Chapter 859: Wind and Snow Iron Cavalry Descending South of the Yangtze (7)

The Northern Liang cavalry entered the heartland of Jiangnan Province. With the precedent set by tens of thousands of Lianghuai border troops, this cavalry force, proclaiming to be pacifying chaos, advanced unimpeded. Moreover, the cavalry committed no offenses in the places they passed through, which grudgingly provided the Zhao imperial court with a way to save face.

If viewed according to the current Liyang map, Jiangnan Province, located north of the Guangling River, is actually a misnomer. However, in the early Spring and Autumn period, the territory south of Guangling was always regarded as a barbarian land rife with miasma. The former Southern Tang, which once occupied most of the land south of the Guangling River, except for a few stirring battles fought under the command of General Gu Dazhu, caused considerable trouble for the Liyang army led by General Gu Jiantang. Afterwards, the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue jointly calculated troop losses and discovered an amusing and ridiculous conclusion: the Liyang soldiers who died from illness were roughly equivalent to the number of battlefield casualties. It is said that after the old Liyang Emperor established his dominion over the realm, he told the surrendered Southern Tang ruler, who had entered the capital, "Human harmony was with Western Chu, geographical advantage was with your Southern Tang, but only the opportune timing was with Our Liyang. Everyone says opportune timing is inferior to geographical advantage, and geographical advantage is inferior to human harmony. Therefore, in Our opinion, this saying is not entirely true."

Later, under the reign of Emperor Zhaodun (the former emperor), Liyang merged prefectures into provinces. When Jiangnan Province was established, it was not without civil officials raising objections, suggesting that "Jiangbei Province" (North of the River) would be more appropriate. However, Zhaodun, whose civil and and military accomplishments were praised as outstanding among all past emperors, smilingly dismissed the suggestion. His reason was even more filled with the legendary flavor of unofficial histories: at a court meeting, Zhaodun took out a large poetry collection, recently compiled by the Hanlin Academy, and jokingly said, "How many scholars and elegant people have written about the scenery and beautiful women of Jiangnan since ancient times? Are future generations, when perusing this book, expected to make a mental adjustment? Having to shift their gaze to read a note saying 'Ancient Jiangnan is today's Jiangbei'? Moreover, the character 'North' (北) has too harsh a resonance, which would surely spoil the aesthetic appeal too much."

In Jiangnan Province, whose fertile lands fostered a flourishing literary tradition, this Northern Liang cavalry, with their clanking armor and sturdy warhorses, appeared particularly out of place. Hong Shuwen and his group of young Northern Liang "barbarians," native to the Northwest, were especially unaccustomed to the local conditions. They complained that the ground here was soft and not firm, making no sound when the horses' hooves stepped on it, let alone the dust stirred up when galloping across the desert outside the pass. The enchanting scenery of flourishing grass, singing orioles, and green willows along the post roads and official routes did not make Hong Shuwen and others feel pleasant or appreciative in the slightest; they only felt a stifling sensation in their chests, unable to move their limbs freely. Compared to these young warriors accustomed to the yellow sands and snows of the Northwest, Yuan Zuozong and a group of Great Snow Dragon Cavalry veterans who had experienced the Spring and Autumn Wars in their youth were much more composed.

This cavalry force marched day and night, not deliberately pursuing speed within Youzhou, Hezhou, and Jizhou. However, when advancing south into the Central Plains, their progress became extremely swift. Yet, the intricate rules established by the Northern Liang border army remained unshakeable. To build an invincible cavalry, strong soldiers, iron armor, powerful horses, provisions, military discipline, and the battlefield itself are all indispensable. For twenty years, the Northern Liang border cavalry's whetstone had always been the Northern Mang army. For instance, most opponents of the Liangzhou skirmishers were fierce enemies like the Crow-barriers under Dong Zhuo. This led the Northern Liang border army to form a very interesting misconception: they largely overestimated the overall combat power of all armies in the world. This was precisely the opposite of Liyang's so-called elite troops, especially those within the Central Plains. For example, Yang Shenxing's Jizhou infantry consistently looked down on Yan Wenluan's infantry. Prince Guangling Zhao Yi's cavalry firmly believed they could contend with the Northern Liang cavalry. The Qingzhou army from Jing'an Province also never took the Northern Liang cavalry seriously. A commanding general once publicly declared, "Cavalry or not, does hanging a few pounds of iron on one's body make them cavalry? Moreover, in that godforsaken, impoverished Northern Liang, can even half of the soldiers be armored?"

Then, when this Great Snow Dragon Cavalry appeared clearly within the Central Plains' view, the court and the common people closed their gates, cities, camps, and borders—and, of course, also shut their mouths.

