Chapter Sixty-Four: Strategy

(1/3)

Shangguan Chuanyun pondered to himself; since it was not his mother, it must be his father. Besides, this sensation was clearly not the bond of brotherhood. Using the Six Ren Divination, he calculated with his fingers, and the feeling indeed came from the south, the palace position corresponding to the father.

He wondered if something had happened. His father usually did not think much of him unless he had made some mistake again. Recalling his actions of the past few days, although he had acted a bit out of line, there was no way his father could have known.

Perhaps there was some danger with the army, but he did not feel a sense of panic. Still, he could not be certain. In any case, he resolved to go and see for himself at dawn, otherwise he would not find peace.

He could always remain calm when others were in trouble, but when it came to his own family, whether good or bad, he would always lose his composure.

At this point, entering a meditative state was impossible—only by finding peace could one be still. With unrest in his heart, how could he calm his mind?

He closed his eyes and continued to sit in meditation, not to enter deep focus, but to nurture his internal energy.

The path of cultivation is three parts training, seven parts nurturing. Every day, he absorbed a wisp of purple energy from the east at sunrise, sitting in meditation and refining his breath at the four cardinal hours: midnight, noon, dawn, and dusk. The rest of the time, though he appeared to be meditating, he was actually cultivating his vital essence, meticulously refining it to make his energy more agile, preserving his spirit and nourishing his vitality so that he could achieve complete mastery, wielding his power as naturally as moving his own limbs, with nothing beyond his reach.

...

Within the council chamber on the largest military vessel at the mouth of Lake Dongting, Marquis Wu’an glanced at the officers and soldiers below, all of whom were watching him expectantly.

By now, all possible solutions had been considered and many feasible methods tried, but none had worked or they carried too many drawbacks. If they were to search for a sorcerer to engage in a magical duel with the Dragon King of Dongting Lake, it would take at least seven days, possibly up to half a month.

By then, the situation at Dongting Lake would already be decided, and the power structure of the southern provinces would have solidified. Once his force of ten thousand entered, it would be impossible to quell the unrest—they would barely make a ripple. By then, any action would be too late.

“Officers and soldiers, this time our path is blocked by heavy fog. After unanimous confirmation, we have determined that it is the work of a monstrous dragon wreaking havoc in Dongting Lake.”

Those below were momentarily stunned.

“A monstrous dragon? Isn’t it the Dragon Lord of the Dongting Lake Water Palace?” a young officer asked.

An older officer beside him patted his shoulder and said, “There is no such thing as a Dragon King or Dragon Lord. In the Great Liang, we only revere our ancestors and the spirits of heaven and earth; we have never officially enfeoffed a monster dragon as a Dragon Lord.”

“That’s right, that makes sense.” Several soldiers immediately understood; this was a tactic from their psychological warfare playbook—a case of calling a stag a horse, turning black into white.

Seeing that everyone had grasped his intention, Marquis Wu’an continued, “This monstrous dragon does not remain peacefully in the lake, but comes forth to spread sorcery and chaos, making life impossible for the common people. Relying on its great power, it has seized Dongting Lake as its own private domain. Such behavior is a perverse inversion of right and wrong. It claims divinity and sets itself above all, flaunting its miracles among the people to deceive the ignorant. As the army of the people and the state, what should we do in this situation?”

The officers and soldiers looked at one another, then all stood up, saluting in unison as they shouted, “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Marquis Wu’an rose and returned the salute, then continued, “This monstrous dragon not only uses sorcery to harm the people, it has also seized the dragon vein of Dongting Lake for itself, using its dragon power to foster hidden dragons in various places, plotting to seize the divine artifacts of the realm. As the army of the world, what should we do?”

With one voice, the soldiers replied, “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

In the eyes of every legitimate ruler, all other crimes could be mitigated, but rebellion was a crime for which there could be no reprieve.

Once this crime was established, the first step was to seize the advantage, proclaim the crime, and notify the world. Public opinion would be firmly set, and there would be no way to clear such a name.

Once branded with this crime, the path forward was essentially severed.

Thus, Marquis Wu’an decided to strike at the root and turned to the enormous map on the wall, saying, “Dongting Lake is now shrouded in thick fog. Our only option is to abandon the ships and split our forces in two, marching around the lake. As we go, we will sweep through all territories, conscripting able-bodied men and gathering provisions, finally meeting at Lake Taixuan and capturing it in one fell swoop.”

(2/3)

Hearing this, the officers and soldiers realized there was no other way. They had discussed this method at length, and though it had been considered, it was the only option that went against the enemy’s expectations. Though abandoning their ships was a painful decision, it would free the army—under current circumstances, the vessels had become shackles. Without the resolve to cut off one’s own hand to escape, such a decision could not be made.

But seeing the unwavering determination in Marquis Wu’an’s expression, his confidence contagious, they no longer dwelled on the ships. No matter how reluctant, when the commanding general gives an order, a soldier’s first duty is to obey—absolute obedience.

Marquis Wu’an nodded, his expression grave, and declared, “Orders!”

