Chapter 886: Each Taking a Head

In the martial world, a dark and windy night is a night for killing; on the battlefield, autumn is the season for war, when horses are strong.

Fortunately, it was not yet autumn, but the height of summer. Inside the imperial hall of the Northern Mang’s Southern Dynasty, numerous basins of ice had been placed, creating a chilling coolness.

An old woman, dressed in a bright yellow imperial dragon robe of the old Southern Tang style, was not seated high on the dragon throne. Instead, she sat in a relaxed manner on the steps in front of it.

Over forty people stood in the spacious hall, which did not appear crowded. There was no clear division between civil and military officials. On the right side, all were dressed in yellow and purple official robes, no different from the officials attending court in Liyang. On the left, most wore informal attire, but almost every one of them had a Xianbei-style jade belt fastened at their waist, clearly indicating their origin from prominent Northern Court families. Looking around, among them were Huang Songpu, the foremost figure of the old Southern Dynasty who had re-emerged to take charge of military power; Dong Zhuo, who temporarily still held the title of Southern Court Grand King; Helian Wuwei, Governor of Hexi Prefecture; Wang Yong, Governor of Baoping Prefecture; Murong Baoding, Governor of Juzi Prefecture; Grand General Zhong Shentong; Liu Gui, who suffered defeat in the Liuzhou campaign against Northern Liang; Wang Yong, Governor of Baoping Prefecture; and Wan Yan Jinliang, the spokesperson for the Longguan nobility. Not only were these Northern Mang Grand Generals and Governors gathered, but also Yelü Hongcai, one of the last remaining elder statesmen who had served three reigns in Northern Mang; Hong Jingyan, co-lord of the Rouran Iron Cavalry; and Crown Prince Yelü Hongcai. Among the younger generation were Tuoba Qiyun, the Spring Nabao; Zhong Tan, the Summer Nabao, who rose to prominence in the first Liang-Mang War; as well as Duan Bo’er Huihui, the Autumn Nabao; Wang Jingchong, the Winter Nabao; Yelü Dongchu; and Princess Yelü Meiyu, who once used the alias Fan Bainu and was reputed to be the finest horseback drummer in Northern Mang; along with Yelü Yuhu, who narrowly missed the title of Summer Nabao, and others.

These individuals were undoubtedly the most prominent figures from both the Southern Dynasty and Northern Court. At this moment, everyone quietly watched the old woman who rarely appeared in the Southern Dynasty court. Her dragon robe, it was said, came from an old Southern Tang weaving family among the remnants of the Spring and Autumn era. The Emperor had been so pleased by its elegant splendor that he specifically chose this design from six patterns, and it had remained unchanged ever since. Today, after gathering everyone in this splendid hall, the old woman did not rush to begin discussions. She simply sat comfortably on the steps, which were covered with an embroidered mat depicting nine golden dragons. Beside her feet lay a crystal-clear, thin-walled porcelain basin with a delicate dagger stuck in the pile of ice. The old woman picked up the dagger and casually stirred the ice, then unexpectedly remarked, "I heard that Li Gongde, the Commissioner of Northern Liang Province, has a son who previously earned considerable military merits. As a White Horse Skirmisher, he even went to the area around Gentleman's Hall?"

Li Mibi, who had personally established Northern Mang’s ‘Spiderweb’ intelligence network, responded in a deep voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty, there is indeed such a person, named Li Hanlin. After joining the Northern Liang border army, he participated in more than twenty battles and skirmishes over three years, always leading from the front in every engagement. He has now risen to the rank of Skirmisher Captain."

The old woman chuckled, "Only three years, and he's already a captain of Northern Liang’s skirmishers? Don't they say it's hardest to get promoted in the Northern Liang border army, and even harder for White Horse Skirmishers? Either this young man's father is incredibly influential, or our Northern Mang border soldiers' heads are simply too easy to take."

Upon hearing the Northern Mang Empress's words, the expressions of Dong Zhuo and Liu Gui’s faction noticeably soured. Meanwhile, prominent figures like Zhong Shentong and Murong Baoding, who had not participated in the Liang-Mang War, appeared much more composed, even subtly amused.