In the deep night, near a scenic spot called Twin Phoenix Pond in Wucai County, Jiangnan Province, a large cavalry force halted their horses and rested in place for three hours. Northern Liang skirmishers and scouts continued to fan out in five-man units, returning after ten li. Before conducting their reconnaissance and patrols, each skirmisher squad leader would receive a topographical map from their standard-bearer. The maps were extremely precise and meticulous, not only clearly marking the names of mountains, rivers, and passes, but often even small and large villages and outposts were recorded. Clearly, these were definitely not maps hastily gathered on the spot, nor could they have been borrowed from local government or military units. They could only be something Northern Liang had long ago recorded in the border army's secret archives. Judging by the age of the map papers, the oldest were only about three years old. What did this mean? It meant that the Northern Liang border army, which had been entrenched in the Northwest overlooking the Central Plains for twenty years, had never truly been indifferent or uninterested in the Central Plains! These subtle clues, not expressed in words or on the surface, caused the entire cavalry, from scouts to main force, from squad leaders to generals, from top to bottom, to feel a suppressed, intense fervor, like a brazier lit in the snow.

The army was silent and well-ordered, but a group of people moved slowly on this snowy night, quietly leaving their encampment. They rode to the renowned thousand-year-old Hanshan Temple, a famous scenic spot near Twin Phoenix Pond in Jiangnan. This group consisted of Xu Fengnian, Yuan Zuozong, Xu Yanbing, and two local individuals. One was an intelligence chief from the Flushui Chamber, stationed in Jiangnan Province; even Xu Fengnian only knew his alias, Song Shanshui. Nearly sixty years old, dressed in linen clothes and straw sandals, at a glance, he looked like an old farmer who toiled in the fields year-round, but this person was a founding elder of the Flushui Chamber and was considered a trusted confidant by Chu Lushan. The other person was of similar age to the spy, named Zhang Longjing, but his demeanor was completely opposite to the former, exuding an air of wealth and nobility. He was the undisputed richest man in Wucai County, adept at handling both legitimate and illegitimate affairs, and was nicknamed "Prime Minister Zhang," implying his extraordinary influence and reach in Wucai County, Jiangnan Province, no different from a national prime minister. The Zhang family was not an outsider in Wucai County, but truly rose to prominence twenty years ago. Before that, they were merely a gentry family within a single county. Under Zhang Longjing's leadership, they began to prosper greatly. After becoming wealthy and extravagant, he did not forget to give back to his hometown, generously funding nearly a hundred impoverished scholars. More than ten of them are now influential figures with respectable official ranks, and the two most outstanding among them even became a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and a Prefectural Administrator, respectively.

To accommodate Zhang Longjing, who had not ridden a horse for many years, the group traveled slowly, which made "Prime Minister Zhang" very uneasy. He had originally arranged for his trusted attendants to bring a carriage for him, but the young Prince had a sudden whim to go to Hanshan Temple to admire the scenery. Even dignitaries like Yuan Zuozong, the commander of the Northern Liang cavalry, were riding horses. How could Zhang Longjing dare to travel alone in a carriage? He had once been a brave and skilled young officer in the Xu family army and had been immersed in the officialdom of Wucai County for over twenty years; many of his rough edges from the battlefield had been smoothed away. Moreover, a generation had passed since those days, and Zhang Longjing dared even less to neglect proper etiquette in front of the famous new King of Liang.

This time, revealing his identity to supply provisions to the Northern Liang cavalry of his former master, the Xu family, Zhang Longjing, with his numerous descendants, was not without worries. A small change could have large consequences. In fact, various aspects both within and outside his family had been stirred into ripples of trouble. Not to mention the immediate repercussions, just consider those impoverished scholars whom the Zhang family had helped in their early years, offering "charcoal in the snow." Now, they had become officials dressed in green and crimson robes. It was likely that letters of severance would soon be sent to the Zhang family residence, one after another. It wouldn't be surprising if these very people would later be the ones most eager to see the Zhang family's entire household executed. Zhang Longjing, well-versed in human nature and social etiquette, felt a degree of bitterness at this thought. But as for regret, there was none whatsoever. Zhang Longjing knew better than anyone that the Zhang family's current status, whether in official circles or in the martial world, was largely thanks to the old spy, Song Shanshui, who had never appeared before him until now. This elderly figure behind the scenes, hidden in deep shadows, had contributed immensely.

Zhang Longjing felt a stinging pain on both sides of his legs, and for a moment, he felt disoriented. As someone from the veteran cavalry corps, he recalled following the Great General in campaigns north and south in his youth, even being able to doze off on a bumpy horseback without falling, let alone his incomparably skilled horsemanship in combat. He never imagined that twenty years later, even riding a horse for travel would be so arduous. "It turns out I truly am old," he thought.

