Chapter 882: Drink a Million Toasts

As Xu Fengnian led the White Horse Retainers to Jubai City outside Liangzhou Pass, some other individuals quietly made their moves. Xu Yanbing went alone to Lazikou Pass, which bordered Northern Liang and Western Shu. Mi Fengjie, chief steward of the Fushui Chamber, and Fan Xiaochai secretly escorted Xu Beizhi from Youzhou to Hezhou. Hu Yan Daguan, a force unto himself, also left his wife and children, his whereabouts unknown.

By Xu Fengnian's side was now a seemingly unremarkable young attendant. He rode his horse in armor, yet carried neither a Liang saber nor a Liang crossbow. He was stern-faced and deep in thought. As Xu Fengnian journeyed northward, he made no deliberate attempts to win over this highly talented young man. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that it would be meaningless. Anything Xu Fengnian might say to him, whether about duty to the nation or high office and generous emoluments, would seem absurd and comical, for his name was Xie Xichui. He was Cao Changqing's prized disciple and one of the "Twin Jewels of Great Chu" who distinguished himself in the Guangling Dao conflict. Most of the five hundred Western Chu scholars were now settled in various academies in Lingzhou, far from conflict. Only Xie Xichui had requested to see the region beyond Northern Liang Pass. Xu Fengnian, of course, would not refuse. He now somewhat understood the mindset of Liyang's late Emperor Zhao Dun towards Chen Zhibao: some individuals, even if they cannot be used for one's own ends, are still pleasing to the eye, like a woman of devastating beauty standing before you, simply by being nearby. Moreover, in fairness, compared to the unruly and sharp-edged Kou Jianghuai, the gentle and unassuming Xie Xichui clearly made Xu Fengnian feel more comfortable and at ease. Dealing with Kou Jianghuai was like guzzling strong liquor—exhilarating, but one had to worry about getting utterly drunk. Dealing with Xie Xichui, however, was like sipping clear tea from a small cup, neither upsetting the stomach nor causing a headache.

Along the way, Xu Fengnian only spoke to Xie Xichui when he received intelligence reports from the Fushui Chamber. These reports were mostly internal official gazettes unique to Liyang's high-ranking local officials. After Xie Xichui read them, he carefully kept each one. Each piece of paper he received often signified the loss of a Western Chu front or the fall of one or more cities. Xie Xichui merely grew more silent and reserved, showing no significant change in expression. Familiar Western Chu generals were beheaded, becoming military merits for Liyang's leading generals; familiar names chose to pledge allegiance and surrender to Liyang. The territory controlled by Western Chu steadily shrank. Wu Zhongxuan, Lu Shengxiang, Song Li, and even Xu Gong and Yuan Tingshan appeared with increasing frequency in these gazettes. The tide had turned irrevocably for Western Chu; its defeat was a foregone conclusion. The last gazette informed the world that the Liyang Emperor would personally lead an expedition to Xilei Wall in early summer. Simultaneously, an imperial decree was issued stating that if all Western Chu rebel forces abandoned resistance, the imperial army would not kill a single person on the battlefield, and the people of Guangling Dao would still be considered citizens of Liyang.

As they neared Jubai City, Xu Fengnian received a concise intelligence report from a Haixi Qing falcon. This time, he did not disclose the military intelligence to Xie Xichui, but the latter rode his horse over, his face dejected, hesitant to speak.

Xu Fengnian was not in armor, but wore a simple, elegant scholar's green robe, only wearing a Liang saber and a dragon-patterned jade pendant. He slowed his horse and turned to Xie Xichui, saying, "After Cao Changqing died, he dispersed his essence into Guangling Dao. You are not a Qi practitioner, nor a martial artist of the Celestial Phenomenon realm, so perhaps you don't fully understand the profound meaning behind this. Simply put, from the moment Cao Changqing died, Guangling Dao, where the fortune of the Great Chu Jiang clan had not completely extinguished, truly began to belong to Liyang's territory. If Liyang mishandles the situation, going on a killing spree on the battlefield, or continues to make things difficult for Guangling regarding taxes, it is highly likely to incite a backlash from Guangling Dao. While Prince Yanxu Zhao Bing is unlikely to rebel immediately, he isn't completely without a chance to take control of Guangling. Therefore, Cao Changqing's death left a path of retreat for the people of Guangling. Regardless of who ultimately controls it, they must treat its people well."

