Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Chapter 8 (part 2)

Third month, the seventeenth: Li Jianhong steps out of Juyongguan with lackadaisical ease, and with one decisive battle on the plains he deals the southwestern army a crushing defeat, killing three thousand three hundred, incorporating sixteen thousand and seven hundred of the surrendered men into his own troops. He follows this battle with one continuous push that captures six cities in a row until his armies are upon Hanguguan.

“Li Jianhong here, I’ve come for a visit.“ Li Jianhong asks, sitting on his horse, “Is Zhao Kui here?”

The defending troops are immediately frightened out of their wits, not daring to come out to fight.

“What’re you so scared of him for?” Hanguguan’s gate guard calls out, “Hold the gate! What, is he going to grow wings and fly in here?!”

Li Jianhong holds off for a little while before shouting again. “He’s not here? Then [I](# “this prince”)’ll stay right here and wait for him!”

Twenty-six thousand plus troops bunker down outside Hanguguan; the news of their arrival has already spread throughout the south, and each region has begun to wait restlessly for Jiangzhou to choose a side. Yet the Jiangzhou governor has all along refused to send troops.

For a whole month the imperial court keeps sending reinforcements; by the time the fifteenth of the fourth month rolls around, there are already two-hundred and fifteen thousand men stationed at Hanguguan.

It seems as though Li Jianhong has been waiting all this time. He’s quite patient. Zhao Kui is waiting as well. He’s even more patient than Li Jianhong.

At present Zhao Kui is right there in an army tent inside Hanguguan, but no one knows he’s here.

“If you send twenty-thousand men out there,” Wu Du says, “it’s enough to stomp him to death.”

Zhao Kuai says, “It’s not time yet.”

Wu Du stares at the map on the wall. “I don’t understand.”

“There’s plenty you don’t understand. Sometimes you’ve got to take things and think about them backwards.”

Wu Du ponders this for a long time.

Zhao Kui continues, “What you don’t understand is no more than the reason why Wuluohou Mu would change sides and join us.”

“Yes, that man …”

“You’ve already asserted that point over and over countless times.”

And so Wu Du falls quiet.

Zhao Kui adds, “Why not think about the fact backwards: if he’s willing to betray Li Jianhong, it must be because he has his own reasons, one that leaves him no choice but to betray Li Jianhong.”

“That old woman is not enough to constitute this reason.” Zhao Kui says offhandedly, “Of course there are other things that makes it necessary for him to turncoat — if only because if Li Jianhong finds out about it, he’ll cut off his head.”

Wu Du narrows his eyes.

“Dispatch —” A messenger hurries into the tent.

“Jiangzhou has fallen! Xie You defected!”

Li Jianhong has left the ten thousand troops from Liao beneath Hanguguan, manufacturing an impressive illusion of a massive military force. Then on the very night he arrived in Hanguguan, he led the Chen troops who surrendered to him around the bend of the Yellow River, and quietly hurried to Jiangzhou, none the wiser. While Jiangzhou is still carefully surveying the war from a distance, Li Jianhong had already made it to the shadow of the city walls.

Jiangzhou is world famous for its Black Armours; it has always seen upholding the imperial family’s right to rule as its duty. Li Jianhong halts his horse before the raging Yangtze, Zhenshanhe in hand, facing fifty thousand Black Armours soldiers.

“With this sword in my hand,” Li Jianhong’s voice rings out clear and bright, “I will meet you in battle with these sons of Great Chen who stand behind me! I know that there are still those in this world who were born not to revere power, not to waver with the tides — they were born only for this empire.”

Li Jianhong’s gaze sweeps over them all. “Zhao Kui has committed treason. If you won’t send your troops to aid me, then kill me where I stand, and stain this river red — take my life where I stand. Let’s battle! No need for more words!”

Ironclad soldiers all raise their shields, giving up a roar that shakes the earth. Someone at the back of the formation says, “Wait a moment!”

“Your Highness.” A strapping man trots forward from among the ranks on a black horse. “Please come into the city to drink a cup of tea from Mount Yuheng.”