The old woman glanced at Li Mibi, who stood apart from the others, and seemed to recall something, chuckling. "Among our Northern Mang's Five Great Sects—not to mention Hu Yan Daguan, who is a sect in himself—the Moral Sect, Chess Sword Music Academy, Raising Soldiers Mountain, and Princess's Tomb, these four sects are truly powerful and numerous. Sword Qi Jin Huangqing, Bronze Man Ancestor, Thirsty Child, Little Thought—these top masters are renowned, even I had heard of them. Yet, they all perished in Northern Liang. I also heard in the Northern Court that Liyang's martial world always looked down on ours, claiming that if they each chose ten top masters to fight one-on-one, they wouldn't even be fit to carry the shoes of Liyang's martial grandmasters. I remember back then, everyone told me such talk was nonsense, that Liyang people were frogs in a well."

The old woman laughed to herself, without a hint of anger. She found Hong Jingyan, who was naturally "blind" but of mixed reputation as the lord of the Rouran Iron Cavalry, among the crowd. Looking up at him, she asked, "Hong Jingyan, you were once among the top ten of the old martial arts rankings, and that demon Luoyang was even your junior at the Chess Sword Music Academy. Tell me, can you kill the King of Northern Liang, one of the four grandmasters of the martial arts rankings?"

Hong Jingyan, expressionless, cupped his hands and replied, "I cannot."

The old woman nodded. "Then what if you, Murong Baoding, and Zhong Shentong’s brother, Zhong Liang, joined forces?"

Hong Jingyan still shook his head. "I cannot."

The old woman said, "Oh. So, once one reaches the realm of that young feudatory prince, only Tuoba Pusa can contend with him. What a pity. If that little girl from Western Chu named Jiang hadn't interfered, Li Mibi would have succeeded in the Western Regions back then."

Hong Jingyan remained silent. In the Battle of Hulu Pass, the entire army, including its commander Yang Yuanzan, was annihilated. Only his Rouran Iron Cavalry narrowly avoided the two Northern Liang heavy cavalry units and managed to break through. Although their casualties were severe, they at least preserved the Rouran cavalry's structure, preventing them from being completely divided. However, Hong Jingyan's reputation in Northern Mang was severely damaged as a result. If not for a group of nobles in the Northern Court speaking up and interceding on his behalf, the Rouran Iron Cavalry would no longer bear the Hong name. Afterward, Dong Zhuo resented Hong Jingyan’s self-preservation by avoiding battle the most, blaming the defeat of the Liang-Mang War on the Rouran Iron Cavalry's dereliction of duty. If Hong Jingyan had been willing to delay the Liangzhou cavalry, allowing Dong Zhuo's own cavalry to reinforce Hulu Pass, Grand General Yang Yuanzan's forces, even if they couldn't escape a complete rout, would certainly not have all perished inside Hulu Pass.

The old woman smiled. "That Crippled Xu was only a minor grandmaster his whole life, but he has a very promising son. No wonder he told me years ago that his father, after drinking, always warned him, 'Xu Xiao, don't become too ambitious when you grow up. Your grandson will be worth two Xu Xiaos.'"

The expressions of veteran generals like Huang Songpu and Liu Gui, who were meritorious and loyal, turned somewhat odd and awkward. Meanwhile, the younger, robust generals like Tuoba Qiyun and Zhong Tan wore expressions of enlightenment. After all, some palace gossip that had circulated in Northern Mang for years, no matter how unequivocally stated, was not to be taken as truth unless confirmed by the involved parties.

The old woman joked, "Cao Changqing died outside Tai'an City, but besides Xu Fengnian, there's also the Peach Blossom Sword God, Deng Ta'a. If these two called upon two or three more helpers of similar cultivation, like Sui Xiegua, then would my head be taken as easily as the former Northern Court Grand King Xu Huainan's by the Ruoshui River was by that Xu Fengnian brat? Let me tell you, it's not just Liyang's Imperial Astronomers' qi practitioners who have fallen apart; our Northern Mang is not much better. The movements of those Earthly Immortals, who fly here and there, are no longer easy to control. If Xu Fengnian suddenly appeared outside this hall today, how would you stop him?"

The hall fell silent; no one could answer this tricky and pointed question.

