Chapter 265: Heroes Often Have Strategists (Part 1)

**Fictional History**

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month was Qiqiao Festival.

This day was one of the most important festivals for the prosperous Wu Dynasty. Young women participated in needle-threading contests and laid out banquets, praying to the Weaver Girl star for wisdom, skillful hands, and good marriages in the future. Wealthy families and the imperial court often hosted extravagant banquets and various lively events that lasted all night.

By the morning of this day, a festive atmosphere had already permeated Bianjing. As evening approached, lights gradually illuminated the city. Decorated brothel carriages, accompanied by clamorous gongs and drums, scattered flowers as they paraded along the main streets, signaling the official start of the evening's festivities. Elegantly dressed men and women, including scholars, maids, and young ladies, adorned this subtle yet rich ancient festival with an air of scholarly refinement and literary grace.

Inside the imperial palace, lanterns and decorations were hung as usual, but the festive cheer did not extend beyond its walls. In the inner palace, princesses, imperial consorts, and palace maids had prepared a joyful Qiqiao banquet. Such gatherings were typically presided over by the Empress, and the Emperor would always attend. However, this evening, even after nightfall, the Emperor had not yet arrived. Several young princesses and royal nieces from the imperial family and princely households were already competing in needle-threading in the center of the banquet hall, and the festive mood was as intoxicating as ever. Only occasionally would certain well-informed individuals instinctively glance towards the silent main hall of the palace, then quickly avert their gaze, watching the activities in the banquet hall, clapping with smiles, and uttering a few auspicious words.

The main palace hall was not as silent as they imagined. A little to the west, in the Zichen Hall, where important state affairs were handled, a day-long cacophony of clamor, debate, and solemn intensity had just subsided. The participating officials had likely left the palace for home, but the Emperor's absence was a clear indication of the gravity of the situation. The fall of Hangzhou, in the eyes of many, likely signified the collapse of half of Jiangnan.

Qin Siyuan was among the last group of officials to leave the imperial palace, accompanied by Li Gang. Shortly before, the imperial court had made a decision: in three days, Tong Guan would lead 150,000 elite imperial guards south to suppress the Fang La rebellion, while Wang Bin and Yang Keshi would lead 100,000 troops north to attack Liao. Tong Guan had already departed. Qin Siyuan, who always knew when to advance and retreat, stubbornly wished to persuade the Emperor one more time. Li Gang stayed with him. Emperor Jinghan, Zhou Gu, respected these two chancellors and invited them to dine, but after dinner, no new resolution was reached. Regardless of Zhou Gu's personal views, under such circumstances, a decision once made could not be reversed, even if the Emperor had a change of heart.

In recent days, bad news from the south had been arriving like scattered papers: Hangzhou was besieged, and the Wu Zhou army attempting to relieve it was blocked en route. Shi Sheng in Suzhou; Lu Xing'er in Gui'an, Huzhou; Zhu Yan and Wu Bang in Lanxi, Wuzhou; Chen Shisi in Fangyan Mountain, Yongkang; Huo Chengfu and Chen Gutong in Jinyun, Chuzhou; Lu Shinang in Xianju, Taizhou; Daoist Qiu in Shanxian, Yuezhou; and Zheng Mowang in Quzhou had successively risen in rebellion. Some of these individuals were already notorious bandits on government lists, while others had been previously unknown. However, judging from the recent situation, it seemed that Fang La might have been secretly contacting and planning for this day's events long before the formal attack on Hangzhou.

Reports of these rebellions arose one after another across the southeastern region. Though varying in scale, they effectively prevented troops near Hangzhou from being dispatched to its rescue. In the days since Hangzhou became isolated, the situation in the imperial court changed daily. The external defense faction, internal stability faction, pro-war faction, and pro-peace faction each played their trump cards, constantly launching offensives against each other and against the Emperor.