Li Jianhong pushes his tiger helm up a little bit, revealing his handsome features, meeting that man’s eyes.

“Xie You, how’ve you been lately? My dad’s just about to pass on! Under duress by officials with far too much influence, my younger brother has issued an imperial edict to yell at me. Are you going to do me this favour or not?”

Xie You says in a lowered voice. “My righteous ardour remains; the day is long. ‘Prosperous realm; glorious empire’, I’ll know it when I see it. Your Highness, please come into the city, and let’s talk.”

The Black Armours moves back evenly to either side, leaving a path through which Li Jianhong can enter the city. On that very day, the city of Jiangzhou announced their defection to Li Jianhong.

Fifth month, the fifth: the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Shangjing’s peach blossoms start to bloom only then, their branches densely lush and green. When Duan Ling gets home, he receives the second letter.

Jiangzhou’s azure waves surge on, diluvian; Yuheng’s cloud sea stretches on, infinite. At the mountain’s summit, to mine eyes the vast north is obscured. We share a sky but my voice can’t reach you; wish I could be the moonlight that shines upon you. Going to borrow your future private bodyguard for a bit — he’s quite handy. It is done.

Burn!

When the news comes from the south it’s about Li Jianhong taking twelve cities in a row, Jiangzhou capitulating unconditionally, the commander-in-chief of the Jiangzhou army Xie You’s surrender, and Li Jianhong moving his troops to Jianmenguan.

Duan Ling catches the “private bodyguard” reference. Historically the Jiangzhou army has only ever defended the direct imperial bloodline, and no matter how many times it has been reorganised and formed anew, its loyalty is still with the imperial household. But even if the emperor himself shows up with the Tiger Tally he still won’t be allowed to use them. Only the token passed down through the dynasties, and on top of that, being held by the rightful successor to the throne, can mobilise them at will.

In all likelihood he’s captured Jiangzhou. Now Li Jianhong has added fifty-thousand Jiangzhou troops to his ranks, and marching onwards, his army will now face the last natural stronghold before reaching Xichuan.

And even after all this time, the head that Zhao Kui wanted still isn’t here. Even if it arrives now, he’s about to run out of time to use it. If he chooses to defend Hanguguan to the last, then Li Jianhong will be able to capture all the territory behind his front line in one go. Zhao Kui has no other option but to redeploy his troops and march south to confront Li Jianhong head-on.

“You know why Zhao Kui moved the capital again and again, why he’d rather run off to Xichuan with my dad than to establish the capital in Jiangzhou?” Li Jianghong says to Xie You, at the head of the army, as they halt before Jianmenguan.

Xie You is silent. The reason why Zhao Kui moved the capital and avoided Jiangzhou was of course because he didn’t want to be yoked by the Black Armours. If he’d set up the new capital in Jiangzhou, how was he supposed to stage a coup? Li Jianhong’s words are also implying that he casts the blame on Xie You, questioning him why he hasn’t acted sooner.

“Say something.” Li Jianhong gives Xie You a kick.

“I don’t know how to talk; only know how to kill. It’s been a long time since I killed anyone.”

Li Jianhong raises his head to turn his attention outside the pass, murmuring, “We must take by ruse and not by force.”

Zhao Kui’s people are already here, guarding the place with the strength of geography, but Zhao Kui himself is taking forever to show up.

“A long night is fraught with dreams.” Xie You says, “The longer we wait, the more that can go wrong.”

“We can’t make it through that.” Li Jianhong shakes his head, murmuring, “So we’ll have to figure out some other way. There are years ahead of us yet; we mustn’t waste the lives of the Black Armours here in vain. And I don’t want to commit any more needless slaughter either. Just pretend we’re stocking up on good karma for Great Chen.”

“That’s unlike you.” Xie You shoots Li Jianhong a glance.

“I have a son,” Li Jianhong says to Xie You.

“I got it. Let’s retreat for now.”

The entire Black Armours and the southwest army move back, retreating to twelve miles before Jianmenguan.

