Translator: Foxs' Wuxia
Xu Ziling knocked on the door and entered the cabin, Yin Xianhe, his expression wooden, was standing by the window, staring at the dark, vast and obscure river bank.
Xu Ziling came to his side; originally his belly was full of stuffs he wanted to say, but he found it difficult to speak up. The scene when he first met Yin Xianhe appeared in his mind, this haughty swordsman stood alone by the hot spring at the Yin Ma Yi rear court, amidst the mist of steam coming up of the pool. At that time he still did not know that he was a grieving man with a load in his mind, he thought that his natural disposition was solitary, above the crowd, not amenable to reason.
Yin Xianhe spoke slowly, “No matter how remote the hope is, I am going to go everywhere, even to the ends of the earth, to look for Xiaoji. Xu Xiong need not mind about me anymore.”
Xu Ziling was puzzled, “In this regard, Lei Dage will have his way,” he said, “That year when Jiangdu was in rebellion, there were several hundred girls who seized the opportunity to flee. As long as we could find a few of them, we could follow the trail and track them down one by one. We are not without any chance to find your esteemed younger sister.”
Smiling bitterly, Yin Xianhe said, “At the time of soldiers mutiny and troops rebelling, anything might happen, she is a girl with weak nature, ay!”
Xu Ziling spoke with serious expression, “There is a master in the underworld. Since Laotianye has allowed us to learn about your esteemed sister’s definite information from Han Furen, he wouldn’t be that cruel!”
Yin Xianhe remained silent.
Suddenly Xu Ziling’s pair of eyes lit up, he spoke heavily, “I might know one of the girls who fled Jiangdu together with your esteemed sister at that time.”
Yin Xianhe was severely shaken, he looked at him, his pair of eyes revealed a blazing hope like a raging inferno, “Who is it?” he asked.
Xu Ziling met his eyes, he made up his mind inwardly, he vowed to do everything in his power to accomplish Yin Xianhe’s cherished desire. He said, “She is Chang’an’s most popular, selling her art but not selling her body – talented girl Ji Qian. Her reputation is second only to the famous-across-the-whole-nation Shang Xiufang.”
And then he explained everything one time through, and said, “In thousand ways, a hundred plans Ji Qian wanted to learn gambling method from me, it was precisely to make reprisals to the Xiang Family. Only too bad because she does not trust me, she was unwilling to disclose anything about your esteemed sister. At that time, I sensed that she knew your esteemed sister.”
Yin Xianhe said, “I want to go ashore immediately and rush to Chang’an to look for Ji Qian and ask her clearly.”
Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “Currently the war between the Li Family of Chang’an and Kou Zhong is in progress like wildfire, the security in the Pass is intense [reminder: Guan of Guanzhong means ‘the Pass’], without appropriate arrangement, I am afraid it will be difficult for Yin Xiong to enter Chang’an even for half a step. I wonder if we could discuss it with Lei Dage first, let him think of an absolutely sure way.”
Shaking his head resolutely, Yin Xianhe said, “I am going to Chang’an and will look at the situation first before finding a way. Xu Xiong has helped me a lot, I will engrave it in my heart and mind.”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “Maybe because of past events leaving shadow in her heart, Ji Qian has a very heavy suspicion to other people. Even if Yin Xiong managed to visit her, I am afraid it will still be difficult to obtain her trust.”
Yin Xianhe’s pair of eyes emitted unswerving determination, he spoke slowly, word-by-word, “As long as there is a thread of opportunity, I am not going to miss it.”
Unable to do anything about him, Xu Ziling said, “How about this: we send Han Xiong’s family of three to Zhongli first, and then we take the boat immediately to Pengliang in the north, after finding out Kou Zhong’s situation clearly, I am going to accompany Yin Xiong to Chang’an to see Ji Qian. I have a way that the gods do not know, the ghosts do not perceive to sneak into Chang’an, as well as slip away stealthily afterwards.”
On the mountain and fields of the mountain stronghold’s right side, blazing flame illuminated the sky. The Song Family’s vanguard troops, consisting of approximately five thousand men light cavalry, set up their formation on the hills and high places. Kou Zhong swept his eyes everywhere, but he still did not see the ‘Heavenly Saber’ Song Que’s trace.
In the darkness half a sichen away from dawn, the sound of the wheels grinding the ground of the Tang Army’s troop disposition showed that Li Shimin was ordering his men to brave the dark to move the crossbow-and-arrow machines and the flying-rock-big-cannon toward the even-farther-away camp.