The old woman gently tapped and broke a piece of ice with the dagger. She did not press these high-ranking and influential Northern Mang ministers, but merely sighed softly, "They always say a martial artist is only a match for a hundred men, while a battlefield general is a match for ten thousand. They also say a county magistrate can ruin a family, and a prefect can wipe out a clan. It seems that being an official, whether civil or military, is more imposing than practicing martial arts. That's why I've never understood why Xu Fengnian, back then, didn't want to be a proper Crown Prince, but instead ran off to wander the martial world and then went to Mount Wudang to practice martial arts. What's even stranger is how Crippled Xu could tolerate his eldest legitimate son's unbridled behavior. At the time, I only thought Xu Fengnian's actions were a last resort, wanting to contend with Chen Zhibao for control of the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry. His military achievements and reputation were certainly hard to catch up to, so he must have thought of finding a way out for himself. Since he couldn't make a living in the imperial court, and while he still had some family wealth, he might as well go to the martial world to show off his power. Looking back, if Xu Fengnian hadn't truly become a martial grandmaster through his efforts, Chen Zhibao would not have left Liang for Shu..."

At this point, the old woman fell into a long silence.

Dong Zhuo secretly sighed. Then, the plump man subtly glanced out of the corner of his eye at a young woman, Princess Yelü Yuhut.

If Xu Fengnian had indeed been "naturally" incapable of great responsibility back then, and Chen Zhibao had ultimately replaced him in Northern Liang, then the Liang-Mang War might not have happened at all. Northern Mang would most likely have chosen Liaodong or Jizhou as entry points for a southern invasion. The reason was simple: on one hand, they feared the divine military strategy of Chen Zhibao, the White-Clad Military Saint; more importantly, Chen Zhibao had covertly conveyed a stance to Northern Mang through Yelü Yuhut: if Northern Mang initiated war outside Northern Liang—whether descending south from Jizhou into the Central Plains or engaging in a decisive battle with Gu Jiantang's Liaodong and Liaoxi border armies—the Northern Liang border army would stand idly by. However, Chen Zhibao only promised that Northern Mang would watch from the sidelines until Tai'an City was taken; he made no commitments about their plans afterward. This tacit understanding, of course, could not be put on paper, but Dong Zhuo believed that Chen Zhibao indeed had such intentions back then.

To say that Xu Fengnian personally dragged Northern Liang into the quagmire of a war between two nations is not entirely absurd. Of course, at that time, the entire Northern Mang did not believe they would lose; they merely thought that even taking Northern Liang would be unprofitable. The final outcome caught both Northern Mang and Liyang off guard. Northern Mang is now in a difficult situation with no easy way out. Even the powerful Northern Mang ministers who previously insisted on taking Liaodong and Liaoxi first to directly advance on Tai'an City, no matter how much they gloated internally, dared not express a single dissenting opinion. For the Emperor, who sat before them, despite her outwardly gentle appearance as a benevolent old woman, everyone knew that anyone who dared to expose her shortcomings at this moment would truly face a dead end.

The old woman collected her thoughts and slowly said, "The Grand Tutor will arrive shortly. So, nearly all influential figures of Northern Mang are gathered in this great hall now. Next, I wish for everyone to speak freely. However, before we discuss state affairs, I have a small task for you to complete."

Everyone immediately became as serious as if facing a formidable enemy, unanimously adopting a respectful posture of attentive listening.

The old woman picked up the dagger, which had some ice chips on it, and pointed at Dong Zhuo and Liu Gui. "In the area around Long'er Plain near Hutou City, and the northern border of Liuzhou, Northern Liang scouts roam freely. The world says White Horse Skirmishers are the finest scouts under heaven, but I refuse to believe it. Dong Zhuo, your 'Crow's Perch,' and Liu Gui, your 'Black Fox Den,' are the most elite mounted scout units in Northern Mang. I wish that before autumn arrives, no matter how many men you lose, I no longer want to see even a single detachment of Northern Liang skirmishers."

Fat Dong Zhuo’s face showed a pained expression, while Liu Gui hesitated to speak.

The old woman did not put away the dagger. She sneered, "We lost three hundred thousand sons outside Northern Liang Pass. What's another thousand men? Deploy all of the Crow's Perch and Black Fox Den units!"

