the two minor seventh-rank officials from the Ministry of Works, proceeded by familiar routes to Prince Zhao Yi's princely residence.

As Yuan Guo, the imperial envoy, drew closer, the atmosphere on the western front of Guangling, where the war was going poorly, seemed unusual. Ordinarily, as the recipient of the imperial decree, Wu Chongxuan should have organized a grand reception; if not personally leading several Southern Xinjiang generals ten miles out of the city to greet him, then at the very least, a welcoming banquet should have been prepared for Yuan Guo. Regardless of whether Yuan Guo would have a chance to make a comeback in the imperial court, his long-standing reputation in Tai'an City officialdom meant that Wu Chongxuan, who was about to officially enter Liyang's political arena, could not afford to slight him. However, in the end, it was Prince Jing'an Zhao Xun, accompanied by Qingzhou Naval General Wei Dong, who went to meet Yuan Guo. Wu Chongxuan merely attended a dinner banquet held on a naval warship. His two trusted generals, Tang He and Li Chunyu, did not appear; he was only accompanied by an unfamiliar young man named Jiang. Before the banquet began, Yuan Guo impassively read the decree. Old General Wu Chongxuan, dressed in ill-fitting armor, listened and accepted the decree with equal impassivity. Amidst a large group of civil and military officials who had removed their official robes, the clanking of Wu Chongxuan's armor plates as he knelt and rose was particularly jarring. This made the subsequent banquet, despite tables laden with delicacies, fine wine, and delicious food, feel utterly tasteless and bland, devoid of any celebratory mood.

In the night, some distance from the grand Yellow Dragon warship, a Qingzhou battleship, on patrol that evening, lay motionless on the river. From there, one could only make out the festive lights and blurred figures on the warship. A young man in plain clothes quietly leaned on the railing, a cold sneer on his lips.

To the young man's left stood, in order, Wang Xianzhi's second disciple Gong Banque, his third disciple Lin Ya, and a tall woman wearing a veiled hat. To his right were four men in their prime, all exuding a formidable aura of battle. They were none other than Zhang Dingyuan, the Grand General of Southern Xinjiang's infantry, Gu Ying, General Ye Xiufeng of Yuanzhou, and General Liang Yue of Hezhou! It could be said that, with the exception of Wang Tongshan, King Yanlu's foremost fierce general and the world's best halberd user, all of Zhao Bing's trusted direct lineage generals were now present.

Zhao Zhu did not look up. He smiled and said, "Sister Lin, isn't that fellow Jiang Fuding from your Martial Emperor City?"

Lin Ya, a grandmaster of pugilism, nodded with a complex expression.

Zhao Zhu rubbed his chin. "I'm puzzled," he said. "How did that fellow manage to connect Wu Chongxuan with Tai'an City? Such a matchmaker is not just any ordinary person."

Lin Ya hesitated, as if about to speak but then thought better of it.

Zhao Zhu turned to the female martial arts grandmaster, who had once been ranked on the 'Rouge List,' and said playfully, "Don't worry, Sister Lin. Even without Jiang Fuding's connections, Wu Chongxuan would still be flirting with Tai'an City; it's just a matter of time. For the sake of the Buddha, I certainly won't compete with someone named Jiang. Haha, honestly, our Old General Wu truly can't be happy this time. He was promised ennoblement and a generalship. He did become the Grand General Who Conquers the South, but he wasn't granted a marquessate, let alone becoming the first non-imperial prince of the Xiangfu era. How is that different from just being our top general in Southern Xinjiang? One hundred thousand elite northern Southern Xinjiang troops, all that trouble just for a generalship as one of the 'Four Conquerors'—that's a huge loss! His Majesty the Emperor wasn't exactly generous this time."

The tall woman, whose identity remained a mystery, said coldly, "It's not that the imperial court is reluctant to grant Wu Chongxuan a marquessate. The reason for breaking their word is simply that the war in Guangling Province isn't going well. If they start bestowing many titles on generals now, what will be left to reward once the dust settles? I believe that Master Yuan, who came from the capital, will make things clear to Wu Chongxuan during their private meeting later."

Zhao Zhu grunted. "You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you run a household; that's true. Perhaps if I were on the throne, I would do the same: first trick you, Wu Chongxuan, onto the 'pirate ship,' and then discuss other matters."

Zhang Dingyuan quietly reminded him, "Your Royal Highness, Tang He and Li Chunyu are approaching in a small boat."

Zhao Zhu joked, "Fortunately, Uncle Wang is busy traveling and isn't on our ship, otherwise he'd be flipping boats with a single halberd."

Gu Ying, who possessed a beauty akin to a woman's, said sinisterly, "They still dare to come and see His Royal Highness? Do they think we truly wouldn't dare kill these two ingrates?"

Zhao Zhu shook his head. "No, we really don't dare. They are now legitimate imperial officials. Moreover, if we really killed them, it would only benefit that person in Western Shu, making our loved ones suffer and our enemies rejoice. I'm not willing to do such a deal."

The small boat did not approach too closely to the battleship, which was filled with masters. After stopping, Tang He and Li Chunyu bowed deeply, and the small boat turned and departed.