In the current court, Tang Ke, Li Bangyan, Wu Min, and others represented the internal stability faction. They did not prioritize attacking Liao. However, the interests of most people around them lay in Jiangnan, and what mattered was the order of military campaigns. With the south in such turmoil and the rear unstable, how could one launch an offensive? Naturally, suppressing the rebellion quickly made a great deal of sense. Within this internal stability faction, there was a certain pro-peace group that had never wished to provoke conflict with Liao. They, too, sided with the internal stability faction, fully supporting the suppression of Fang La. Even Old Marshal Zhong Shidao from the Northwest, who was not in Bianjing at the time, sent an urgent message advising the suppression of Fang La, which garnered support from many officials.

Li Gang, as the Left Chancellor, upheld righteous principles and was originally a staunch pro-war advocate. However, with the news of Hangzhou's disaster, he was slightly wavering, perhaps feeling that if Jiangnan remained unstable, even a successful campaign against Liao would severely weaken the Wu Dynasty. His actions in recent days had been somewhat conservative. In these same days, the most prominent figure in court adamantly demanding an attack on Liao first was not necessarily Qin Siyuan; after all, he had been away from politics for too many years, and while he now had influence, it was not extensive. The person most resolutely advocating for the attack on Liao, and wielding the most power, was instead Tong Guan, also known as Tong Daofu, then serving as Grand Councilor and controller of military affairs, who was hailed as "the foremost general of the Wu Dynasty."

However, Tong Guan's staunch stance finally faltered with today's news of Hangzhou's fall. He could no longer resist the immense pressure and accepted the order to lead troops south. Only Qin Siyuan, even at the last moment, continued to insist on the unwavering northern strategy. When Tong Guan recommended Wang Bin and Yang Keshi to lead troops north to attack Liao, several of Qin Siyuan's confidantes expressed some opposition, ultimately managing to place a few of their own generals within the army. After the meeting dispersed, Tong Guan and others immediately returned home to prepare for the next phase of their strategy, while Qin Siyuan and Li Gang lingered a bit longer, finally leaving the imperial city at this time.

The evening breeze blew, and outside the city, on the Imperial Street, fireworks glittered like trees of fire and silver blossoms. Two of the most powerful elderly statesmen in court at the time walked along the road.

"A night of fish and dragon dances," Qin Siyuan sighed softly. "Marshal Zhong is a clear-sighted man..."

"Zhong Yishu?" Li Gang frowned. All day, although some had used Zhong Shidao's ideas as leverage, Zhong Shidao's influence in Bianjing at this moment was still limited. "Why do you suddenly bring him up, Siyuan?"

"If we cannot attack Liao, then it would be better to simply negotiate for peace. In that case, Liao would be easier to deal with than Jin."

"Jiangnan is too important. Frankly, I also believe we should prioritize going south. Didn't you say a few days ago, Siyuan, that if Hangzhou falls, our Wu Dynasty would be severely weakened?"

Qin Siyuan smiled. "Elder Ji, do you also think I was simply vying for credit today, letting ambition cloud my judgment?" For the past few days, people had often attacked him on this point. Qin Siyuan's return to power was primarily motivated by concerns over the northern situation, but others claimed he was acting for his own benefit, disregarding the overall state of affairs. After he finished speaking, Li Gang shook his head with a bitter smile. "Having been friends for many years, I know Siyuan is always upright and honorable. In terms of statesmanship, I am far inferior to you. But today's decision was truly forced by the overarching situation. You and I are helpless..."

The two walked along the street, their carriages and attendants following behind. Qin Siyuan was silent for a moment, then sighed. "How could I not know Jiangnan's importance? It's just that the north is far more dangerous now. If we truly must divide our forces and send troops south, I would rather Tong Daofu lead the army north. As for who leads the army south, anyone would do..."

"Indeed, among those truly capable of fighting in the army now, besides Marshal Zhong from the Northwest, there really is only Tong Daofu..."

"It's not about capability, Elder Ji, but about courage. Today, I specifically opposed Wang Bin and Yang Keshi as commanders. You know the reason, don't you?"

Li Gang smiled. "Ultimately... it's still about Tong Daofu, isn't it?"