The old woman's expression grew colder and sharper. She said sternly, "Not only can we obtain provincial governor-level reports from Liyang's court and local administrations, but we can even get reports from military commissioners and regional commanders. Yet, with a major war against Northern Liang imminent, we haven't received a single piece of useful intelligence regarding the Northern Liang border army's specific troop deployments, not one! It's a huge joke!"

Liu Gui bowed and said in a deep voice, "Your humble servant's Black Fox Den will not hesitate to die before the war begins!"

Dong Zhuo had no choice but to echo, "The Crow's Perch will do the same."

At this moment, the Grand Tutor entered the hall, carrying a scroll. At the Northern Mang Empress's silent instruction, he unfurled it below the steps. It was a massive map depicting the standoff between Liang and Mang, each side over ten feet long. Hutou City, Huaiyang Pass, the three military towns of Liuya, Fuling, and Chongzhong, and even the rapidly constructing Jubei City—the entire area outside Liangzhou Pass was visible. As for the four prefectural cities and passes, they were detailed and precise down to the county level. Beyond geography, all of Northern Liang’s main field forces, such as the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, Left and Right Cavalry, Dragon Elephant Army, and two heavy cavalry units, were also marked near their garrisons, with red ink annotations indicating their commanding generals and approximate troop numbers.

The old woman stood up, casually dropped the dagger into the porcelain basin of ice water, and walked down the steps. She looked down at the enormous map. "Since my ascension to the throne, apart from appointing commanding generals, I have never dictated specific military matters. This time, I will make an exception."

After she finished speaking, she focused intently on the map. The Grand Tutor stood beside her and calmly stated, "The second Southern Expedition is scheduled for the beginning of autumn. No single commander will be appointed. To avoid certain situations, Tuoba Pusa has resigned from the position of Northern Court Grand King and will only lead a personal army."

The Grand Tutor quietly looked at Dong Zhuo, the Southern Court Grand King.

The plump man had an impeccably bewildered expression.

Yelü Hongcai, the Northern Mang elder statesman, sneered, "Fat Dong, playing dumb won't work this time."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Dong Zhuo maintained his "bewildered" expression for a long time. Finally, unable to withstand the Grand Tutor's unyielding gaze, he first looked at the Empress with a mournful face, only to find the old woman completely unmoved. Fat Dong Zhuo quickly reverted to his usual nonchalant demeanor, grinning mischievously. "Since our God of War won't be the Northern Court Grand King, what virtue or ability do I, Dong Zhuo, possess to dare lead all the ministers in office alone? I won't be the Southern Court Grand King either."

Once Dong Zhuo yielded, the Grand Tutor continued, "The first line will consist of a total of four armies: Dong Zhuo, Huang Songpu, Murong Baoding, and Liu Gui. Each will be assigned a deputy general: Hong Jingyan, Zhong Tan, Yelü Dongchu, and Tuoba Qiyun, respectively."

The establishment of four armies was not surprising, but the mention of deputy generals was worth pondering. Dong Zhuo and Hong Jingyan, leading one of these armies, had once been rivals for the title of Southern Court Grand King. Dong Zhuo's private army and the Rouran Iron Cavalry were both top-tier Northern Mang elites, matching each other stride for stride, cavalry for cavalry. Indeed, enemies were bound to meet.

The pairing of veteran Huang Songpu and young Zhong Tan was highly anticipated. There was no need to say much about the old general Huang Songpu; he was once the nominal leader of the Southern Dynasty ministers and one of Northern Mang's thirteen powerful grand generals. Zhong Tan, meanwhile, had already proven the adage "a tiger father begets no dog son" in the first Liang-Mang War. Although the Battle of Hulu Pass was a major defeat for Northern Mang, this did not negate Zhong Tan's impressive achievements in the three previous siege battles. As the eldest legitimate son of Grand General Zhong Shentong, it was considered a foregone conclusion that Northern Mang would see an unprecedented situation of both father and son serving as grand generals in the future. As for Murong Baoding and Yelü Dongchu, merely their surnames sparked endless speculation. Grand General Liu Gui and Tuoba Qiyun, the head of the Four Nabao, leading an army together, also carried high hopes.