Xie Xichui muttered, "To seek benevolence is to gain benevolence; to seek righteousness is to gain righteousness..." He lowered his head, his lips trembling.

Xu Fengnian could only offer a somewhat clumsy comfort. "General Xie, I wouldn't presume to expect you to join the Northern Liang frontier army. After all, nominally, we fight against Beimang, but we are still guarding the national borders for the Zhao family of Liyang. However, regardless of the outcome of future Liang-Mang conflicts, I will ensure the safety of you and the five hundred Western Chu people. No matter how turbulent the world becomes, I, Xu Fengnian, can still ensure peace for your five hundred."

Xie Xichui paid no heed, his face filled with sorrow, muttering to himself, "When I was young and studying, every time I opened a book and read Li Bai's poetry, those grand verses of a prosperous era, imbued with immense spirit, I would yearn for them infinitely. Things like 'One must drink three hundred cups,' or 'As an immortal waved for me, it was like hearing the pines in the myriad valleys of Mount Emei'—I just felt like stretching my neck and shouting them aloud, yet it still wasn't enough to feel fully satisfied. But back then, my teacher always said that Li Bai's poetic talent was too high, his immortal aura too strong, as if soaring thirty thousand feet above the earth, yet his poems might not necessarily be the best in the human world. He said that the older a scholar gets, the more they experience, the more they will resonate with Old Du's simple and unadorned poetry. 'Who knows how many souls will be summoned when my eyes close?' 'Late at night, passing a battlefield, the bright moon illuminates white bones'—these were so simply straightforward, where was the boundless talent to speak of? But now, reading them, it's truly, truly..."

Xie Xichui was sobbing uncontrollably, raising his arm to vigorously wipe his cheeks.

This was probably the stark difference between Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai. The latter cared far less about life and death than about honor and disgrace. Xie Xichui would become dejected, while Kou Jianghuai would become indignant and rise up.

Xu Fengnian looked towards the dusty Jubai City and said, "General Xie, from Jubai City to Qinghe, and then along the line of Huaiyang Pass, Liuya Town, and Fuling Town, you may go wherever you wish. I will arrange for people to accompany you. And if you wish to see the two cavalry armies stationed on the left and right outside Liangzhou Pass, that's fine too."

Xie Xichui had regained his composure. He nodded and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xu Fengnian merely smiled in return. Suddenly thinking of the Liyang court's political situation, Xu Fengnian's mood became somewhat heavy. Western Chu no longer had the means for a resurgence. This meant that the "internal affairs" planned by Zhang Julu and Yuan Benxi had drawn to a close. Song Dongming and Bai Yu both believed that, going forward, the Liyang court, in addition to allowing Wu Zhongxuan to return to Tai'an City, would promote Song Li, who previously commanded the eastern front, along with one of Wu Zhongxuan's prominent generals, to become the two new major factions in Guangling Dao's military. Jizhou General Yuan Tingshan might not return to the frontier, but instead remain on the north bank of the Guangling River near Jing'an Dao, with his ten thousand elite cavalry from the Yanbao private army used to deter Prince Yanxu Zhao Bing's southern border army. As for Xu Gong, the Vice Minister of War, he would most likely lead troops into Jizhou to assist Grand Administrator Han Lin in restraining Military Commissioner Cai Nan, and to some extent, monitor the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry. However, Xu Gong's future official title would be a matter of speculation: would he continue to inspect the borders as Vice Minister of War, or would he directly serve as Deputy Military Commissioner and concurrently Jizhou General? But the movement truly worth Northern Liang's attention was the fate of Lu Shengxiang, the commander of the southern expedition. On this point, Qingliang Mountain and the Northern Liang Protectorate General's office held differing opinions. The former firmly believed Lu Shengxiang would remain dormant within the Liyang court for some time. The latter thought Lu Shengxiang would command all of the court's current field forces, push northward, and ultimately garrison in an area slightly behind Jizhou and the two Liaos, with forces numbering eighty to ninety thousand. This would form a crucial northern defense line with Cai Nan, Xu Gong, Gu Jiantang, and Zhao Sui, thereby compelling Beimang to commit to fighting a second Liang-Mang War. If this delicate situation materialized, with two great generals, Xu Gong and Lu Shengxiang, jointly stationed along the northern border, not to mention Gu Jiantang's schemes, the effectiveness of Jizhou Deputy General Han Fang's hidden move would be greatly reduced.

