Chapter 976: Joyful and Delightful

Murong Baoding’s main force had split into two divisions, advancing south towards Liuyawu and Fuling towns. Simultaneously, Dong Zhuo’s private army, numbering over 100,000, was already besieging Huaiyang Pass, with an attack imminent.

However, Northern Mang suddenly altered its established strategy again. Dong Zhuo’s forces were to maintain their current course and continue attacking Huaiyang Pass. Murong Baoding’s army, however, was ordered to press further south and directly engage the Left and Right Cavalry, the main field forces of the Northern Liang border cavalry, in a decisive battle!

The task of containing the two military towns of Liuyawu and Fuling was reassigned to two Northern Court nobles who had suddenly accelerated their southward march: Helian Wuwei, the Governor of Hexi Province, and Wang Yong, the Governor of Baoping Province. The Emperor of Northern Mang was not so naive or conceited as to expect Murong Baoding’s forces to face the Northern Liang Left and Right Cavalry alone. Grand General Zhong Shentong of the Southern Dynasty and Wanyan Jinliang, the prominent Longguan noble, were designated as Murong Baoding’s reinforcements. Likely aware of the Juzi Provincial Governor’s temperament, the Empress Dowager issued a secret decree alongside the public edict, couched in even more ruthless terms: "If you, Murong Baoding, are unwilling to achieve great deeds, and your left and right wings falter in the vast region south of Liuyawu and Fuling, then so be it. We shall send Zhong Shentong and Wanyan Jinliang to advance south and eliminate the enemy in your place!"

Thus, the Provincial Governor of Juzi, who had previously rejoiced at not having to engage Chu Lushan in a fierce battle at Huaiyang Pass, now had no choice but to lead his army south with a heavy heart. While he might disregard imperial edicts or the Emperor’s verbal threats, Murong Baoding was under no illusion that the Kheshig army, under the Crown Prince, would show mercy to their uncle once their forces met. Moreover, he had heard that His Majesty had even entrusted his nephew with two elite Royal Tent Iron Cavalry units, named after the Murong and Yelü clans. With death a certainty regardless of his actions, the astute Murong Baoding chose the lesser of two evils. After all, battling the Left and Right Cavalry outside Liangzhou Pass was a coveted opportunity for many Northern Mang generals, as these two northwestern border cavalry units had always constituted the core of the so-called Northern Liang Iron Cavalry.

Two factors offered Murong Baoding some slight relief. First, after the initial major battle, a significant number of elite border troops were drawn from the Left and Right Cavalry to augment the Liuzhou Dragon Elephant Army, with Cao Wei and Kou Jianghuai also leading some away. Second, veteran commander He Zhonghu had retired from the Left Cavalry, while Li Yanchao led a large contingent of trusted young officers to the Right Cavalry. This left the Left Cavalry temporarily leaderless, inevitably causing a decline in morale. Such intelligence reports would have been difficult to transmit to the Western Capital and Northern Court prior to the war’s onset, especially when numerous Liangzhou rangers still roamed the Hutou City area. But times had changed. Huaiyang Pass was now heavily encircled by Dong Zhuo, its retreat cut off, completely severing communication with the three military towns of Liuyawu, Fuling, and Chongzhong. Chongzhong, defended only by infantry, was a lost cause and of no concern. However, Liuyawu and Fuling, each garrisoned by elite cavalry adept at long-distance raids, were now facing the relentless, devastating assaults of the renowned Governors Wang Yong and Helian Wuwei. They were already struggling to survive, like clay Buddhas crossing a river. Therefore, it could be said that the defense line outside Liangzhou Pass, north of the Left and Right Cavalry, had been completely fragmented. Once the main Northern Liang field forces, already at a numerical disadvantage, were isolated, they could naturally be picked off one by one, devoured at leisure. The heads of Northern Liang generals would serve as military merits for the grassland warriors, elevating them to noble titles and high ranks!

Within and around Hulukou in Youzhou, battles were sparse. Occasional skirmishes involved only a few hundred cavalry, a peaceful contrast to the grand, widespread clashes involving tens of thousands of cavalry on the battlefields of Liangzhou and Liuzhou.

North of Qingcang City in Liuzhou, after receiving reinforcements from Deputy General Xie Xichui’s monastic army, Liuzhou’s commander, Kou Jianghuai, launched his third interception against Huang Songpu’s western army. For reasons unknown, Kou Jianghuai, who had disoriented the Northern Mang border army in two previous large-scale cavalry battles, seemed to struggle after the Lantuo Mountain monastic troops arrived. Perhaps the integration of cavalry and infantry stretched Kou Jianghuai’s command abilities to their limit, or he harbored reservations about Xie Xichui, who was also one of the “Two Jade Pillars of Great Chu.” In any case, this final battle was fought in an extremely rigid and conventional, yet exceptionally brutal, manner. Kou Jianghuai positioned the Lantuo Mountain monastic troops as the center, forming a common Central Plains infantry formation. Xu Longxiang and Li Mofan each led a Dragon Elephant Army unit as the two wings. The Liuzhou cavalry, still numbering under ten thousand even after temporary reinforcements, remained behind the infantry formation, serving as the final reserve force.