Liang Yue, the fierce general from Southern Xinjiang, let out a heavy snort, his fingers gripping and breaking the boat's railing.

Zhao Zhu said indifferently, "A grown daughter will marry, a fledged bird will leave its nest. Let them go."

The atmosphere was heavy, with only the sound of the river water.

Water flows downwards, people strive upwards.

Zhao Zhu suddenly turned and asked, "Miss Zhang, that Yuan Guo is a disciple of your father. If you wish to meet him, I can arrange it."

The tall woman said indifferently, "No need."

Zhao Zhu subconsciously reached for the worn money pouch at his waist and sighed with a smile, "No matter how many blades you have, you can't kill all the ungrateful dogs."

Then, without a word, Zhao Zhu gazed blankly towards the northwest, a worried expression on his face. Although Southern Xinjiang possessed an exceptionally effective intelligence system, it had never extended its reach to Beiliang over the years. Likewise, Beiliang's Fushui Chamber had tacitly refrained from planting agents in Southern Xinjiang. This mutual respect stemmed not only from Beiliang's 300,000 iron cavalry and Southern Xinjiang's 200,000 elite troops, nor merely from the mutual apprehension between the two powerful vassal kings, Xu Xiao and Zhao Bing. More importantly, it was a profound appreciation between heroes, a feeling akin to finding one's equal among all the world's exceptional figures. And by Zhao Zhu's generation, the relationship between him, the Crown Prince of Yanlu, and Xu Fengnian, the new King of Liang, was anything but ordinary.

Allowing Lin Hongyuan of the Dragon Palace to get involved in the muddy waters surrounding the purple-robed figure from Huishan, had subtly conveyed to Xu Fengnian that, if worst came to worst, he could simply abandon Beiliang, as Southern Xinjiang would always remain a fallback option for him.

The intelligence Zhao Zhu received was fragmented, originating mostly from Huainan Province. Currently, Cai Nan and Han Lin, serving as military governor and strategic commissioner respectively, seemed to have deliberately intercepted all channels for military intelligence concerning Beiliang. All major and minor postal routes were tightly sealed, and the Liyang imperial gazette made no mention of the situation in Beiliang. Thus, Zhao Zhu only knew that twenty days prior, Wang Sui had first led his elite cavalry from the eastern front to plunder Jibei, then hastened to Hezhou, heading directly for the Helan Mountain region east of Beiliang's Youzhou. It appeared that the battles in both Liuzhou and Liangzhou were unfavorable to Beiliang. In the war simulations conducted by Zhang Dingyuan, Gu Ying, Ye Xiufeng, and others around him, Beiliang's chances of victory were extremely slim. Unless they won on all three fronts, losing the Mobile Elephant Cavalry of Liuzhou, which would leave Liangzhou's western gate exposed, or having Yang Yuanzan's army breach Hulukou's Xiaguang City and link up with Wang Sui's cavalry in Youzhou, would mean the Beiliang border army, confined to Liangzhou, would face only death—either fighting to the death or awaiting it. If they lost the central front in Liangzhou, then all hope would be lost.

Zhao Zhu murmured softly, "Even if we lose, you and I, brothers, will fight side-by-side then."

Zhao Zhu straightened up, extended a hand, and clenched it tightly into a fist.

In contrast to the stiff atmosphere on the banquet warship on Guangling's western front, a grand feast was being hosted inside the Guangling Prince's residence by Prince Zhao Yi and his son Zhao Piao for their former confidant and subordinate, Song Li. Wang Xionggui, the Strategic Commissioner of Guangling Province who had long refused visitors, also made an unprecedented appearance. When Song Li mentioned that Master Wang's youngest son, Wang Yuanran, had become a director in the Bureau of Rites and Ceremonies within the Ministry of Rites in the capital, and specifically congratulated Master Wang on this, Wang Xionggui, who had initially struggled to hide his melancholy, immediately brightened with a smile. During the banquet, the two young officials temporarily serving as probationary officials in the Ministry of Works were intuitively ignored by everyone after Song Li personally deflected drinks for one of them, a young man surnamed Lu. Zhang Zhupo, the shifty-eyed palace guest, had previously not gotten along with Song Li, who had returned home in splendid attire. One was the chief strategist of Chunxue Tower in Guangling Province, the other a dashing talent regarded as a lucky general by Zhao Yi. However, that evening, Zhang Zhupo found numerous excuses to toast himself seven or eight times to Deputy Military Governor Song Li, drinking until his two wispy whiskers became sticky. Crown Prince Zhao Piao's gaze was dark, while Zhao Yi remained all smiles.

On the evening after the banquet concluded, the two Ministry of Works officials, ostensibly inspecting the Guangling River and canal system, met for drinks in the prince's auxiliary residence. It turned out that the man surnamed Lu was blind.

The young man surnamed Sun, who had appeared completely drunk at the banquet, showed no trace of intoxication at this moment. He leaned languidly in a luxurious grand armchair made of high-quality red sandalwood, poured a glass of wine for the blind young man opposite him, and chuckled, "Song Li wasn't well-intentioned; he deliberately deflected drinks for you to make a point to Zhao Yi, to inform the Guangling Prince's residence that you, a minor official from the Ministry of Works, actually possess a more special status than I, Sun Yin."

