Chapter 811: Again the Imperial Edict Arrives, Seeing Tai'an City Once More

A cavalry force, eight hundred strong, left the fiefdom of a vassal king without permission from the imperial Ministry of War. They traveled from Youzhou in Beiliang, entered Hezhou, passed through Jizhou, and slowly made their way west towards the capital region.

Along the way, the local garrisons in each prefecture, who should have intercepted this light cavalry, remained silent and made no effort even for a symbolic inquiry. This allowed the eight hundred riders to pass through the crucial northern border defenses of Liyang as if entering an uninhabited land. Previously, the elite cavalry of Beiman's eastern front had acted similarly along the northern defense lines of Jizhou and Hezhou, but the difference was that Wang Sui then commanded tens of thousands of swift and fierce troops, whereas this cavalry force numbered only eight hundred.

Ordinarily, a mere eight hundred men would be insignificant. They wouldn't make a ripple even if thrown into the war-torn Guangling Province, let alone Liaodong, where both Liyang and Beiman had heavily deployed forces.

As the eight hundred cavalry, far from moving at lightning speed, proceeded eastward, intelligence reports from influential figures such as Cai Nan, the Military Governor of Lianghuai; Han Lin, the Commissioner of Military Affairs; Zhao Xiong, the Prince of Han; and Yang Huchen, the Deputy General of Jizhou, were dispatched to the capital at a frantic pace of eight hundred *li* per day.

Finally, on the westernmost edge of the capital region, an elite force dedicated to the safety of the capital appeared. This was the Western Army of the Capital Garrison, primarily composed of the three camps of the Xilei Battalion, which had mobilized entirely. Their strength numbered seven thousand, split evenly between cavalry and infantry. This Western Army was originally meant to be led by Yuan Tingshan, who had been granted the title "General Pacifying the West." However, this Jizhou General could no longer even retain his actual post as Jizhou General, let alone exercise any control over the Western Army, whose combat strength was second only to the Capital's Northern Army. Today, these seven thousand Western Army troops were commanded by General Zhao Gui of Anxi, a member of the imperial Zhao clan, with Yu Chi Chang-gong, the Cavalry Commandant and one of the capital's four powerful commandants holding the title of "General of Valiant Martial Arts," serving as his deputy.

Seven thousand well-rested troops faced eight hundred dust-covered light cavalry, yet the former acted as if confronting a formidable enemy.

Yu Chi Chang-gong, a renowned young general on par with Yang Huchen and Song Li, managed to maintain his composure. However, General Zhao Gui of Anxi, a true general, was sweating profusely. He sat timidly on his horse, full of complaints, quietly cursing the old fuddy-duddies in the Imperial Clan Court, wondering why his claim of ill health was considered fraudulent. Even the Ministry of War, through Tang Tieshuang, had tacitly approved it. He never expected his own people to betray him, even threatening to impeach him for cowardice in the face of battle in the name of the Imperial Clan Court if he refused to lead the troops this time.

Under the scorching sun, Zhao Gui, enduring the biting northwest wind, felt like dying. Ten days ago, if he had been asked to lead seven thousand troops on his own territory to intercept a few hundred Beiliang "barbarians," he would have eagerly seized the opportunity for glory, regardless of any pressure from the Ministry of War or the Imperial Clan Court. However, as that cavalry force left Beiliang, rumors began to seep from the northwest into the heart of the capital, then through the cracks in government offices and the gaps in palace bead curtains. Upon hearing these alarming reports, Zhao Gui, whose prowess in the bedroom far surpassed his skill with a blade on the battlefield, was utterly bewildered. Had these Beiliang barbarians truly defeated a million-strong Beiman army? Was it true that even the famous Beiman general, Yang Yuanzan, had his head severed at that dreadful place called Hulu Pass? And were people swearing that the victory mounds in Youzhou were as numerous as the snowmen piled up in the capital during winter?

Zhao Gui stammered nervously, turning to Yu Chi Chang-gong and asking in a trembling voice, "General Yu Chi, what if that little barbarian Xu... oh, no, the King of Beiliang, what if the King of Beiliang refuses to stop? Are we truly going to fight them?"