Ba Fenghan looked at the Song Family’s cavalry battle formation in the distance, he praised, “The soldiers are elite troops, the horses are fine thoroughbred horses. They have been rushing over urgently for a hundred li, they are still moving in an orderly manner, their grandeur is overwhelming, enough to compete with the Tang Army for a day, long or short.”
Kou Zhong was about to speak, Ba Fenghan patted his shoulder and said, “Go pay your respect to your future father-in-law! Now, even Li Shimin, whose guts have been cut by the Heaven, will not dare to attack, leave the matter here to Ol’ Ba to take care for you.”
Kou Zhong laughed and said, “He, the Senior, should not have graced us with his presence yet, it would be more appropriate for me to stay here and move back and forth to keep up appearances.”
Ba Fenghan cast his gaze in the direction of the Tang Army, who was blending into the dark open country, and said, “If I were Li Shimin, I would withdraw immediately now, otherwise, if the retreat route is sealed, his men and horses would never be able to get out of the hidden pond mountain.”
Kou Zhong sighed and said, “If there is anything the Battle of Luoyang is teaching this time, it is precisely never underestimate Li Shimin. If I am guessing correctly, my future father-in-law’s Song Family Army should have resolved the distress of the siege on Chenliu first, and then traveled day and night to rush over to save us, the surviving army struggling on the verge of life and death. Precisely because Li Shimin anticipated the time of my father-in-law’s arrival, he was impatient to attack the stronghold with all his strength. Fortunately, we were able to hold out until this moment. In retrospect, there was only a line difference between success or failure. Thinking about it I can’t help perspiring cold sweat all over my body.”
Ba Fenghan nodded and said, “In the Battle of Luoyang this time, the biggest benefit that Ol’ Ba derived was that I have never been that close to death, every moment I smelled the smell of death.”
Kou Zhong said with a sneer, “You, LaoGe seemed to forget the taste of death and then came back to life under Bi Xuan’s hands.”
Shaking his head, Ba Fenghan said, “This time it’s different from that time; everything happened so fast. This time, starting from charging out of Luoyang, didn’t we live under the threat of the shadow of death? If we hadn’t had those firearms, we would have been done for early on.”
Suddenly from inside the Song Family’s cavalry exploded the sound of shouts and cheers shaking the heavens.
The two men cast their gaze, under the flying banner, the ‘Heavenly Saber’ Song Que, sitting erect like a mountain, his imposing figure high on the horseback, appeared on top of a hill, rushing down in the direction of the mountain stronghold. The other men and horses of the Song Family were still occupying the hilltop highlands, holding back their troops without moving.
Kou Zhong reached out and grabbed the rein of Ba Fenghan’s horse, and then he pulled Ba Fenghan along to meet him together.
The Shao Shuai Army inside and outside the mountain stronghold raised another cheer, their voices like the rumble of a thunder.
The hardest moment has finally passed.
Finished listening, Lei Jiuzhi nodded and said, “Die Gongzi’s [butterfly prince] plight indeed makes people sympathize with him. I agree that as long as there is a thread of clue to be sought, no matter how remote, we should not miss it. The question is: how are you going to spare the time to help him? It would be better for me to accompany him to look for Ji Qian.”
Xu Ziling stood on the bow against the wind, the sleeves of his clothes fluttering, he said with a sigh, “Naturally I understand that affairs have slight or important, urgent or non-urgent – differences, hence we must find out Kou Zhong’s situation clearly first, and only then will we make the final decision. To see Ji Qian, with me accompanying him to Chang’an will be a bit more appropriate. Li Yuan is keeping martial art masters inside the Palace as numerous as the cloud, once our track is exposed, it’s not a joking matter. In the big operation against the Xiang Family, you, LaoGe is the commander-in-chief, Kou Zhong and I are just foot soldiers waving the flags and shouting battle cries. Other trivial tasks, leave them to us to handle.”
Lei Jiuzhi roared in an involuntary laughter, he said, “When you are trying to persuade people, the tone of your voice sounds more and more like Kou Zhong! The Xiang Family tying enmity with you, two mortal enemies, they are indeed courting disaster. Now I have more grasp about the secret of the Xiang Family’s entire operation and the arrangement of their lair. The day Kou Zhong can unify the world is the day the Xiang Family’s entire conglomerate of evil will fall.”