Due to Kou Jianghuai’s almost passive and conservative stance, Huang Songpu decisively abandoned his own previously reserved offensive posture and switched entirely to a full-scale assault. On the plains battlefield, naturally suited for cavalry charges, the veteran general ordered his cavalry lines to stretch extensively. Three Southern Dynasty border cavalry units simultaneously launched a thunderous, swift charge. It must be said that in a proper cavalry engagement, especially when allowing grassland cavalry to maximize their mobility, every hoofprint of a Northern Mang warhorse seemed to embody aggressive precision in seizing opportunities. Xie Xichui’s monastic infantry formation became mere spectators on the battlefield; beyond serving as a nominal backbone for the Liuzhou border army, it completely lacked the expected defensive effect. The grassland cavalry simply ignored this stable infantry formation, with its chilling forest of spears and shield-walls like mountains. Had it not been for Kou Jianghuai’s Liuzhou cavalry’s decisive counter-charge at the critical moment, stabilizing the precarious situation that had already tipped in Northern Mang’s favor, the Liuzhou border army might have been annihilated after this battle.

From start to finish, Xie Xichui’s monastic army, which had painstakingly traveled from the Western Regions to the Liuzhou battlefield, not only failed to achieve the expected strategic impact but, under Kou Jianghuai’s command, became a mere burden, even a liability in some respects.

On the battlefield, from the conclusion of the first Liang-Mang war to the two previous northern interceptions, the Dragon Elephant Army suffered its first such devastating casualties, with a full eight thousand elite Northern Liang cavalry bravely falling in battle. This finally gave Huang Songpu’s main Southern Dynasty force the “minor victory” that the Northern Mang Grand Secretary had eagerly awaited. In the Western Capital’s court of the Southern Dynasty, previously filled with worry and lamentation, the veteran general, who had been heavily criticized for two previous defeats, was suddenly lauded in unison, even hailed as the “Qi Yanglong of Liyang.” The Western Capital’s Ministry of War and Ministry of Rites simultaneously advised the Northern Court Royal Tent that such a great victory, unseen in twenty years along the border of Guse and Longyao provinces, despite not capturing Xu Longxiang, Li Mofan, Kou Jianghuai, or Xie Xichui, should still warrant the Emperor bestowing a peerage upon Grand General Huang Songpu for his military achievements.

At the Jubei City princely mansion, in the second hall’s study, Deputy Jiedushi Yang Shenxing and the Liangzhou Governor visited the young prince, one after the other. The veteran general, his face grim, gripped the edge of his chair tightly and gritted his teeth, saying, “Although there were warnings from Liuzhou beforehand, the deaths of nearly ten thousand Dragon Elephant cavalry, coupled with over three thousand Liuzhou cavalry casualties, it’s truly... truly...” The old man seemed utterly at a loss for how to comment on the Liuzhou campaign, so he simply stopped speaking and fell silent. The favorable situation in Liuzhou, which had been forged by the battle at Miyun Pass in the Western Regions, two splendid interceptions north of Qingcang City, and the defense and offense at Linyao and Fengxiang towns, seemed to have been ruined overnight by Kou Jianghuai. Could it be true, then, the increasingly rampant rumor privately circulating within the mansion: “Liuzhou’s success is Kou Jianghuai, and its defeat is also Kou Jianghuai”?

Bai Yu arrived at the study later than Yang Shenxing. He carried a delicate, miniature bronze incense burner, and after greeting the young prince, he didn’t rush to speak. Instead, he simply bent over by the desk, setting down the polished, antique bronze burner. But it wasn’t for incense. Oddly, he went to the bookshelf, rummaged through it, and pulled out a secret dossier from earlier years by the Foshui Bureau, detailing the resumes of Northern Mang and Southern Dynasty generals. Then, he took the scripture-pressing weight from the bronze burner and placed it heavily on the book. Only then did he look up at the perplexed young prince and say with a smile, “I’m helping His Highness suppress the old man Huang’s luck from Northern Mang.”

Yang Shenxing’s face was filled with suspicion. “Is this some mystical secret art from Longhu Mountain’s Celestial Master’s Residence? Is it truly effective?”