Ultimately, Liyang simply had too many capable people, and even more available soldiers.

Only two figures truly had the power to influence or even change the situation in the Central Plains: King Shu Chen Zhibao and Prince Yanxu Zhao Bing. Now, it depended on whether these two were willing to honestly return to their respective princely territories, or rather, how quickly they would depart Guangling Dao. If either of them dragged their feet, Lu Shengxiang would be unable to withdraw from Guangling Dao. After all, a general under Wu Zhongxuan combined with Song Li would already find it quite arduous to stabilize Guangling after the war, and conflicts of interest between them were inevitable. Without Lu Shengxiang, a famous general from the Spring and Autumn era with a sufficiently high rank to mediate and coordinate, the court would not be at ease should the situation change.

If these were Northern Liang's long-term worries, then its immediate concern was the increasing stability of the Beimang court. Dong Zhuo had surprisingly retained his position as Southern Court Grand King. Although Xu Fengnian had, in effect, nipped in the bud Dong Zhuo's ambition to dominate Beimang, this was akin to forcing the cornered Dong Zhuo to truly unleash his full potential in the next Liang-Mang war, even resorting to desperate measures. If in the first great battle Dong Zhuo still had various schemes and petty tricks, then the next time they met on the battlefield, Dong Zhuo would likely stake everything, and if necessary, even his private Dong family army could be wiped out.

Xie Xichui had long since departed. Xu Fengnian did not enter the city to inspect, nor were the White Horse Retainers with him. He walked alone along the riverbank, where the water level was gradually rising, his boots making a faint rustling sound as he stepped on the lush green, soft grass. Xu Fengnian sat by the bank, gazing at the river, lost in thought.

Outside Liangzhou Pass were Chu Lushan's Northern Liang Protectorate General's office and a large number of civil officials, led by Li Gongde, overseeing new city construction. Everyone knew what they needed to do, and they were doing it well. This made Xu Fengnian, the nominal co-lord of the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry, seem somewhat redundant. Especially when war had not yet begun, Xu Fengnian's presence was more like a flag, standing firm on the northwestern frontier, proclaiming the inviolability of Northern Liang's four prefectures to the Liyang court and the Beimang army.

Xu Fengnian subconsciously pulled up a wild weed nearby, dusted off the soil, and put it in his mouth to chew. After the earthy taste, a faint sweetness emerged. After Huang Longshi died silently in a certain place in the southeast, Haha Girl returned to Northern Liang and spoke many strange remarks she had heard from the Three Sages of Spring and Autumn. Some Xu Fengnian half-understood, some left him confused, some were inspiring, and some were disappointing. Haha Girl said that in the Central Plains of the distant future, merchants and actors would be more noteworthy in the eyes of common people than nobles in yellow and purple robes at court. She said that ruling the world would not depend on birth; emperors would take turns ruling, "this year it's my family's turn." As long as the world was turbulent, and one held military power, one could declare oneself king and might even become a founding emperor. She also said that future scholars would value profit over reputation, making it difficult for true imperial mentors to exist.