The Grand Tutor said in a deep voice, "Dong Zhuo's and Murong Baoding's two armies, after advancing south past Hutou City, will be responsible for the campaigns outside Liangzhou Pass. Huang Songpu will attack Qingcang City in Liuzhou, cutting off the connection between Liuzhou's Dragon Elephant Army and Liangzhou's Jubei City. He must also tie down Qi Dangguo's Iron Pagoda troops from the Qingyuan military town and Yuan Nanting's White Feather Light Cavalry. Liu Gui will station troops outside Hulu Pass in Youzhou, to prevent Youzhou's cavalry from using it as a staging area. In between these operations, Zhong Tan must particularly monitor the movements of Northern Liang cavalry general Cao Wei's unit, to prevent him from breaking into our Southern Dynasty's heartland in the Linyiao military town area. Dong Zhuo's infantry must take Huaiyang Pass, where the Northern Liang Protectorate is located, before winter. Murong Baoding, your mission is to annihilate the Northern Liang cavalry from military towns such as Liuya and Fuling."

The Grand Tutor looked at the eight generals, whose expressions varied. "Perhaps you might ask how we should respond if He Zhonghu's and Zhou Kang's two main Northern Liang cavalry forces move north. The answer is simple: beyond the first line, we have a second line to support you, also consisting of four armies. Zhong Shentong, Wan Yan Jinliang, Helian Wuwei, and Wang Yong, each of you will lead an army. You will be stationed in Long'er Plain, north of Hutou City, awaiting an opportunity to act. Whenever He Zhonghu's Left Cavalry moves north, Zhong Shentong and Wan Yan Jinliang will move south. Similarly, Helian Wuwei and Wang Yong will target Zhou Kang's Right Cavalry."

Before anyone in the hall could raise an objection, the Grand Tutor continued, "The Crown Prince and Tuoba Pusa will each lead an army as third-line reinforcements, closely following the second-line armies southward. This will ensure they can reach the battlefield within a day if any unforeseen circumstances arise on the battlefield outside Liangzhou Pass."

Such a deployment of troops left everyone dumbfounded.

It wasn't that it was too risky, nor was it too strategically brilliant; rather, it was too "straightforward." It was like children fighting, relying solely on brute force, punch for punch, kick for kick, with no discernible tactics. Thus, it appeared remarkably unremarkable.

This certainly did not seem like the grand scheme that Northern Mang's Imperial Tutor would devise after exhausting all his efforts. Almost any mediocre centurion casually picked from the Northern Mang army could have come up with such a deployment.

The most crucial aspect was that this military strategy exuded an obvious cold-blooded cruelty, clearly intended to force the four armies of the first line, especially the two in the middle, to fight Northern Liang to the bitter end. There were no fancy maneuvers, no room for maneuver; it was simply a desperate exchange of casualties with the Northern Liang border army. The outcome would either be a pyrrhic victory or complete annihilation; in any case, there would be no good outcome.

Dong Zhuo's eyes were dark, and Murong Baoding's face was filled with anger.

Yelü Dongchu, the deputy general who had invisibly become a grasshopper on the same string as Murong Baoding, also looked grim. He turned to his grandfather, Yelü Hongcai, who merely shook his head, signaling him to calm down.

Helian Wuwei, Governor of Hexi Prefecture, and Wang Yong, Governor of Baoping Prefecture, along with others, though not frontline main forces, were mostly heavy-hearted.

Zhong Tan remained expressionless, while Tuoba Qiyun seemed relieved, then gave a knowing smile.

Crown Prince Yelü Hongcai of Northern Mang, who rarely appeared in court, exuded an air of complete detachment and leisure.

The Grand Tutor ignored the heavy atmosphere in the court, shifting his gaze downward to the northern areas like Liyang's Hezou and Jizhou. "This war is to be fought not only north of Northern Liang's Jubei City but also beyond Northern Liang. I have a few questions, and as the pillars and mainstays of our Northern Mang, I hope you can enlighten me. My first question: what is the attitude of Cai Nan, Military Commissioner of Lianghuai, and Han Lin, Regional Commander, towards Northern Liang? If the war in Northern Liang goes unfavorably, will the Lianghuai border army, with Cai Nan's forces as its core, stand by and watch them die, or will they risk moving west?"