Xu Ziling was silent for half a day, he spoke indifferently, “It seems that Lei Dage is confident that Kou Zhong will win? Is that right?”
Lei Jiuzhi stopped laughing, he straightened his thin frame, his right hand grabbed Xu Ziling’s shoulder, he exhaled slowly, and then spoke glibly, “Everybody in the world, Li Shimin included, all know that Song Que definitely will not allow anybody strike and defeat Kou Zhong. His Song Family Army may appear at the most appropriate time to turn the whole situation around.”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “The question is whether he will be able to appear at the most appropriate time?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Lei Jiuzhi said, “It will depend on whether Song Que can uphold his myth as the military affairs expert or not. Since Song Que took control of Lingnan, there has never been anybody successfully took away half a cun of land from his hands; if he wanted to expand his territory, the area south of the Great River would already be his world, but he is unexpectedly able to steady his qi until he came across Kou Zhong, only then did he go out of Lingnan to strive over the world. This is a clear sign that not only he understands other people, he understands himself even more. Trust me! Speaking about vision and assurance of current situation, no one in the world can come out to the right of Song Que.”
Xu Ziling fixed his gaze on the boundless Great River, from the bottom of his heart emerged Shi Feixuan’s jade countenance. Song Que plus Kou Zhong, like river water sweeping over the Central Plains, who in the world could compete with them? When the Li Clan’s superiority was exhausted, would Shi Feixuan just sit and watch Li Shimin, whom she personally selected, suffered the scourge of falling down from the top? And how would she, whose wisdom go through the heavens – turn the situation around?
Song Que appeared to be more vigorous than the past, sitting on the horseback, he looked to be more mighty than when he was at the Mo Dao Tang [grinding saber hall], on the battlefield, his appearance was relaxed and at ease. Kou Zhong and Ba Fenghan dared to swear that they had never seen anybody like this. He wore a clay-yellow light armor, with leather cape, which fluttered in the wind, carrying some kind of imposing disposition of looking disdainfully at the world out of the corner of his eyes.
Song Que did not wear a helmet, there was only a piece of red cloth wrapped around his forehead, both of its ends, left and right, were hanging over his shoulders. His handsome-without-equal, also brimming with scholarly air – countenance was hiding a deeply affectionate and tender joy. The Heavenly Saber, which name intimidated the world, was hanging on his back, the handle of the saber protruded out of his right shoulder. His elegant manner as he spurred his horse to come over was just like a deity descending to the earth.
From among the high-ranking military officers escorting him, there were three with distinct characteristics; it was clear in just a glance that they must be Liliao Great Generals under Song Que’s banner. Kou Zhong recognized one of them as the ‘Hu Yi Hongfen’ [tiger clothes rouge and powder (fig. the fair sex)] Ouyang Qian. That year when he went to Lingnan to see Song Que, he had secretly stolen a glance at her. The other two Liliao generals, one fat the other thin; the fat one had a shape like a big bucket, the armor tightly wrapped around his body seemed to be about to split at the seam and squeeze his fat out, particularly his swelling and bursting big belly, yet on the contrary, the impression he was giving up was of a quick-witted and active person. The thin one’s figure was tall and slender yet rugged, dressed like a scholar, with high forehead that surpassed ordinary people, his gaze was sharp, he grew a small mustache on his face, his external appearance relaxed and good-looking. Both were in their forties.
The other high-ranking military officers were entirely the Song Family’s younger generations and soldiers. Kou Zhong knew Song Bang, who escorted Song Yuzhi to Chenliu to see him. There were several dozen among the Song Family people who wore high-ranking military officer armor, all were in their prime of life, everybody’s appearance was as tough as nails, with imposing appearance and heroic impression, making people feel that the Song Clan had powerful people and robust horses, their martial art masters as numerous as the cloud.
The two sides’ men and horses met on the plain on top of a hill, they reined their horses and stopped.
Song Que threw his head back in laughter, he said, “Good! Kou Zhong, you did great! You did not fail to live up to Laofu’s [old man, referring to self] expectation.”
Kou Zhong responded with a bitter smile, “If only Fazhu [Clan Master] came one step too late, this kid might have his soul returning to the nether world, to see the Ox-Head and Horse-Face [both are guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology], a group of big brothers’ countenance playing the ghost, and had to focus my attention to pat their horse’s butts.”