Xu Fengnian, who understood the roots of Taoism, said with a wry smile, “How can Mr. Bailian be so childish?”

Yang Shenxing, whose mood had somewhat improved, nearly spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing the young prince expose Bai Yu’s true nature.

Bai Yu didn’t forget to slightly twist the bronze burner, setting it straight, and chuckled, “Your Highness, it’s better to believe than to disbelieve. Where there is sincerity, even metal and stone will crack; a sincere heart works wonders.”

Xu Fengnian could only helplessly agree, “Yes, yes, Mr. Bailian speaks wisely.”

Watching this strange “lord and subject” pair, neither overly deferential nor disrespectful, the old man Yang Shenxing couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

Xu Fengnian suddenly asked, “After Zhao Ningshen secluded himself in a thatched hut on Difu Mountain, how is his cultivation progressing? Is everything still smooth?”

Bai Yu smiled, “Thanks to Your Highness, without Liyang’s Zhao Gou Qi practitioners prying into heavenly secrets, Ningshen’s cultivation on Difu Mountain hasn’t been detected. It’s going very smoothly and comfortably. He even sent me a letter, advising me to join him there for spiritual cultivation instead of being dependent on others here in Northern Liang, constantly at their mercy.”

Xu Fengnian said with an exasperated laugh, “Zhao Ningshen’s ability to burn bridges is no worse than his skill in cultivating the Dao. From now on, any letters sent to you from outside Northern Liang will be rejected by Jubei City.”

Bai Yu quickly waved his hand, “That won’t do! Occasionally, I still receive letters from female devotees, and I need to reply to each one. I just find it curious why these letters now subtly inquire about my relationship with His Highness, whether I could help them obtain some calligraphies from him, and even mention how their nieces are in the prime of their youth, describing them as virtuous ladies from prominent families. It’s truly baffling and rather disappointing!”

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath, looked out the window, and softly, somewhat coaxingly, said, “Jia Jiajia, don’t forget you’re about to receive a gift from Western Shu, so perhaps don’t spread Mr. Bailian’s words to the Fourth Hall?”

A head gently pushed open the window, a chin resting on the sill. The girl widened her eyes, presenting a bargaining look that seemed to say, “You tell me first, then I’ll consider.”

Xu Fengnian chuckled, “You guess.”

The girl let out a soft chuckle and vanished from sight.

Xu Fengnian’s face was filled with indignation, and he seemed about to speak but held back.

After Mr. Bailian’s banter and Jia Jiajia’s “showing off,” the tense atmosphere in the study eased slightly.

Once the girl ran off to the Fourth Hall to complain, Xu Fengnian composed himself and said gravely to Yang Shenxing, “Liuzhou has already seen three interception battles. Kou Jianghuai’s secret letter didn’t detail how the fourth battle would be fought, only that he requested to borrow all the troops from the entire Qingyuan military town defense line. What do you think?”

Yang Shenxing frowned, “Your Highness, are you certain he means the entire defense line, and not just the regular garrison of Qingyuan military town?”

Xu Fengnian nodded, “Including Liangzhou General Shi Fu’s troops, Ning Emei’s Iron Pagoda, and Yuan Nanting’s White Feather Light Cavalry!”

Yang Shenxing fell into thought, muttering, “This Kou Jianghuai has quite an appetite.”

Then Yang Shenxing cautiously asked, “As a Liuzhou General, to reach out to the Liangzhou border army for command, and to demand tens of thousands of elites at once—this would not only directly deplete the resources of Liangzhou’s western gateway but also subtly override the higher-ranking Liangzhou General. Wouldn’t that be rather inappropriate?”

Before Xu Fengnian could answer, Bai Yu preempted him, saying, “General Yang, anywhere else, this would naturally be highly improper. But here, there’s no need to alarm ourselves. Shi Fu won’t bear a grudge over this. Of course, the premise is winning the battle. If they lose, Shi Fu will treat Kou Jianghuai as a lifelong stranger. A worse outcome could even be animosity between the Liangzhou and Liuzhou border armies from then on.”

Yang Shenxing then asked, “Why is General Kou unwilling to provide Jubei City with his general military strategy?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head, “I don’t know.”

Yang Shenxing flew into a rage, slamming his palm heavily on the chair armrest. “This Kou Jianghuai, he’s truly audacious! How can military and state affairs be treated so lightly?!”

Xu Fengnian remained impassive, hesitated for a moment, then rubbed his temples, scoffing, “A battle can be lost, but morale must not be allowed to falter—this has always been the rule of my Northern Liang Iron Cavalry. Since I personally placed Kou Jianghuai in charge of the Liuzhou campaign, I must clean up this mess for him.”