Helian Wuwei, who was usually taciturn, uncharacteristically spoke first. "Absolutely not. The Liyang court has just conferred a marquisate upon Cai Nan. Regardless of Cai Nan's true feelings toward Northern Liang, he certainly wouldn't dare to mobilize troops without authorization. Furthermore, as a former general under Gu Jiantang, his actions could easily have a chain reaction, and he is surely unwilling to implicate his colleagues, including Tang Tieshuang."

The Grand Tutor nodded. "Second question: After General Yuan Tingshan of Jizhou took away the Li family's Yanbao cavalry, and the Liyang court has now kept him in Guangling Dao to assist Wu Chongxuan, along with Song Li, in cleaning up the mess, given this premise, Liyang will most likely send either Lu Shengxiang or Xu Gong to Jizhou. Will their arrival have a decisive impact on the direction of border affairs in Lianghuai?"

Tuoba Qiyun smiled slightly. "In my opinion, not only will Lu Shengxiang enter Lianghuai, but Vice Minister of War Xu Gong will probably arrive at the same time. However, their purpose will not benefit the Northern Liang war effort. Rather, it's consistent with Gu Jiantang's earlier proactive moves: Liyang merely hopes our Northern Mang Iron Cavalry remains determined to fight Northern Liang, and it can also prevent our forces from sweeping like a bamboo splitting and approaching Tai'an City if Northern Liang collapses. With Cai Nan's army and these two renowned Liyang generals personally present in the north, plus Gu Jiantang's Liaodong and Liaoxi armies, the Zhao family's emperor will likely feel truly at ease. Therefore, the arrival of Lu Shengxiang and Xu Gong will not change the immediate outcome of the Northern Liang war."

The Grand Tutor smiled in acknowledgment to this rising star, then asked, "Third question: Previously, Cao Wei's ten thousand Northern Liang cavalry were hidden in the Western Regions, attempting a long-distance raid into our Southern Dynasty's heartland. Had it not been for the critical situation at Qingcang City, forcing them to emerge, it would have been a serious threat. Now, with Liuzhou's youths and tens of thousands of Buddhist warrior monks from Mount Luantuo all serving Northern Liang, Liuzhou's military strength has increased rather than decreased, and Kou Jianghuai, one of the Two Jewels of Western Chu, is serving as General of Liuzhou. With the two sides and the Dragon Elephant Army forming a tripod-like balance of power, do we have any countermeasures?"

Zhong Tan calmly stated, "We naturally cannot touch the Liuzhou youths, but Mount Luantuo is not beyond inciting defection. Mount Luantuo's inclination towards Northern Liang, besides King Xu Fengnian's personal goodwill shown towards all Buddhist sects, is critically due to the female Bodhisattva's influence. We can act on both fronts: if we cannot kill Xu Fengnian, we can try to assassinate the Six-Bead Master, while also contacting other factions within Mount Luantuo. It is true that our Northern Mang suppressed Buddhism, but we might as well confer the title of Imperial Preceptor of our dynasty upon eminent monks from Mount Luantuo. However, this would require an imperial decree from Your Majesty."

The Grand Tutor nodded. "The imperial decree is already prepared."

Zhong Tan was not surprised. He bowed succinctly and resolutely, saying, "Your humble general is willing to personally go to Mount Luantuo in the Western Regions."

After the Grand Tutor agreed, he said, "Fourth question: With the Lianghuai affairs settled and the Western Regions affairs concluded, can we add fuel to the fire in Shu Commandery?"

Li Mibi smiled. "That Prince Zhao from Southern Zhao, whose territory is filled with grievances, has actually been an insider for Northern Mang for a long time. There's also a prominent figure in Western Shu Dao whom I carefully incited to defect; he holds the rank of Regional Commander. To say these two can lead troops across the border to attack Northern Liang would be overestimating them. However, while insufficient to achieve great things for Northern Mang, they are more than enough to disrupt Liyang, and indeed, more than enough. At that time, they can be used as pawns, completely turning King Xu Fengnian of Northern Liang into an infamous Liyang rebel. With the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry having unauthorizedly departed from the prince's domain, and then these two raising a rebellion under the banner of Northern Liang, I believe intelligent people in Liyang will understand. But as for the common people of the Central Plains, they will probably believe it to be true. It might only be when the Northern Liang border army is completely wiped out, and Xu Fengnian falls in battle, that they suddenly realize, 'Oh, that man named Xu actually didn't rebel.'"

