Chapter 901: Autumn Wind Supports the Spring Breeze

An emergency military meeting was convened at Huaiyang Pass. In attendance were over thirty Northern Liang military officials, including Yuan Zuozong, commander of the Northern Liang cavalry who was currently leading light cavalry scouting outside Hulukou, along with Yan Wenluan, He Zhonghu, Chen Yunchui, Gu Dazong, and Zhou Kang—the five highest-ranking infantry and cavalry generals in the border army—as well as Protector-General Chu Lushan. Also present were the deputy commanders of the two cavalry armies stationed outside Liangzhou Pass, Liangzhou General Shi Fu and Youzhou General Huangfu Ping, the commanders of the four military towns—Fuling, Liuzhou, Chongzhong, and Qingyuan—and over twenty influential lieutenants like Huang Laifu. According to the Northern Mang Empress's system of calculating military merits by heads, anyone who could break through this pass at that moment would indeed achieve immense military glory.

Xu Fengnian, who rarely intervened directly in border affairs, opened the meeting by proposing a bold strategy, far more aggressive than the previously established plan. It wasn't merely a matter of "Youzhou infantry inclining west and Lingzhou cavalry inclining north," but rather to make Liuzhou the decisive battlefield for the second Liang-Mang War. Its importance would subtly even surpass the as-yet-unbuilt Jubei City and the entire region beyond Liangzhou Pass. Deputy Commanders He Zhonghu and Chen Yunchui both voiced their opposition. Zhou Kang, the "Brocade Partridge," who was slightly less senior, explicitly supported the young lord's proposal. Yan Wenluan and Gu Dazong remained silent, as such a move was simply too risky. Their King of Northern Liang was clearly aiming for a momentous head-on assault against Northern Mang!

His message was clear: "If you attack my lands beyond Liangzhou Pass with heavy forces, then I will devastate your Northern Mang Southern Dynasty!"

Gu Dazong, the current Northern Liang infantry deputy commander and a former pillar of Southern Tang, had advocated "defending territory by fighting outside the national gate" at the end of the Spring and Autumn Wars. By rights, Xu Fengnian's new policy should have appealed to the old general. However, after weighing the pros and cons, Gu Dazong found himself once again looking down at the map of the Liang-Mang confrontation on the table, his worries evident. "My Lord," he said, "this move may not be appropriate. Setting aside whether our cavalry in Liuzhou can advance all the way into the heartland of the Southern Dynasty, even if Youzhou infantry helps defend the cities along the Liuzhou-Fuling-Chongzhong line north of Jubei City, we are still at a significant disadvantage in troop numbers. This disadvantage cannot be compensated by a few city walls. If Yuluan Dao and Ning Emei lead their combined forces westward, the disparity in numbers will become even more exaggerated. It's not that Huaiyang Pass and these other strongholds cannot be lost, but my fear is that they might fall too quickly, causing Generals He and Zhou's cavalry to lose their vital support. This is a chain reaction. In such a hurried situation, how can Jubei City, isolated beyond the pass, possibly withstand the main Northern Mang army? Without Jubei City, even if most of the Northern Mang Southern Dynasty is ravaged by Liuzhou cavalry, it won't help the overall situation."

Yan Wenluan, with one hand behind his back, pointed at the map. "Let's consider this in reverse. Suppose there's no fighting at Hulukou. Our main Youzhou infantry force is entirely redeployed outside Liangzhou Pass—all of it, not just the original 30,000. Then the effect of military towns like Fuling and Liuzhou in delaying the enemy would be greater. For example, I stay here at Huaiyang Pass, while you, Gu Dazong, lead troops to assist in the defense of Chongzhong military town. Chen Yunchui takes over Qingyuan military town, which connects Liangzhou and Liuzhou. In this way, the overall defense line north of Jubei City, while not necessarily an impenetrable fortress, could at least buy the Liuzhou cavalry two to three months..."

Before Yan Wenluan's two infantry deputy commanders could speak, He Zhonghu, commander of the Left Cavalry Army, interjected impatiently. "No, absolutely not! Everyone here is family, and we all know what I'm about to say without me even saying it. The area north of Jubei City, including Huaiyang Pass, is already destined to be undefendable, let alone the towns of Liuzhou and Fuling. Do the three of you intend to give the Northern Mang barbarians three chances to be enfeoffed as princes for free?!"

At this point, He Zhonghu hesitated, looking at Xu Fengnian and Chu Lushan, who stood side by side. "My Lord, it's not that I, He Zhonghu, underestimate those young generals in Liuzhou. In fact, whether it's Kou Jianghuai and Xie Xichui, known as the 'Twin Jewels of Western Chu,' or Cao Wei and Yu Luan Dao, I admire them all. Given time, I might not even be worthy of carrying their shoes. However, the upcoming battle allows for no mistakes. The Northern Mang barbarians like Dong Zhuo and Huang Songpu can afford to make some mistakes, but unfortunately, we Northern Liang cannot make any! Those young people are, after all... too young! Moreover, Liuzhou already has the seasoned Huang Songpu stationed there. Now that Landa Mountain has defected, Liuzhou's cavalry is already not numerous. Besides the Dragon Elephant Army, which comes from an old camp, the other cavalry units were formed not long ago. They also lack the kind of unspoken understanding that can only be cultivated through a series of battles. If a single link fails, one misstep, won't we lose everything?"