Xu Fengnian could not imagine such a world. He remembered that back then, his master Li Yishan had convinced Xu Xiao not to rebel and not to divide the land with Liyang along a river, using just three words: "Name, Speech, Action." The implied meaning was simple: if names are not rectified, then speech will not be appropriate; if speech is not appropriate, then affairs cannot be completed. In the late Spring and Autumn period, where Xu Xiao lived, a person's background was most valued. Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born to be so? The answer, naturally, was yes. But interestingly, before the Great Qin Dynasty, during the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought and wandering scholars, the answer was no; neither sages nor generals/ministers were judged by their birth. That brilliant era, which produced numerous Sages and worthies, seemed to be one where everyone was extraordinary. It was only when wandering scholars evolved into gentry, and then into powerful clans, especially after the Great Feng Dynasty chose to solely honor Confucianism, that the rules of the world became rigidly set. Princes, nobles, and high officials wore yellow and purple robes for generations, while "mud-legged commoners" would remain "mud-legged commoners" toiling in the fields their whole lives. All of this only changed after Zhang Julu took control of Liyang's court affairs. He vigorously promoted the imperial examination system, and humble scholars, suppressed for centuries by these rigid rules, finally had the opportunity to rise. Many scholars from impoverished backgrounds were like carp leaping over the dragon gate, "a peasant in the morning, a minister in the evening." The private counsel system that emerged at the end of the Great Feng Dynasty alongside regional warlordism was similar yet fundamentally different from this, because the latter could only speak for their master/patron, while the former could speak for the common people of the world. So Xu Fengnian remembered very clearly that his master Li Yishan, regardless of his views in the first half of his life, certainly in the latter half of his life at the Listening Tide Pavilion, was completely unwilling to compare himself to Zhao Changling, Yuan Benxi, and others. Instead, he had always been deeply concerned about the various reform measures of that "blue-eyed" Liyang emperor...

Xu Fengnian had unconsciously chewed up the wild weed, spitting out the residue. He stood up and let out a long breath. Since he didn't need to give any instructions on the construction of Jubai City, he might as well be completely idle for a while. Xu Fengnian suddenly disappeared from the riverbank, sweeping northward. Along the way, he distantly saw a main contingent of the Right Cavalry Army relocating according to deployment, and he saw the silhouette of Huaiyang Pass. Ultimately, Xu Fengnian appeared in the dilapidated Hutou City. This former foremost frontier city of Liyang had suffered immense destruction after Dong Zhuo's extensive months-long siege and successful capture, and before retreating, they had burned most of the city's buildings, leaving it resembling a desolate ruin. Repair progress was extremely slow, and with occasional raids by Beimang's elite cavalry, even Chu Lushan, who had a special attachment to Hutou City, had to give up his efforts. In the night, Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged on the battlement of the city wall, looking at the Long'an Plain outside the city. He closed his eyes, and faintly, he heard the whistling sound of massive stones, like celestial maidens scattering flowers, after a thousand trebuchets simultaneously launched their projectiles. Faintly, he heard the sound of hooves as the city's cavalry bravely charged out to their deaths. Faintly, he heard the sound of himself, in his early years, drinking and laughing with Liu Jinu and a large group of lieutenants upon his first entry into the city.

The entire city died fighting, comrades sharing a grave.

It is said that after Dong Zhuo captured the city, he did not desecrate the bodies of the Northern Liang defenders who had died in battle, nor did he build a pyramid of skulls. He merely walked onto the city wall and, with his hand, pushed down the already tottering Xu-character banner. Later, the Beimang Empress ordered Dong Zhuo to exchange Liu Jinu's body for Yang Yuanzan's. Xu Fengnian did not hesitate in the slightest; he not only agreed to place both Yang Yuanzan's head and body into a coffin, but even included an additional five or six heads of Beimang generals. At first, in the Youzhou council hall in Xiaguang City, a hot-tempered general immediately cursed aloud and stomped his feet. It is believed that had it not been for Xu Fengnian's secret letter brought into the city, but the young prince standing there himself, those generals would have cursed even if it meant losing their official positions. Yan Wenluan's expression was also grim; they all clearly believed the King of Northern Liang was showing weakness to the Beimang barbarians. What kind of womanly act was it to make overtures to a defeated general after winning a battle? At that time, the entire Youzhou frontier army was about to erupt. Only when Chu Lushan's sternly worded secret letter was swiftly dispatched to Xiaguang City did the uproar subside.

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and said softly, "Liu Jinu, and Ma Jili, Chu Hanqing, all of you in Hutou City, I apologize. I forgot to bring wine this time. But I imagine the blood of Beimang's three hundred thousand men will be the best wine."

Xu Fengnian clasped his hands into fists and rested them on his knees, leaning forward as he looked towards the distant north, and chuckled, "I, Xu Fengnian, promise you all here: for wine like that, Northern Liang will toast you a million more cups!"