Wan Yan Jinliang scoffed, and Helian Wuwei frowned.

Such underhanded trickery, regardless of its actual utility, ultimately, like Li Mibi's own identity, could not see the light of day and was unsuitable for polite society.

The Grand Tutor said with a smile, "The true significance of this move lies not in the elusive public sentiment of the Central Plains, but in providing the Liyang court with a perfect, justifiable reason to restrict grain shipments to Northern Liang. In Liyang's Central Plains heartland, from Prince Jing'an Zhao Xun to Regional Commander Wen Taiyi and Deputy Military Commissioner Ma Zhongxian, all have long-standing grudges against Xu Fengnian. I believe they will be pleased to see it happen. Even if Tai'an City eventually persuades the young Zhao family emperor to release the grain shipments, delaying them, causing the Northern Liang border army to lose thousands, or even tens of thousands, more men, is always a good thing."

The Northern Mang Empress, who had been looking down intently at the map on the floor, suddenly raised her head and asked, "I have a fifth question: Northern Liang claims to have three hundred thousand elite cavalry unmatched under heaven, and its military generals are said to be so formidable that they make both our Northern Mang and Liyang feel ashamed of ourselves. So, I ask you all this: Chu Lushuan, Yan Wenluan, Yuan Zuozong, Chen Yunzhui, Gu Dazu, He Zhonghu, Zhou Kang, and so on—there are so many second-rank and subordinate second-rank generals. Why haven't our millions of Northern Mang troops seized these many contemporary famous generals, these many fine heads?!"

The old woman suddenly stepped forward several paces, stomping heavily on the map, and declared loudly, "I do not need you to answer the fifth question. I have a sixth question: Among you in this hall, who is willing to expand our territory, be enfeoffed as a king, and appointed as a prime minister?!"

Everyone in the hall felt their hearts tremble.

The old woman burst into laughter. "Listen closely! Liyang's territory has thirty prefectures. In the coming war, those who kill a Northern Liang third-rank general—such as Shi Fu, General of Liangzhou; Han Laushan, General of Lingzhou; Huangfu Ping, General of Youzhou; Yu Luandao, commander of the Youzhou Cavalry; Kou Jianghuai, General of Liuzhou, and others—will all be enfeoffed as marquises!"

"Those who kill Northern Liang civil officials of the third rank or higher—such as Li Gongde, Song Dongming, Yang Guangdou, Chang Sui, Xu Beizhi, Chen Xiliang, and the like—will all be enfeoffed as marquises!"

"Those who kill Chen Yunzhui, Gu Dazu, He Zhonghu, Zhou Kang, and others, will be enfeoffed as a Two-Character Prince! When Liyang is annexed in the future, they may be granted one prefecture in the Central Plains as their fief!"

"Those who kill Chu Lushuan, Yan Wenluan, Xu Longxiang, and Yuan Zuozong—these four—will be enfeoffed as a One-Character Prince, and be granted two prefectures in Liyang's Central Plains as their fief!"

The old woman's expression turned ferocious as she concluded, "Those who kill King Xu Fengnian of Northern Liang! Will be enfeoffed as a One-Character Prince of Equal Standing! And concurrently serve as the Southern Court Grand King, with jurisdiction over the entire Central Plains! They will be specifically bestowed the title of King of Liang! In addition to Northern Liang's four prefectures as their fiefdom, they may also choose any fertile prefecture in the Central Plains!"

The entire hall fell silent.

Not a sound was heard.

Dong Zhuo burst into laughter, his eyes blazing with fervor. He cupped his hands and declared loudly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I, Dong Zhuo, will gladly accept Chu Lushuan's head!"

Murong Baoding glanced at the map, narrowing his eyes. "Then I shall take the heads of Brocatelle Partridge Zhou Kang and the others."

Huang Songpu laughed heartily. "Fortunately, Liuzhou still has the heads of Xu Longxiang, Kou Jianghuai, Yang Guangdou, and Chen Xiliang. They are still quite valuable."

The old woman slowly advanced, stepping onto Northern Liang territory on the map, one step at a time, until her foot finally rested on Qingliang Mountain.

Before the snow falls this year, I will have every inch of your Northern Liang soaked with blood!