Zhou Kang frowned, suggesting with some hesitation, "If General He is worried that Liuzhou lacks a central pillar, why not let Commander Yuan personally oversee the situation?"

Chu Lushan shook his head. "Yuan Zuozong is indispensable for the cavalry engagements outside Liangzhou Pass. We need a cavalry general who can utilize cavalry to achieve the state of 'addressing immediate needs with a distant solution.' Only Yuan Zuozong in Northern Liang can do this; I, Chu Lushan, cannot. Therefore, most of those young cavalry generals in Liuzhou will have to fight independently, and that's how it's been from the start!"

The battle of Princess's Tomb, which contemporary military strategists consider decisive in the Battle of West Leibei, saw Yuan Zuozong as the undisputed greatest contributor. Indeed, it's debatable whether the Zhao and Jiang surnames would still rule the Central Plains today without Yuan Zuozong's long-distance raid.

Chu Lushan had once achieved the feat of "a thousand cavalry opening Shu," which, along with Lu Shengxiang's "Luzhou in a snowy night," was renowned as one of the two classic cavalry battles during the Spring and Autumn Wars. However, compared to Yuan Zuozong's spontaneous, unauthorized surprise attack at Princess's Tomb, it was undoubtedly less impressive. Even Chen Zhibao later admitted that he realized the significance of the Princess's Tomb battlefield later than Yuan Zuozong. Therefore, the first thing Xu Fengnian did after inheriting his title was to appoint Yuan Zuozong as cavalry commander, while Chu Lushan was merely the nominal top military figure in Northern Liang. This combination of a substantive and a nominal leader proved that the new King of Liang, who hadn't fully commanded respect yet, had chosen the right people, and it prevented major upheavals in the Northern Liang border army.

Xu Beizhi, who had just secretly returned to Northern Liang from the Huai-Liang Dao Administrator's residence, stood silently in a corner. The long journey had left him exhausted, so he simply stood there, resting with his eyes closed.

Yan Wenluan, small and thin but with an imposing presence that outshone the other generals in the hall, tapped the table with two bent fingers. He turned and asked, "Protector-General Chu, the 10,000 cavalry Cao Wei drew from the border army, Yu Luan Dao's 10,000 Youzhou cavalry, Kou Jianghuai's cavalry (mixed with a considerable number of young men from Liuzhou), plus Xie Xichui's temporary command of just over 6,000 cavalry from Linyao and Fengxiang towns, and Ning Emei's Iron Pagoda, which was emergency-replenished after heavy losses—five young cavalry generals whose combined age is only two of my own. Are we truly betting on them to turn the tide? Are we old folks from Liangzhou and Youzhou being too demanding of them?"

The root of this debate was whether these young people could bear such a heavy responsibility and live up to the sacrifices of the Liangzhou border army. If they couldn't inflict severe damage on the Northern Mang Southern Dynasty, or force the Northern Mang central army into a deeply isolated position, then even if Liuzhou cavalry killed many enemies or wiped out all civil and military officials in the Western Capital court, it would, as Gu Dazong said, ultimately be pointless. If Jubei City fell, the lightly defended Liangzhou would inevitably be lost, rendering the entire war unwinnable.

Chu Lushan rubbed his hands, chuckled, and glanced at the young lord.

Just as Xu Fengnian was about to speak, Xu Beizhi finally broke his silence. "When the Great General led the Xu family army on campaigns, trampling six kingdoms," he began, "I recall that Lord Chen Zhibao of Shu, Protector-General Chu, and Commander Yuan were all very young back then. Xu Pu, Wu Qi, and others weren't old either. Even General Yan was considered a young general at the time. That's why the Liyang Ministry of War sarcastically called them 'baby lieutenants and crowned generals.' Whether it's Kou Jianghuai, Xie Xichui, Cao Wei, Yu Luan Dao, or Ning Emei, none of them are 'masters' who only theorize on paper. Except for Cao Wei, who hasn't achieved major military merits yet, all the others have distinguished themselves in battle. For instance, Kou and Xie, who were originally not well-known, were entrusted by Cao Changqing to serve as commanders of the eastern and western fronts of Western Chu. Why are we in Northern Liang so hesitant about them?"

Xu Beizhi smiled and asked, "Could it be that our Liuzhou cavalry's combat effectiveness is so negligible? Are they even worse than the cobbled-together Western Chu cavalry?"