Yu Chi Chang-gong, whose position as General of Anxi had been usurped by this imperial noble years ago, replied impassively, "General Zhao, these are the emperor's orders. We cannot defy them."

Zhao Gui, who usually made a point of addressing Yu Chi Chang-gong as "Commandant," forced a strained smile and said, "Don't military texts say that subduing the enemy without fighting is the highest form of good? If the King of Beiliang doesn't understand the gravity of the situation, I have good connections with the Southern Army. What if I inform them and call in a few thousand more men? That way, the King of Beiliang would truly know the formidable might of our capital garrison."

Yu Chi Chang-gong calmly stated, "General Zhao, if I'm not mistaken, anyone who dares to privately dispatch capital forces from their station will be executed. Not just you or I, even Vice Minister Tang of the Ministry of War lacks that authority."

Zhao Gui gave a dry laugh. "I'm just worried that young vassal king, who's been in the distant northwest for so long, might not understand the severity of the situation."

Yu Chi Chang-gong narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance, with no interest in idle chatter with the General of Anxi. He patiently awaited the next batch of scouts to report on the military situation. Unlike Zhao Gui, who was a so-called great general merely elevated from the ranks of the imperial clan, Yu Chi Chang-gong had gone to the front lines of the Liaodong border after coming of age. He had steadily earned his merits to become a border commandant before his family helped him secure connections, allowing him to gradually rise through the ranks after returning to the capital. Yu Chi Chang-gong was certainly not an incompetent figure like Zhao Gui, who owed his position to his surname. In the capital, there were definitely no more than a handful of high-ranking officials who truly knew the detailed situation of the Beiliang war. Even within the Ministry of War, with the Minister's position vacant and Vice Minister Xu Gong on border inspection, perhaps only Vice Minister Tang Tieshuang, who held overall authority in the capital, was aware of the inside story. Due to his past experience in Liaodong, Yu Chi Chang-gong had some valuable personal ties with Vice Minister Tang, and thus knew more about the true situation in the northwest than Zhao Gui. He was not only certain that Beiliang had repelled Beiman's million-strong army advancing on three fronts, but also had a rough estimate of the casualties on both sides. Coupled with Yu Chi Chang-gong's firsthand experience of Beiman cavalry's astonishing combat power on the border, the more he knew, the more shocked he became. Although he appeared calmer than Zhao Gui at that moment, Yu Chi Chang-gong's right hand never left the saber at his waist, and his knuckles were already white.

Perhaps Zhao Gui merely feared the young man's identity as a vassal king, the claim of three hundred thousand Beiliang iron cavalry, and at most, the terrifying title of the new King of Beiliang as a martial arts grandmaster. But Yu Chi Chang-gong genuinely had no confidence that his seven thousand men, who had been away from the smoke of battle for many years, could truly withstand the charge of eight hundred cavalry. Could they hold their formation after one charge, let alone two or three? On historical battlefields, the numerical advantage on paper has always been meaningless, whether regular troops faced bandits or elite forces confronted ordinary soldiers. Without looking too far, consider the Spring and Autumn Wars, just twenty or thirty years ago: tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of rebels, as numerous as locusts, were slaughtered by a few thousand imperial troops, their blood flowing like rivers. Such instances were not uncommon. Furthermore, on large-scale battlefields, there were many cases where one side, with only a few hundred or a thousand elite troops, utterly shattered the enemy's formation. Previously, Yu Chi Chang-gong, while not as dismissive as some Liyang scholars, didn't fully take seriously the Beiliang border army, known as the finest cavalry under heaven. He always thought that old General Yang Shenxing's Jinnan infantry, if not a match for Youzhou infantry, was at least comparable. He also believed that battle-hardened forces on the Liangliao defense line, like the Duoyan elite cavalry and the Heishui iron cavalry, would be considered top-tier even within the Beiliang border army. But now, Yu Chi Chang-gong was no longer so optimistic.

Yu Chi Chang-gong instinctively tightened his grip on his saber, his emotions extremely complex. If the Beiliang cavalry truly numbered three hundred thousand, not just tens of thousands, could they not then push directly into Beiman's heartland, to Beiting, and help the Central Plains achieve its first complete conquest of the desert and grasslands? But if Beiliang genuinely possessed such military strength, and could defeat Beiman, how much harder could it be to take Tai'an City, which lay behind him?