‘Pft!’ Ouyang Qian could not help bursting in a giggle, her beautiful eyes floated over, but immediately she felt that it was inappropriate, hence she hung her head and held back her laughter.
Laughing involuntarily, Song Que’s gaze moved to Ba Fenghan. The latter raised his cupped fist to pay respect and said, “Ba Fenghan pays his respect to Fazhu.”
Song Que’s pair of eyes emitted divine light that seemed to be able to see through and beyond the façade of Ba Fenghan, and then his face broke into a friendly, amiable smile; he said, “I never expected that after Bi Xuan, there is you, Ba Fenghan. No wonder Tujue people are able to proclaim themselves hegemon over the prairie.”
Ba Fenghan smiled calmly, but he did not answer.
And then Song Que introduced the various generals on his left and right to the two men. The fat general was the master of Panyu [county, in Guangdong province], ‘Li Shuai’ [Li ethnic group commander] Wang Zhongxuan, the thin one was the Shuangshuai [lit. pair of rivers, or Shuang River in Hunan and Guangdong, modern Wu River] Liliao leader Chen Zhifo, plus Ouyang Qian; the most outstanding Liliao figures of the south were gathered here.
The various generals of the Song Family, apart from Song Bang, the other two young high-ranking military officers that gave Kou Zhong the deepest impression were Song Shuang and Song Faliang, none did not have the imposing manner of a front ranking martial art master. Their heroic appearance as they crisscrossed the battlefield unrivalled could easily be imagined.
Song Que cast his gaze toward the Tang Army camp’s position, as if he was able to observe the enemy situation in the dark as well as during the daytime. Indifferent and at ease, he said, “Li Shimin is painfully waiting for the arrival of the day, furthermore, he looks forward to our large-scale attack. However, how could Laofu do as he wishes?”
Stunned, Ba Fenghan said, “Fazhu unexpectedly is not going to seize the opportunity to attack, are you going to let him withdraw from the hidden pond mountain?”
Smiling slightly, Song Que spoke softly, “Does Fenghan know why I chose to come and help before the first big snow’s arrival, and not the next year’s warm spring and flowers blooming as it was said?”
Ba Fenghan was silent for half a day. Suddenly he sighed and said, “Fenghan submits!”
Song Que threw his head back in hearty laughter, he said, “Good! You are worthy to be called the outstanding figure who goes through life and death together with my future soon to be son-in-law. Everybody, listen to me, I am not going to repeat it, starting from this moment, the Song Family Army is the Shao Shuai Army, you will only listen to Shaoshuai, one person’s order.”
The crowd of generals responded in a roar, the atmosphere was blazing.
Blushing with shame, Kou Zhong said, “How could it be? You, the Senior, are the …”
Song Que cut him off, “Don’t be wishy-washy! What does a real man dare not do? In the unified world in the future, the one to be the emperor will be you, Kou Zhong, and not me, Song Que. You earned this by using your own ability.”
And then, revealing an auspicious and peaceful smile, he said, “You are just like a half-son to me, if Laofu does not support you, whom am I supposed to support?”
Afterwards, he raised his head to look at the sky and said, “Everybody thinks that southerners are not suitable to go to war to the north, that it’s difficult for us to endure the wind and the snow, therefore, from the ancient time to the present, only the north conquered the south, there has never been the south conquering the north. I, Song Que, not only do not believe in unhealthy influences that cause disease, I will even utilize the northern wind and snow to help Shaoshuai to ascend onto the emperor’s throne. I want to prove to the northerners that victory will definitely belong to us.”
Severely shaken, Kou Zhong, just like Ba Fenghan previously, revealed an admiring, down to prostrating himself in admiration – expression.
Song Que cheerfully said, “Shaoshuai should understand!”
Kou Zhong nodded and said, “This kid is slow-witted, only this moment do I understand.”
Song Que swept the crowd with his gaze, he calmly said, “Li Shimin has no choice but to retreat, and he has to retreat to Luoyang, relying on the city wall to hold out firmly. And with this retreat he can forget about moving his troops to the south for three months, simply because the roads are closed due to the wind and the snow. He can only sit and watch us wiping out his strategic strongholds south of Luoyang, which foundation has not been stabled yet. We will exploit this precious three-month period to take Xiangyang first, and then Hanzhong, and control the Great River. When the warm spring and flowers blooming next year arrive, that will be the day we are going up north.”