Lu Xu, the blind man who had entered and then left the capital, sat upright and formally, lacking the imposing aura of Sun Yin, the renowned eccentric scholar of the capital. He spoke softly, "General Zhennan is, after all, an old member of Chunxue Tower. Even a small kindness demands a generous return. His action wasn't excessive. Without Song Li treating him courteously first, it wouldn't be easy for Zhang Zhupo to smoothly approach Master Sun for a discussion."

Sun Yin laughed loudly. "What else can Zhao Yi do in his current miserable state besides abandoning all restraint? He's turning a blind eye, letting Zhang Zhupo choose his own path, which at least helps Crown Prince Zhao Piao accumulate some goodwill and connections. This way, with Song Li and Lu Shenxiang as military officials in the court, and Zhang Zhupo serving as a civil official, Zhao Bing will be able to steadily live as a pleasure-seeking prince later. Otherwise, once the world is at peace and military power wanes, without Zhang Zhupo's protection in official circles, any casually appointed prefect in Guangling Province could easily ruin Zhao Piao."

Lu Xu smiled slightly. "That may be the general trend, but have there been few tragic disasters caused by the impulsive actions of emperors, generals, and prime ministers throughout history?"

Sun Yin pursed his lips, a look of disdain on his face.

Lu Xu sighed. "Zhao Yi and his ilk, regardless of their reputation or how inferior they may seem compared to other vassal kings, nonetheless deserve a certain measure of respect from us, who have risen on the tide of opportunity."

Sun Yin frowned but gradually reined in some of his eccentricities, teasing, "Master Lu, you're not much older than me, yet you speak with such an air of maturity."

Lu Xu remained silent.

Sun Yin lowered his voice. "I'm very curious how you convinced His Majesty to make the decisive move of sending Lu Baijie from the Ministry of War to Guangling Province as military governor. You completely infuriated the entire Jiangnan literati faction for this. You should know that those old geezers like Yu Jiankang all hoped that the Tangxi Sword Immortal could temporarily stay out of trouble, preferring to be shelved by the court in Liangliao like Xu Gong, delaying their careers for two or three years, rather than becoming a target now. That's why many people say you've curried favor with the Peng family of Liaodong in the capital, and that's why you tripped up the four influential families of Jiangnan Province..."

Lu Xu raised his head, his eyes tightly closed, 'looking' at Sun Yin.

Sun Yin gave an embarrassed laugh, clearly a bit abashed. It was indeed pointless to try to play mind games in front of someone as intelligent as Lu Xu.

While Sun Yin had been rather impolite, Lu Xu spoke frankly: "Qi Yanglong and Tan Tanweng were unwilling for Lu Baijie to come to Guangling Province, partly out of appreciation for his talent, and partly for reasons they couldn't voice. After all, the Lu family is related by marriage to the Xu family of Beiliang. If we learn from history, the so-called 'heart of the world aligning' ultimately means the 'heart of the literati aligning,' and popular support simply means gaining the approval of scholars. The entire Lu clan of Qingzhou moving to Beiliang was already a precedent. Following that, there were successive instances of scholars going to Liang and the grand debates between Buddhism and Taoism at Wudang. At such a time, logically and emotionally, Lu Baijie should not have come to Guangling Province, which borders Jiangnan Province. However, 'he who has no worries in the long run will have worries in the short run.' And ironically, once people start worrying about the long run, they often find more immediate worries. Master Sun asks how I convinced His Majesty. It was very simple, just one sentence: 'Deal with present matters in the present; immediate anxieties are thus unneeded, and distant worries become unnecessary.'"

Sun Yin grimaced. "Those words are rather overbearing."

Lu Xu tilted his head back, draining his cup, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "Of course, it took an entire night of close conversation with the emperor before leaving the capital, thousands of words just to get that one sentence across."

Lu Xu set down his wine cup. "Compared to fighting on the battlefield, where everyone faces death, I, Lu Xu, am merely moving my lips and tongue; I'm utterly useless."

Sun Yin shook his head and chuckled, "Useless is a scholar? Zhang Zhupo, Song Li, Prince Zhao Yi and his son Zhao Piao, Lu Baijie, Yuan Guo, your former lord Zhao Xun, Wu Chongxuan, Lu Shenxiang, plus the entire Guangling Province... This is such a vast chessboard, and yet you and I, two minor officials from the Ministry of Works, can maneuver so freely here. How can we be useless?"

Lu Xu lowered his head, 'gazing' at the tabletop, just as he had once sat in Yongzi Lane with a chessboard before him.

Lu Xu murmured to himself, "Chess has winners and losers, gambling on chess has gains and losses. But this strategizing for emperors and the world, guiding the empire—our fingertips are stained with blood."

The final book signing for *Snow* was held in Guangzhou, specifically at the Guangzhou Book Center, 123 Tianhe Road.

Many things to say... let's discuss them when we meet then...

P.S.: Please do not bring sharp objects or similar items...

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