Without waiting for an answer, Xu Beizhi took a few steps to the table and continued. "Northern Mang's Grand Peace Regent resorted to this inferior strategy, advancing step by step, simply to chip away at Northern Liang's Iron Cavalry on the battlefields outside Liangzhou Pass. In essence, it's forcing us Northern Liang to also follow an 'inferior strategy.' To put it bluntly, if Northern Liang's Iron Cavalry chooses to simply hold out against the Northern Mang barbarians north of Jubei City, then even if we don't take risks, even if we don't rely on the Liuzhou campaign to break the stalemate, everyone in this room will still inevitably die in battle; it's only a matter of time. In my opinion, we shouldn't always think about how not to lose too badly, or only about sacrificing the border army just to kill an extra hundred thousand or several hundred thousand Northern Mang cavalry. Instead, we should think about how to win, to win in a way that truly convinces both Northern Mang and Liyang."

Xu Beizhi pointed at the map on the table, then suddenly sobered, his voice serious: "Now the opportunity has arrived! It's right before our eyes!"

Xu Fengnian turned to look at him, smiling slightly.

Yan Wenluan, He Zhonghu, and other old generals from the Spring and Autumn period were not hot-headed youths. After hearing Xu Beizhi's argument, they didn't show much emotional excitement; instead, they became even more cautious.

Zhou Kang, the "Brocade Partridge," was known as a fierce martial artist in the Northern Liang border army, always advocating that the best defense is offense. Probably aware that the outcome of today's meeting might determine Northern Liang's survival, he didn't fuel the fire. Instead, he chose his words carefully: "There's no doubt about the military talent of those young people. Now I want to confirm one thing: can those several leaderless Liuzhou cavalry units truly lead Huang Songpu by the nose?"

As the sole civil official from Northern Liang, Xu Beizhi suddenly made a gesture that left the room full of decorated military officers amused and exasperated. He pointed at the Northern Liang King not far away. "You'll have to ask him. Today's entire dispute was stirred up by him."

Xu Fengnian, with a somewhat pale and sickly complexion, chuckled. He slowly said, "I believe you've all seen the reports from the Fushui Chamber and the Governor-level court gazettes regarding Kou Jianghuai and Xie Xichui's military tactics, and have a general understanding. Each has their own mix of orthodox and unorthodox methods. The turning point of the Guangling Road campaign, and the shift in Western Chu's fortunes from prosperity to decline, actually occurred when Kou Jianghuai angrily left the battlefield. As for the reasons behind that, it's not within today's discussion and involves Kou Jianghuai's personal matters. But looking back at that campaign, which gave the imperial army such a headache, it's not hard to see how these 'Twin Jewels of Western Chu' guarded Western Chu from left and right. Their opponents included Yan Zhenchun, Yang Shenxing, Lu Shengxiang, Wu Chongxuan, Chen Zhibao, and others, all renowned military strategists of their time. Although the later stages of the war began to favor Liyang—and of course, there were some non-military factors that led to Lu Shengxiang and Chen Zhibao not fully committing their forces—Western Chu largely managed to maintain a balance, which was extremely difficult. So, I very much look forward to Kou and Xie reuniting their efforts in Liuzhou."

Xu Fengnian smiled. "If Liuzhou's opponent were Dong Zhuo, who excels in surprise attacks, rather than Huang Songpu, who is known for his steady tactics, I would be uneasy, like many others. In fact, regarding Liuzhou, the person I truly consider a major concern is Zhan Tan, the Xia Nabate, who caused Landa Mountain to defect to Northern Mang."

Chu Lushan said ominously, "So, My Lord specifically arranged a grand feast for that boy Zhan Tan this time. The ninety cavalry of the Wu family left outside Liangzhou Pass will head to the Western Regions under Xu Yanbing's leadership to cooperate with Cao Wei in intercepting Zhan Tan."

Xu Fengnian looked down at the map of Northern Mang's Southern Dynasty territory and said softly, "Northern Mang's military strength is formidable; otherwise, it wouldn't give us Northern Liang such a headache. However, Northern Mang's court faces various deep-seated problems, difficult to reverse, and far more turbulent than we Northern Liang imagine. The true meaning behind this desperate gamble, using Liuzhou as the breakthrough point, isn't on the Liang-Mang border battlefield, but within Northern Mang itself. I want to bring the confrontation between the Yelü and Murong clans and the Northern and Southern courts within Northern Mang from behind the scenes to the forefront. I want to make it impossible for that old woman, who threatened to sell our heads by weight, to suppress the situation with an iron fist any longer."

Yan Wenluan pondered, then nodded. "That line of thought... is very interesting."

Then, Yan Wenluan looked at Chen Yunchui, He Zhonghu, and other old comrades with whom he had served for so long, his expression complex: "We are old. Although we can still ride horses, draw bows, and kill, compared to young people like Yu Luan Dao, we are, after all, old."

Outside, the autumn wind began to rise.

The aging General Yan Wenluan, for some unknown reason, gazed outside, lost in thought, and murmured, "Old is old, then let's give the young ones one last push."

Xu Fengnian looked at everyone, smiling slightly: "I believe those young people in Liuzhou can bring surprises, and I also believe everyone in this room can hold Jubei City."

Xu Fengnian paused briefly, extended his hand, and pressed it firmly on the map of the Liang-Mang situation on the table: "If there must be a reason, it's that our Northern Liang Iron Cavalry is unmatched under heaven!"