Ba Fenghan spoke heavily, “To attack Luoyang, Xiangyang is the place we must strive for. As for Hanzhong, why does Fazhu attach that much importance?”
Song Que’s pair of eyes emitted deep and unmeasurable, abundant with wisdom divine light, he said, “In the short term, Hanzhong controls the six dangerous ways first, and later on supports western rivers’ grain. To the left, it opens access to Jingxiang’s wealth, to the right it produces Qinlong’s horses. Anyone who wants to hold on to Bashu’s northern big gates must defend Hanzhong first. Since Bashu’s Xie Hui does not want to listen to me much, I will cut off his only link with the Li Tang, so that Xie Hui will not dare to rush indiscriminately into action the slightest bit. When Bashu is already fixed, the Great River will be in our hands, then Xiao Xian, Du Fuwei, and the like cannot proclaim themselves king and hegemon.”
Kou Zhong cheerfully said, “Du Fuwei, he, the Senior, promised his full support to me.”
Song Que blurted out laughing and said, “Even so, it will save us some work. Kou Zhong, you ought to know that half of the world has fallen into your hands. Since Du Fuwei already stands on our side, if he dares not to surrender, we will use gale-sweeping-dead-leaves mighty power against him, and unify the south under our iron hoof. If they go up to fight, good, if not, we subdue the people to be our soldiers. We take advantage of the good time while the Li Tang is unable to attend to the south to unify the Great River’s both banks. At that time, the strive for the world will decide the victory or defeat between you and Li Shimin.”
By this time, Kou Zhong already admired Song Que’s strategy in his heart, he modestly asked for advice, “After Li Shimin withdraw his troops, what do we do?”
Song Que smiled and said, “Our main forces going up north this time, the total military strength is seventy thousand men, coming with me are thirty thousand, the others stay to defend Pengliang, awaiting orders. All logistics and supplies are under your Lu Shu’s [uncle] responsibility. And our key strength in the marine division fleet, combined with your flywheel battleships, won’t be affected by the wind and the snow, will be able to attack all crucial military strategic towns on both sides of the waterway, straight into Bashu, and capture Hanzhong. Shao Shuai Army is yours, what do you think we should do?”
Listening to that, Kou Zhong understood tacitly; he replied in loud and clear voice, “This kid understands! Li Shimin retreats, we also retreat. But we use retreat to advance, by returning to Pengliang first, drill and amass the navy, wait for the wind and snow’s arrival, take Jiangdu first, and then go upstream up the river, destroy Fu Gongyou, control Xiao Xian, and then divide the troops into two ways, one to attack Hanzhong, the other to seize Xiangyang. At that time, whether Luoyang or Chang’an, that will be our choice.”
Song Que laughed heartily and said, “Even a mule [(literary) child] can be taught.”
Sighing with admiration, Ba Fenghan said, “War is like a game of chess, Fazhu’s chess move is to overturn the Li Tang’s overwhelming superiority, without moving a single soldier or one troop. If I were Li Yuan, starting this moment, I would not be able to sleep peacefully every night.”
The cold light in Song Que’s pair of eyes flashing, he spoke in heavy voice, “What ‘thing’ is Li Yuan anyway? However, Li Shimin is indeed a somebody, he made me nearly miscalculated. Fortunately, Kou Zhong, you did not disappoint Laofu. Fenghan should know that Li Shimin had no choice but to hunt and kill Kou Zhong, it was precisely the situation that Laofu single-handedly created.”
Stunned, Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong looked at each other, the more they felt that Song Que was like a wizard of war; turning over his hand, he created clouds, overturning his hand, he created the wind.
Song Que’s appearance was back to absolutely tranquil, he spoke softly, “Laofu’s hard work over the last twenty years is not in vain, the situation of the world is entirely in my hands, any important matter, none can be hidden from me. Li Shimin executing Dou Jiande was really his biggest miscalculation, it creates big changes in the situation in Hebei. Jiande’s great general Liu Heita again lead the army in an uprising, to fight the Tang Army. When we are going up north, Li Shimin will be caught in the inferior situation of facing pincer attack from the north and south. Oh Li Yuan! The auspicious days that you embrace on the left and hold on the right can already be counted on one’s fingers.”
This moment the sky gradually brightened, the Tang Army in the distance only remained around ten thousand men cavalry, waiting in formation. The rest have rapidly withdrawn in the direction of the hidden pond mountain.