Yang Shenxing tentatively asked, “Perhaps Your Highness would reconsider?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head, “No, it’s settled. Go back to the military office now and write three secret letters, one each for Shi Fu, Ning Emei, and Yuan Nanting. There’s no need to explain the reason for the troop transfer in the letters. Once written, bring them here for my official seal.”

Yang Shenxing, feeling relieved, stood up, took his leave, and strode away.

Xu Fengnian looked up at Bai Yu and asked with a smile, “So, for the letter to Kou Jianghuai, should I write it myself, or may I trouble Mr. Bailian?”

Bai Yu blinked, as if he hadn’t understood.

Xu Fengnian retorted testily, “Don’t pretend to be ignorant with me. I may not know the exact depth of your relationships with Yang Shenxing and Kou Jianghuai, but you two came here together today, one playing the bad cop and the other the good cop. I’m no fool; how could I not guess that Kou has boarded your big ship?”

Bai Yu said earnestly, “When local military generals collude with high-ranking court officials to seize military power, even if it’s not a capital offense punishable by beheading, they’ll at least lose their positions, right?”

Xu Fengnian glared, “Not again!”

Bai Yu burst out laughing, “I’ll go write to Kou Jianghuai right now! I’ll tell him His Highness has granted all his requests, but if he doesn’t recoup the losses from the third battle, principal and interest, in the fourth interception battle, the Jubei City princely mansion will make him ten catties lighter!”

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, “What does ‘ten catties lighter’ mean?”

Bai Yu extended two fingers and tapped his own neck, “His head will be gone.”

Xu Fengnian first understood, then slammed the table, “Bai Yu, what nonsense! Being so vague, isn’t that just giving Kou Jianghuai an escape route? If that fellow Kou loses the battle, he can just casually take off his helmet and armguard, and he’ll also be ‘ten catties lighter’! How am I supposed to argue with that?!”

Bai Yu said with a wronged expression, “Your Highness, this is truly judging a gentleman by the heart of a villain.”

Xu Fengnian, stony-faced, waved his hand, “Get out, get out, get out! I’ll write this letter myself!”

Bai Yu swaggered out of the study, clucking, “Saved myself hundreds of words of writing; now I can read many more pages of miscellaneous books. How pleasant, how pleasant.”

The young prince then mimicked Jia Jiajia’s chuckle, “I originally secretly kept two small purple brushes to give to someone, but now that I think about it, I’ll refrain. How pleasant, how pleasant.”

Mr. Bailian, once praised by the late Liyang Emperor Zhao Dun as “a celestial being upon my first sight,” swiftly turned around, a bright smile on his face. He scurried to the writing desk, squinting and looking around. “Where are they? Quickly take them out! I knew it! Those purple brushes, best for small seal and regular script, giving them to Lu Ke, who’s good at writing large characters, is truly like giving a beautiful, captivating lady to another woman. What a terrible waste of heaven’s gifts!”

Then the young prince, with an annoying grin, chuckled, “You actually believed that? That box of small purple brushes, not a single one left, my father-in-law took them all.”

Bai Yu was struck as if by lightning, turning stiffly. As he stepped over the threshold, he raised his arm high and extended a middle finger!

Just as the exasperated Mr. Bailian crossed the threshold, a mischievous, triumphant laugh came from behind him, “Here, two small purple brushes, take them.”

Bai Yu stopped but didn’t immediately turn around, battling with himself.

Finally, Mr. Bailian gritted his teeth and continued walking, believing the young prince was likely still bluffing, and he absolutely couldn’t be fooled again.

As expected, when Bai Yu left the corridor and went down the steps, Xu Fengnian did not try to keep him.

As Bai Yu walked towards the entrance of the Household Department’s office, he vaguely saw the girl who roamed the mansion most freely approaching him. She then handed him two slender, long brocade boxes and calmly said, “He sent these for you.”

In that moment, to say Bai Yu wasn’t touched would certainly be a lie.

Sighing, Mr. Bailian sat back in his study chair, a mix of emotions swirling within him. After regaining his composure, he carefully opened the small brocade box, cautiously picked up a brush, and peered closely at it. In an instant, he was dumbfounded.

What the hell was this? Not a small purple brush at all, but clearly just an ordinary goat hair brush!

After a long moment of stunned silence, Bai Yu inexplicably burst into hearty laughter.

The whole room was dumbfounded.

Only Bai Yu felt truly pleased.

After putting down the goat hair brush, Bai Yu, whose eyesight was poor, opened his eyes wide and looked outside, but it was just a blur.

Mr. Bailian then slowly said, “One day, all the goat hair for our Central Plains brushes will come from the grasslands!”