The young Prince's words interrupted "Prime Minister Zhang's" wandering thoughts. "Zhang Longjing," he said, "when my Northern Liang cavalry returns by the same route, will there be any complications regarding your Zhang family's relocation with us to Northern Liang? If you have any difficulties, you can raise them now. Preparing for a rainy day is always better than being flustered when the time comes. Furthermore, I'll be blunt upfront: even if the Northern Liang cavalry goes to the Guangling Province battlefield, as long as they remain in the Central Plains, generally no one would dare to touch your Zhang family. But if you don't move into Liang, your entire family will face a severe situation, making enemies on all sides. Don't expect old friends to remember past sentiments. When that time comes, even if the imperial court remains silent, local officials and stationed troops will also be restless. So if any young members of your clan harbor illusions of good fortune, you'd best explain the situation clearly to them. If words don't suffice, make them understand through force or punishment. After all, temporary family discord is always better than ruin and death later. Of course, just like with the previous sixteen families, I can guarantee that once the Zhang family is within Northern Liang, I won't say life will be more comfortable than in your original place, but it certainly won't be worse. Whether family members pursue scholarly or military careers, Northern Liang will open its doors wide for them. I have already spoken with Chu Lushan and Song Dongming. The official and military circles will make room for over fifty positions for you. Distributed among them, each family can get around three positions. The lowest official rank will be an influential fifth-rank junior."

At this point, Xu Fengnian said with a self-deprecating smile: "A fifth-rank junior, even if slightly higher, is indeed a bit shabby for prominent clans like yours. So I can also privately promise you: if it's not a local garrison like in Lingzhou, but a border army outside the pass, the official rank can be one level higher. If it's not the Liangzhou officialdom, but the Liuzhou Yamen, it can also be an additional level higher. The second great battle between Liang and Mang is imminent. You can weigh the pros and cons of this yourselves."

Zhang Longjing was about to speak when Xu Fengnian suddenly turned his head, smiling at this veteran who had not forgotten the Xu family for twenty years, and spoke first: "Including your Zhang family from Wucai County, my Northern Liang cavalry has encountered a total of seventeen families along the way who have come forward, risking the grave crime of execution. I, Xu Fengnian, am very grateful to you. I will also do my best to defeat Northern Mang, so you will have no worries."

Zhang Longjing fell silent, his expression complex.

The Zhang family had been influential and well-connected in Wucai County and even throughout the entire province for many years. This time, as patriarch, he had acted independently, and the fierce backlash from within and outside the family would certainly be considerable. But ultimately, the Zhang family had no retreat in Liyang. It was no longer a question of whether they could live comfortably, but if they wanted to survive, they could only systematically withdraw into Northern Liang territory. Zhang Longjing had often asked himself recently how the Zhang family's descendants would establish themselves anew in a completely unfamiliar place. Even if the young Prince and the Northern Liang officialdom were willing to open backdoors, allowing the younger generation of the family to take a shortcut, whether they would succeed smoothly, or how far or near they would go, was difficult to say.

The old spy, Song Shanshui, was also silent. Compared to Zhang Longjing, who after all only resided in one corner of the realm, he knew more secret details. In fact, after the Northern Liang cavalry left the Prince's domain, the families overseen and supported by the Flushui Chamber along the way were not seventeen, but twenty-four. The four families in Hezhou and Jizhou all unhesitatingly stepped forward, completely severing ties with the imperial court. But further south, there began to be turncoats. For example, two families in the northern part of Jiangnan Province: one, whose former patriarch, an old veteran of the Xu family, had died many years ago, chose to play deaf and mute this time. The other family then even secretly contacted Zhao Gou through official channels, attempting to draw a clear line between themselves and Northern Liang. And the patriarch of the latter was still alive. The reason, whether it was greed for wealth or consideration for their descendants' future, was unknown. Subsequently, six more families made similar choices. Song Shanshui believed that the further away from Northern Liang Province, the more such perfidious and self-preserving families there would be. But what puzzled Song Shanshui was that the Flushui Chambers in various places remained inactive. The old spy originally thought they would deal with these ungrateful individuals later. But tonight, after personally witnessing and hearing things while accompanying the new King of Liang, the ruthless old spy suddenly felt uncertain. His intuition told him that it was more likely that they would simply "let well water not interfere with river water," meaning, leave things as they are.

Song Shanshui, originally a scout, felt a slight regret in his heart, feeling a sense of grievance on behalf of Northern Liang. But towards Northern Liang, and especially that young man, the old spy actually felt no disappointment. For this young Prince, currently renowned throughout Liyang, Song Shanshui instead felt a sense of familiarity, as if it was meant to be.