When a scout galloped up to report that the eight hundred cavalry were only ten *li* away, Zhao Gui forced a smile and asked, "General Yu Chi, surely the King of Beiliang wouldn't truly unleash a war at the Emperor's doorstep, would he?"

Yu Chi Chang-gong, no longer in the mood to mock Zhao Gui, frowned and said, "Let's wait for them to advance another five *li*. If Beiliang then actively dispatches scouts to make contact with our army, it means that vassal king will act according to the rules."

Unconsciously, Zhao Gui's helmet had tilted. He reached up with a trembling hand to adjust it, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and whispered, "What if we don't see any Beiliang vanguard scouts?"

Yu Chi Chang-gong gravely replied, "We'll just form ranks and face the enemy."

Zhao Gui shivered, almost falling off his horse. He let out a nervous laugh to cover his embarrassment, comforting himself, "Surely not. The last time the King of Beiliang came to the capital to meet the late emperor, whether at Xiamanwei Post Station or in the imperial court, he always understood and followed the rules."

The General of Anxi had clearly chosen to ignore the Crown Prince's actions outside the Imperial Academy and the disturbances at the Jiujiu Manor, along with his own past boastful declaration that he would certainly challenge that "little barbarian" if he ever encountered him.

The two armies were now facing each other less than five *li* apart, yet still no Beiliang cavalry scouts appeared.

Zhao Gui slapped himself across the face, fuming, "Your jinxing mouth!"

Without needing to look at the cavalry behind him, Yu Chi Chang-gong could already feel the suffocating pressure.

He recalled his early days in Liaodong, when as a cavalry corporal, Commandant Yu Chi Chang-gong first went into battle. He felt as if he could clearly hear his own heavy breathing.

Due to extreme tension, new recruits often experienced an eerie silence before a charge, where the entire world seemed to fall quiet, to the point that even the drumbeats of war could not be heard.

They were now less than three *li* apart, and still no Beiliang cavalry had left their formation.

Zhao Gui looked utterly devastated, having lost all inclination to speak with Yu Chi Chang-gong. With a vacant stare, he muttered to himself on horseback, "King of Beiliang, can't we just talk things over? After all, Beiliang and Liyang are still one family. How awful would it be for us to fight among ourselves? Haven't you Beiliang barbarians killed enough of the Beiman barbarians, hundreds of thousands of them? What kind of hero kills his own people... Besides, Your Highness, you are a master on par with Deng Tai'a; fighting against someone like me would only diminish your status!"

Yu Chi Chang-gong raised a hand high, without turning back, and roared with all his might, "Form ranks!"

Four thousand infantrymen positioned themselves in the center, forming layered defensive lines with barricades. Their shields stood like a wall, and archers had already readied their bows.

On both flanks, the combined force of over three thousand cavalry began to raise their long spears.

According to intelligence reports from both Lianghuai and Zhaogou, the eight hundred Beiliang light cavalry carried no long spears, only crossbows and sabers.

Yu Chi Chang-gong, who had ridden his horse to the front of the Xilei Battalion's cavalry formation on the left flank, sadly realized he felt like that greenhorn border soldier in Liaodong once more, on his first engagement.

The Xilei Battalion was the First Camp of the Western Army in the capital region, always holding itself in high regard and firmly believing that one Xilei Battalion could defeat the other two combined.

Its name was derived from Xilei Wall.

Yet, after just over two decades, everyone, including Yu Chi Chang-gong himself, had forgotten who had captured Xilei Wall.

It seemed only now, as they stood opposite Beiliang and were truly forced to confront the Xu family's iron cavalry, that they realized this forgotten truth.

The pale-faced General Zhao Gui of Anxi led a detachment of his personal cavalry retinue to the right flank of the cavalry formation, constantly glancing back at Yu Chi Chang-gong. This was the first time in his life he regretted having ill will towards Yu Chi Chang-gong.

In every major battle, it was traditionally Liyang military law that generals must lead from the front. However, with the exception of Liangliao, and at most the Southern Border, military forces in most other regions had, more or less, become less rigid in adhering to this rule.