"Yes," Qin Siyuan nodded, lowering his voice. "Daofu vehemently advocates for war. The reason, you and I both understand: to put it bluntly, he's a eunuch. He has accumulated enough wealth; now he wants to leave his name in history. His corruption, that's nothing. But once he desires eternal fame, he will fight bravely. The campaign against Liao is his best opportunity to achieve glory. But if this opportunity is given to others, ha... Wang Bin and Yang Keshi are both from his Tong family army, sworn followers."

Li Gang nodded. "In that case, 100,000 troops will go north, and the attack on Liao will be temporarily put on hold."

"It will just be a waste of resources," Qin Siyuan added.

The two elderly men walked on for a while. Ahead, in front of a mansion gate, fireworks and firecrackers were being set off, a beautiful display. It was the residence of Tang Ke, Minister of Revenue, where a lively banquet was clearly underway. Coupled with Tang Ke's victory in court today, it was indeed a double celebration.

"Old Man Qin's second granddaughter is to be betrothed," Li Gang remarked.

"To Wu Min's clan nephew, I presume? The Wu family has risen in status."

After these brief exchanges, the two walked past the mansion. A young official approaching recognized them and came over to greet them. Li Gang returned the courtesy, then smiled and waved him away. After the man departed, Qin Siyuan said, "Elder Ji, you must also think I am too insistent on attacking Liao. What do you think of our Wu Dynasty's peace and prosperity, Elder Ji?"

"It is excellent, of course. Isn't it precisely this peace and prosperity that you and I wish to preserve?"

Qin Siyuan sighed. "But wanting peace and prosperity means losing our fangs and claws. When I was in Jiangning, a young man discussed this with me. He said there's no fundamental difference between people—whether they are Wu, Liao, or Jin. Our Wu Dynasty has enjoyed peace for many years, and those willing to fight fiercely have become fewer. When the Liao people first rose, Yelü Abaoji was incredibly ambitious and strategic, but now, they too have gradually lost their sharpness in this era of peace. It's just that we have lost more. And the Jurchens, they have fought their way out of the icy wilderness of the White Mountains and Black Water; their vigor is at its peak, like hungry tigers and wolves. 'Jurchens numbering ten thousand are invincible,' he said, and it's the same if we just let them pass."

Li Gang remained silent, so Qin Siyuan continued: "What do such people value? Not negotiations or schemes, but simple strength, which is the only thing that will make them regard you as equals. Elder Ji, everyone in court says the Jurchens are few and cannot easily attack our Wu Dynasty. But what if we allow them to occupy the vast lands of the Liao? Won't it be easy for them to raise an army then? We couldn't even defeat the Khitans to begin with, so what use are the Jurchens to us?"

"That's why I say Zhong Shidao is a clear-sighted man. He feared from the beginning that driving out the Liao and letting the Jurchens establish themselves by our side would be extremely unwise. Qin Sou and others don't think this way. They've used too many power plays; they just imagine that by letting the Jurchens and Khitans fight each other to exhaustion, our Wu Dynasty can sit back and watch the tigers fight, picking up a great advantage. Schemes, schemes, what use are they on the battlefield?"

"Elder Ji, that young man was right. If we instigate a war between the two nations, what we gain isn't a guaranteed advantage, but merely an opportunity. We still have to reach out and seize that advantage ourselves. In this current opportunity, if our Wu Dynasty can take advantage of the Liao's weariness and win several major battles, the Jurchens will naturally come to revere our Wu Dynasty. But if our Wu military is incompetent, merely dabbling and still losing, then once the Jurchens replace the Khitans, what we'll face is merely a transformation from an aging wolf to a young tiger... Elder Ji, I fear that at that point, we will truly become sinners for eternity. We must, by then, think of countermeasures..."

Fireworks soared, a blaze of silver and fire.

Li Gang was silent for a moment. "Who was that young man?"

"A chess friend I met by chance," Qin Siyuan smiled. "But he is also trapped in Hangzhou now..."