Not to mention the comrades-in-arms who died on the battlefield earlier, how had General Xu Xiao ever shortchanged anyone who was alive, even slightly? When had he ever been petty? For so many years, noble families with military heritage were as numerous as ox hairs in Northern Liang. There were never few dissolute youths causing trouble in their localities. Until the Great General's death, he never touched these "moth-eaten" families. He only strove to forge the Northern Liang border army into an elite force guarding their domain, patrolling the borders repeatedly, and more or less seemed to turn a blind eye to the corruption and murky atmosphere behind him, especially in Lingzhou. Ultimately, he honored his early promise from beginning to end: "When I, Xu Xiao, gain wealth and prestige in the future, I will ensure that my old comrades-in-arms under my command will enjoy prosperity with me!"

Would the new King of Liang, Xu Fengnian, not have made big moves in the Lingzhou officialdom if there hadn't been a war between Liang and Mang?

The old spy was originally very curious about this matter, but now he simply couldn't bring himself to ask.

As for whether the Northern Liang cavalry would next advance south into the Central Plains, or whether the new King of Liang harbored ambitions for the dragon throne... The old spy, for some reason, suddenly stopped thinking about it entirely.

In the subsequent casual conversation between the new King of Liang and Commander Yuan, the two old men learned that not only was the Jizhou army advancing south to intercept them, but twenty thousand elite troops from Shu also marched out of Shu to pursue eastward, and Jing'an Province, located in the heart of the Central Plains, also seemed poised for action.

Once battle erupted, the true backbone responsible for intercepting the Northern Liang cavalry, Assistant Minister of War Xu Gong, would certainly meticulously choose a location unfavorable for cavalry formations.

In Zhang Longjing's eyes, the Liyang court was trying to "lure the king into the urn"—a trap.

Zhang Longjing couldn't help but feel worried, as he had, after all, been away from the Xu family's iron cavalry for over twenty years.

He had not even seen Tiger Head City in Liangzhou, Gourd Pass in Youzhou, or Qingcang City in Liuzhou.

Breaking a lifelong habit, the old spy initiated a conversation with Zhang Longjing, who was riding alongside him. He asked in a low voice, "Are you afraid?"

Zhang Longjing, whose thoughts had been revealed, did not become angry or embarrassed. He merely sighed and said, "It's not fear, just worry. I'm worried about the tiger falling into the plains."

The old spy scoffed, "A tiger fallen into the plains to be bullied by dogs? When a tiger roars in the Central Plains, what dog dares to bark?!"

Zhang Longjing looked chagrined.

Suddenly, the young Prince's warm, mellow voice came from ahead. "Old Song," he said, "I'll accept your flattery, but I can't guarantee you a promotion in the Flushui Chamber. That's Chu Lushan's territory; his word carries more weight than mine."

The old spy, accustomed to not showing his emotions, chuckled softly.

Zhang Longjing turned and glared at the old scoundrel who had just set him up. "You, Song," he exclaimed, "don't ever think I'll buy you a drink in this lifetime!"

The inconspicuous old spy softly replied, "I'll be staying right here for the rest of my life; even if you, Prime Minister Zhang, wanted to invite me, you wouldn't be able to."

Zhang Longjing asked curiously, "Why won't you return?"

The old spy twitched his lips. "I'm old now. Staying in the Central Plains, with the little experience I've accumulated, I might still be of some use. If I go to the battlefield outside the pass, I'd lose face. I'm afraid the young ones in the Northern Liang border army would look down on us old veterans of the Xu family."

Zhang Longjing was speechless and could only sigh.

Suddenly, the old spy raised his voice and called out, "Your Highness, may I flatter you one more time?"

The young Prince ahead turned his head and smiled, "Speak freely, but even if you talk the heavens down, there'll still be no reward."

The old man straightened his back slightly. The spy, who hadn't used his real name for twenty years, uttered the three characters he had almost forgotten, and said, "If I, Song Hetian, could be twenty years younger, I would follow Your Highness to slay barbarians! Just like when I followed the Great General back then, every time I went to the battlefield, I had only one thought: if I died in battle, I would be surrounded by comrades, and those who survived would help me live on. Dying wouldn't be a loss!"

Xu Fengnian continued riding forward.

But Yuan Zuozong slowly reined in his speed, took off the saber from his waist and threw it over, laughing, "Old Song, His Highness has already given away many new Liang sabers on this trip and didn't bring any more. Consider this my gift to you on his behalf."

The old spy caught the Liang saber, which had slain three hundred thousand Northern Mang barbarians outside the Northern Liang pass. He smiled brightly and said, "Commander Yuan, I don't want the saber. A spy who must remain unseen has no use for it, and it's not fitting to keep."

Zhang Longjing was confused and puzzled, "Then why are you holding it so tightly?"

The old spy carefully hung the battle saber at his waist.

An old veteran, wearing a new saber.

The old man then said in a deep voice, "Just let me, an old veteran, wear this Liang saber for ten li; that would be good enough!"