At that moment, the commanding general, Zhao Gui, was continuously retreating slowly, causing a slight commotion throughout the entire right flank cavalry and leading to a weakening of their formation.

Although the common soldiers of the Capital's Western Army didn't know the astonishing news that Beiliang had utterly defeated Beiman, who among them hadn't heard that the new King of Beiliang was a martial arts grandmaster who had vanquished Wang Xianzhi of Wudi City? Such a figure was like an immortal, capable of flying through the air. Even if they thought one young vassal king couldn't possibly wipe out seven thousand troops, couldn't he kill seven or eight hundred? As part of the flanking cavalry, charging at the front meant they would be among the first to die, right? By that calculation, one out of every three or four cavalrymen would die. If they were unlucky, wouldn't they be slaughtered like chickens? Taking a step back, even if they miraculously survived, if the young vassal king, lord of three hundred thousand Beiliang iron cavalry, were to die here, provoking the Beiliang army to march directly on Tai'an City, who would bear the brunt of that? It would be them, the foot soldiers! Would the powerful high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries show them any loyalty?

Under the sunlight, on the ground.

In everyone's sight, that light cavalry, uniformly clad in white armor, shone brilliantly.

The eight hundred cavalry advanced slowly, not yet launching a charge.

Just as everyone expected the Beiliang cavalry to halt before their formation and send someone to negotiate with the General of Anxi and Commandant of Cavalry, a startling event occurred!

In the blink of an eye, the eight hundred cavalry suddenly fanned out into a charging formation.

They had no iron spears.

But every one of the eight hundred white-armored light cavalry gripped the Beiliang sabers at their waists.

It was clear that this Beiliang cavalry, despite their absolute numerical disadvantage against the well-rested imperial army of seven thousand, were ready to draw their sabers and charge at any moment.

General Zhao Gui of Anxi spurred his horse forward, not to engage the enemy, but to demonstrate his astonishing equestrian skill by circling to the very rear of the right flank cavalry.

Commandant Yu Chi Chang-gong knew perfectly well that if the Beiliang cavalry began their charge, whether his side won or lost would be minor. If the seemingly unified but inwardly divided court were to completely fall out with Beiliang, and accounts were settled later, neither he nor the entire Yu Chi family could bear the responsibility.

Yet, at the same time, he could not retreat, not a single step.

If he retreated today, his entire career would be over. Not only would Yu Chi Chang-gong suffer, but his whole family would never again enjoy a comfortable day in Liyang's officialdom.

So, Yu Chi Chang-gong sharply spurred his horse, riding out alone from the formation. He stopped less than a hundred paces from the front line of the Beiliang cavalry, bowed with cupped fists, and declared loudly, "Your humble subordinate, Yu Chi Chang-gong, pays respects to the King of Beiliang!"

Each front line of Beiliang cavalry was only about two hundred men. In the center, a plain, conspicuous carriage stood alone, guarded by merely four or five cavalrymen nearby.

The front curtain of the carriage hung still and low.

Receiving no response, the Cavalry Commandant kept his head bowed and stated loudly, "Reporting to the King of Beiliang! According to Liyang law, when a vassal king enters the capital, the retinues of the Kings of Beiliang and Huainan must halt at the Western Army barracks in the capital region!"

Yu Chi Chang-gong stood with cupped fists, the moments dragging on like years.

The powerful commandant clenched his jaw and slowly raised his head. He saw a Beiliang cavalry officer, who showed no sign of speaking, but whose hand gesture had shifted from gripping his saber to drawing it.

Yu Chi Chang-gong swallowed, steeled himself, and said hoarsely, "Your humble subordinate implores the King of Beiliang to act according to the law!"

At that moment, a commotion erupted from the Western Army.

Yu Chi Chang-gong, who had already given up hope, turned his head in astonishment. He saw three riders galloping towards them; one, an old palace eunuch in a striking scarlet python robe, held a yellow silk scroll high in one hand and shrieked in a high-pitched voice, "Imperial edict has arrived!"

Among the other two accompanying riders was a rather young official, who, judging by his official insignia, seemed to be a rising star from the Ministry of War.