The war in the south descends into a stalemate. The ancients used to say that the most secure natural fortress that exists is Jianmenguan, and Zhao Kui had indeed made a good move when he escorted the imperial family to a new capital. Jianmenguan is unfavourable to attackers and can be easily defended, and there are no shortcuts into Xichuan aside from Hanzhong Road and Jianmenguan. As long as these two paths are secured, all roads into Xichuan are effectively barred.

Beneath the pass are deadly river rapids, and the surrounding terrain is nothing but precipitous cliffs and towering mountains. Zhao Kui had set countless traps to either side of the pass, and if Li Jianhong is to throw all his troops at it in a desperate battle he doesn’t even have a three in ten chance of winning. While Zhao Kui is still waiting, Li JIanhong’s side is already threatened by imminent crisis on all sides.

All eyes have their attention on this conflict — Li Jianhong’s success or failure is relevant to the balance between the Han, Khitan, Xiqian, and Mongolian tribes. If Jianmenguan does not fall to him quickly, then his main forces won’t be able to enter Xichuan, thereby the Great Chen of the south will be torn in two by this war: Zhao Kui’s Western Chen and the Eastern Chen that will secede to Li Jianhong. Chen will break into pieces over this civil war and lure in even more powerful adversaries.

“And if he can’t capture it?”

“Then they’re finished,” a youth of foreign descent says sympathetically, “How can Liao ever stand idly by watching them separate again?”

“They have Mongolians coveting their land from the north.” someone else adds, “And the Southern Administration will surely take Jiangnan before that. Li Jianhong has lost the support of Xichuan, and the Black Armours will only fight in a civil war, no? They guard the son of heaven. They won’t move beyond Yubigian, and they’re no good at guerilla warfare or a war of attrition. Once our Great Liao march south to Jiangnan again they’ll take it all, like an autumn wind sweeping up fallen leaves …”

This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org

The young men in Biyong College are practicing their archery; since the Mongolian invasion of Shangjing, classes for martial skills have taken a prominent place in their studies. No one wants to wait helplessly as they’re slaughtered. Everyone has started to take learning equestrian archery seriously.

Listening to the discussion happening all around him, Duan Ling remains silent.

“If they separate again,” another one adds, “Li Jianhong will go down as a scourge in Southern Chen history.”

Liao watches the Yuan standing behind them with extreme wariness; in the past several years the Mongolians have already shown that they’re waiting for their chance to march south, coveting their neighbour’s land. Once the south descends into chaos the first thing the Yelü imperial family must do is to launch another southern expedition, first to annex the southern side of the central plain such as the regions to the east of the Yangtze, then to dig in their roots before slowly taking Jingzhou and Xichuan. With the Great Wall as a border, they can resist the Mongolian’s invasion.

Li Jianhong has his eyes on Xichuan, the Liao Empire watches the south, and the Mongolians have their sights set on Shangjing and the north. The mantis hunts the cicada and knows not of the oriole staring at its back; the beating of this butterfly’s wing can eventually cause a typhoon.

When their archery class is over, the young men are still discussing the configuration of the south but Duan Ling has lost interest in their conversation. In the past several days, a lot of good news has arrived from the south at first, but then there’s more bad news; if Li Jianhong can’t take Jianmenguan this year, unable to enter Xichuan, he’ll end up with enemies on both sides.

“Perhaps Yelü Dashi knew this was going to happen all along.” When Cai Yan returns to their room, he says suddenly.

“What?” Duan Ling was still pondering, and Cai Yan’s interjection had pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Uh … huh. That’s possible, sure. But he probably doesn’t get to have the final say in a lot of these decisions. I do think that Han Weiyong would take this chance to send troops south and seize sovereign territory south of the Huai River though.”

“Sovereign territory,” Cai Yan says.

Duan Ling realises that Cai Yan is actually Khitan, thus corrects himself, “Han sovereign territory.”

“When will your dad come back?”

“I don’t know. The south has sealed off outgoing information. I think he’ll be able to keep himself safe.”

Cai Yan nods. Right after the two of them finish washing their faces, the bell out in the courtyard starts ringing; thrice, thrice and once, a signal to let the youths know that something important has happened and they must assemble. They leave their room to line up in the area in front of the main hall.