All officers and soldiers formed up in military order, hands resting on the long swords at their waists, their faces solemn and their bearing imposing.

Marquis Wu’an then began, “Courier Battalion, attend!”

A soldier clad in black armor, a small command flag at his waist, stepped forward and replied, “Present!”

“Draft a memorial to the court,” Marquis Wu’an instructed. “Report that our army is blocked at the mouth of Dongting Lake in the southern provinces, hindered by a monstrous dragon’s sorcery. This dragon uses magic to torment the people, making their lives unbearable. It has also stolen the dragon vein of Dongting Lake, searching everywhere for promising youths and nurturing young dragons, plotting to seize the divine artifacts of the state. Send thirteen urgent dispatches, covering eight hundred miles.”

“As you command!” The black-armored soldier responded crisply and left the council chamber.

Marquis Wu’an continued, “Scout Battalion, attend!”

A lean soldier in leather armor with a scout’s flag at his waist stepped forward. “Present!”

“Recall all night scouts. Split into two groups to probe both flanks, but do not enter the fog-shrouded areas of Dongting Lake. Investigate all encountered forces in detail, record all information, and deliver intelligence to headquarters at once.”

“Understood!” The scout battalion officer saluted and left.

Marquis Wu’an continued, “Vanguard and Right Flank, attend!”

Yang Ben and a middle-aged general in dark armor stepped forward, hands resting on their swords. “Present!”

“You two will lead the vanguard and right flank around the right side of Dongting Lake. Wherever you go, reclaim the surrounding territories at the fastest speed, collect provisions, and recruit able-bodied men, expanding your forces as you go. Pacify all forces on the right side of the lake, establish checkpoints, and finally lead your troops to rendezvous at the border of Dongting and Taixuan Lakes, capturing Taixuan Lake in one decisive action.”

The two generals stiffened; this meant each would command a separate force—an arduous task. “As you command!” they replied, then returned to their places.

At last, Marquis Wu’an said,

(3/3)

“Left Flank and Reserve, attend!”

At this, Niu Ben and a young general in black armor stepped forward, swords in hand. “Present!”

“The left flank and reserve battalion will proceed with the central army,” Marquis Wu’an ordered. “You will make it appear as if the army remains in place, to confuse the enemy. Then, under cover of night, abandon ship and depart along the left route of Dongting Lake, sweeping through all territories encountered, gathering provisions and conscripting soldiers. Together with the right flank, you will encircle Dongting Lake and rendezvous with them at the border of Taixuan and Dongting Lakes.”

The two generals replied in unison, “As you command!”

He added, “At every stop, send agents to spread word of the monstrous dragon’s crimes, until the mere mention of its name can silence a crying child.”

Hearing this, the officers and soldiers stepped forward, hands on their swords. “As you command!”

Finally, Marquis Wu’an raised the tiger tally high and proclaimed, “No harm is to come to the people along the way! Carry out your orders at once, without error!”

“Kill!” With a final resounding shout, the entire army sprang into action. Yang Ben led the vanguard and right flank, taking three days’ rations and quietly departing at night along the right side of Dongting Lake.

Meanwhile, the central and left flanks cast their divine crossbows, siege cannons, and other large siege equipment into the water, assembled straw dummies to tie to the ships, gathered essential military supplies, took three days’ rations, and departed by the left route.

Marquis Wu’an cast a final glance at the ships that had accompanied him for so many years, feeling a pang of reluctance. Still, he knew this was the best course and, suppressing his emotions, gave the order to depart. The troops left the area in perfect order, never to return.

Since leaving Shengjing, he had known that His Majesty never intended for him to return. Having commanded the Divine Wind Battalion for many years—sometimes his words carrying more weight than the emperor’s—he was well aware that this was not a healthy situation.

Moreover, both the emperor and several princes coveted control of the Divine Wind Battalion, so he had gradually relinquished authority, handing over more than ninety percent of its command.

But as long as he remained in Shengjing, a single order from him and the battalion would immediately rally to his side. This was also the reason, after hearing his fourth son’s wild talk, that he introduced the policy for veterans’ welfare.

In the Great Liang, disabled veterans received only a small sum and were then sent home, but his fourth son had argued that only battle-hardened soldiers were a military’s greatest asset. Without worries at home, soldiers would fight with no thought for their lives.

Finding merit in this, he personally visited some disabled veterans and found their circumstances miserable. All soldiers came from poor backgrounds, and without military pay, they had no income. Coupled with their injuries, they were left with no means to survive.

He had petitioned the emperor but was refused. Still, seeing the plight of his old comrades, he felt a deep sorrow. In the end, he sought out his father-in-law, Jia Wanqian, who established a special office, building workshops everywhere so these veterans could make a living.

In time, not only did the Divine Wind Battalion’s soldiers learn of this, but so did the emperor and princes, which led to inevitable conflict. Though they tried to win back favor, the hearts of the men were already set. His expulsion from Shengjing was thus inevitable.

He firmly believed one thing: so long as a man lives, all else can be fought for anew. Once life is lost, everything is truly gone.

As long as the people remain, even if everything else is abandoned, it is all worthwhile.