Yu Chi Chang-gong instantly felt a wave of relief, as if he had just escaped the gates of hell, barely keeping himself from collapsing on his horse.

The Cavalry Commandant, standing beside the chief eunuch to hear the decree, didn't quite catch the specific wording of the imperial edict, only its general meaning: His Imperial Majesty had specially permitted eight hundred of the vassal king's personal cavalry to accompany the King of Beiliang into the capital and set up camp near Xiamanwei Post Station.

When the old eunuch in the python robe loudly proclaimed the words "Receive the edict!", the entire field fell silent.

Especially the young official from the Ministry of War, whose lips curled into a knowing, playful smile.

The official from the Ministry of Rites, unfortunately chosen to be the "bad guy," was much more experienced and cunning. He kept his gaze fixed downward, and if the imperial edict hadn't just concluded, he would have pretended to doze off on his horse.

The carriage curtain remained perfectly still.

The elderly eunuch, holding the high position of Chief of the Directorate of Ceremonial, had a stiff, old face as dry as tree bark, which mirrored the carriage curtain in its utter stillness.

Even Yu Chi Chang-gong could feel the old eunuch's grim aura.

As the second-in-command of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a paramount figure among Tai'an City's many eunuchs, and one permitted to wear a grand scarlet python robe, the old man, at this moment, fiercely suppressed his rage, showing not the slightest superfluous expression as he silently held the imperial edict, even when facing such a defiant subject.

A voice spoke from within, "Are you finished?"

The old eunuch paused, then finally lowered his head and slowly said, "Yes, I am finished."

The voice from the carriage, devoid of any inflection, stated, "Then clear the way for this king."

Yu Chi Chang-gong was dumbfounded.

The young Ministry of War official was about to speak in rebuke when the elderly eunuch immediately turned and glared ominously at him.

Then, the Chief of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to whom even several Ministers would pay their respects, said softly to Yu Chi Chang-gong, "Commandant Yu Chi, escort the King of Beiliang."

As Yu Chi Chang-gong turned his horse to command the army to disperse their formation, Gao Tingshu, the rising star in the capital, whose fame had soared during his observational tour of border affairs with the Ministry of War and who was once the *bangyan* (second-place graduate in imperial examinations), clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.

The old eunuch, with downcast eyes and a submissive tone, said softly, "King of Beiliang, this old servant must return to the capital first and thus cannot accompany Your Highness."

There was no response from the carriage.

The old eunuch, accompanied by the two officials from the Ministry of War and Ministry of Rites, returned first.

The imperial edict still stood.

Since Liyang unified the realm, from the first year of Yonghui to the second year of Xiangfu, the imperial edict had been rejected only twice.

Furthermore, the rebellious individual who refused to accept the edict both times was the same person.

It was the King of Beiliang, who couldn't even be bothered to lift his carriage curtain.

The official from the Ministry of Rites cautiously stole a glance at the Chief of the Directorate of Ceremonial. There was no change visible on the old man's face.

Gao Tingshu turned to look at the eight hundred cavalry passing through the center of the Western Army's infantry formation and sneered, "What arrogance!"

The Ministry of Rites official clearly saw no movement of the Chief Eunuch's lips, yet he distinctly heard a faint, sinister chuckle emanating from the old man's throat, sending shivers down his spine.

Gao Tingshu's lips curled up once more.

Earlier, it was he who had intentionally or unintentionally slowed their pace, and the Chief Eunuch had raised no objections.

Gao Tingshu knew that a grand performance was about to begin.

For this was Tai'an City, not Beiliang.

As the walls of Tai'an City gradually came into view for the Beiliang cavalry, they appeared increasingly tall and majestic.

Xu Fengnian finally lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out. Dressed in the python robe of a vassal king, personally sewn by Beiliang's gold-thread weaving bureau, he smiled slightly at the coachman and said, "Last time I was here, I thought the city walls were very high. Looking at them now, they don't seem as impressive as our victory mounds at Hulu Pass."

Xu Yanbing, acting as the coachman, twitched the corner of his mouth but said nothing.

In the deep autumn of the second year of Xiangfu, the King of Beiliang entered the capital.