Yelü Dashi is here; the Northern Prince arriving so suddenly has caught the entire Biyong College unaware. Dean Tang is at the front of the procession leading the way while Yelü Dashi, Han Jieli, and a richly-dressed young man step into the main hall, with Yelü Dashi and Han Jieli trailing the young man.

The young man has fine features and he’s brimming over with a noble air; Duan Ling can feel it with a single passing glance — his status is even higher than that of Han Jieli and Yelü Dashi! And in the state of Liao, the only person who stands higher than Yelü Dashi is only one man: Yelü Zongzhen.

“Your Majesty.”

Someone within Biyong College has already recognised Yelü Zongzhen and tries to salute right away, but Yelü Zongzhen seems quite easy-going and approachable. He gives the student a smile. “You may forego the formalities.”

Judging by his appearance, Yelü Zongzhen is not much older than Cai Yan. With his hands clasped behind his back, he walks by the first row and speaks to the students one by one. He asks questions and the students answer.

Yelü Zongzhen notices the prayer beads on a student’s wrist. “Your family are adherents of Buddhism as well?”

Duan Ling immediately takes off the red pouch pendant from around his neck, but it’s too late for him to go back to his room to hide it. Right at that moment, Cai Yan taps the back of Duan Ling’s hand with two fingers, and Duan Ling loosens his grip. Cai Yan then takes the jade arc and bows down to smooth out the creases in his gown. When he straightens up again, he stuffs the red pouch back into Duan Ling’s hand, and Duan Ling rubs a thumb across it to find that there is now a single copper inside the pouch. Alarms start going off in his head — it seems Cai Yan knows what he has on his mind, but he has chosen not to lay it out in the open.

When it’s Duan Ling’s turn, he takes a step forward. Yelü Zongzhen observes Duan Ling’s expression, and smiles at him.

“I know you, you’re called …” Han Jieli is quite frustrated that he somehow can’t recall what Duan Ling’s name is.

“Duan Ling,” Duan Ling says with a smile.

“Right right.” Han Jieli replies, “The one who gave Borjigin a beating.”

Yelü Zongzhen starts laughing. “Oh but you have indeed avenged me.”2

Yelü Zongzhen and Duan Ling size each other up. “What does your family do?”

“We run a north-south trading business.”

“What is this?” Yelü Zongzhen notices the pouch hanging around Duan Ling’s neck.[^trad]

“It’s from my dad.” Duan Ling takes out the copper and shows it to him.

Everyone starts to laugh.

Yelü Zongzhen gives him a nod, and he still wants to ask a few more things but he notices that Cai Yan is peering over at them from the back row.

Yelü Dashi speaks up, “That’s Cai Wen’s younger brother.”

Yelü Zongzhen understands then, and beckons at Cai Yan. Because Cai Wen has sacrificed himself protecting Shangjing, Yelü Zongzhen gives him a few kind words to comfort him. Duan Ling steps off to one side, observing them. Before, he had suspected that Yelü Dashi was here to look for him, but now that he’s watched them for a while it doesn’t seem that way. Yelü Zongzhen doesn’t look like he’s really interested in everyone’s family background. Instead it feels like he’s simply trying to find someone who makes a good impression on him at first sight; when a handsome young man steps up he’ll speak to him a bit more. The rest merely gets a nod before he moves on.

Once Yelü Zongzhen has met everyone inside the college, Dean Tang tells the students they can go. As they’re stepping out of the main hall, Duan Ling is reminded of the jade arc and looks over, meeting Cai Yan’s eyes; he suddenly gets the feeling that Cai Yan has seen right through him.

”Do you want it back?” Cai Yan says, “That’s my emergency copper.”

Of course Duan Ling is going to give it back to him. They’re about to exchange the items when Dean Tang calls out from the corridor, “Cai Yan, Duan Ling, come to the side wing. I have instructions for you.”

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“Zhen” is the ancient Chinese equivalent of the imperial/royal “we”. It’s written 朕, and it simply means “I”. It’s actually the original “I”. But since the emperor’s taken it as his pronoun, nobody else can use it. ↩︎