Chapter 1359

While Hu Xiaotian was actively making plans for the September trip to Tianxiang State, he did not neglect the hidden dangers behind him. On the day Yang Longyue left Dongliang Jun, the general guarding Yunyang, Su Yuchi, sent someone to deliver an invitation, but it was an invitation for Hu Xiaotian to go to the east of Yunyang, to the small city of Heisha on the west bank of Wangchun River, to jointly discuss guaranteeing the autumn harvest.

This invitation came rather suddenly; inviting Hu Xiaotian to the vicinity of Yunyang at this time inevitably makes people suspect his motives.

After hearing this, most of the generals held opposing views, with Yu Tianxing as their leader. Yu Tianxing said: "My lord, you must absolutely not go. Although Heisha lies at the midpoint between our western border and Yunyang, it is actually west of the Wangchun River, and in reality falls entirely within Su Yuchi's sphere of control. Su Yuchi is a general of Dakang, while my lord is called a rebel general by Dakang. I think the so-called suppression of bandits is merely a pretext; his true purpose is to act against my lord."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The people he invited are not only me, but also Guo Guangyi of Xingzhou, and the Li clan of Xichuan. This spring the crops are growing well; if nothing unexpected happens, we can look forward to a long-awaited bumper year. This harvest is extremely important for the people downstream of the Yong River and on both banks of the Wangchun River. Su Yuchi's proposal at this time for everyone to confer together, to temporarily halt hostilities and jointly reap a bumper harvest, is quite reasonable."

Yu Tianxing said: "But the area west of the Wangchun River is not within our control. Su Yuchi proposes that each side may bring only a thousand men. Know that the garrison stationed in Yunyang numbers nearly fifty thousand, and the distance to the small city of Heisha is only a hundred li. If Su Yuchi harbors ulterior motives, by the time our troops receive the news and rush there, it will already be too late."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "Su Yuchi's vision won't be that narrow. If he dares to meddle, he would risk an all-out confrontation. Should fighting really break out, the hard-won bumper year would be ruined, and the misfortune would not be ours alone. Not only the soldiers, but also the common folk—after years of disaster, they finally can hope for a harvest; Su Yuchi must weigh the pros and cons. I think he values this autumn harvest even more than we do. If there is no harvest this autumn, the troops of Yunyang probably couldn't hold out either."

Zhao Wusheng said: "My lord's words make sense, but the military advisor's concerns are also quite reasonable. I have some understanding of Su Yuchi; his ability to command troops in battle is absolutely top-tier among Dakang's forces, so we must certainly not be careless toward him."

Hu Xiaotian overruled the opposition and still decided to go to Yunyang himself; for him this trip is very important. Before heading to Tianxiang State, he must eliminate the rear threat. Although Su Yuchi is wholeheartedly loyal to Dakang, his loyalty is actually to Long Xuan'en, and now that Long Xuan'en is dead, Qiqi has kept this matter secret. If Hu Xiaotian reveals the truth to Su Yuchi, there is no guarantee his stance won't waver.

Regarding the trip to Yunyang, Zhuge Guanqi and Hu Xiaotian shared the same view, so he decided to accompany Hu Xiaotian. Besides the two of them, Hu Xiaotian also took Huo Shengnan and Chang Fanqi along. The expedition altogether brought a thousand troops. Led by Zhao Wusheng, ten thousand naval soldiers escorted them, sailing upstream along the Yong River into its tributary, the Wangchun River.

Hu Xiaotian's party disembarked near Tongyuan Bridge; this bridge was destroyed when Jiang Zhengyang fled. It has never been repaired, and this spot is also where the Wangchun River's surface is relatively narrow.

Zhao Wusheng said to Hu Xiaotian: "My lord, from this landing point it is about a two-day journey to Heisha. I will lead these ten thousand troops and remain stationed nearby; if anything abnormal occurs on the Heisha side, we will immediately rush to provide support."

Hu Xiaotian and Zhuge Guanqi exchanged a glance, both smiling; Zhao Wusheng evidently still considered their trip fraught with risk.

Zhuge Guanqi said: "General Zhao, even if you receive the news at the very first moment, by the time you arrive it will already be too late. However, there is always a contingency; if General Zhao senses that the situation at Heisha City is unfavorable, you could stage a feigned attack on Yunyang. This place is only a day and night's journey from Yunyang, and the tactic of 'besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' could alleviate our pressure."

Zhao Wusheng nodded and said: "Just as you say, Master."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Wusheng, rest assured; we are going for negotiations, not battle, and Su Yuchi's choice of Heisha City serves that purpose."

Zhao Wusheng clasped his fists and said: "Then I shall await your good news here, my lord."

Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan rode side by side in the middle of the column; with the Heisha talks still four days away, Hu Xiaotian was not in a hurry to rush, so he ordered the troops to proceed slowly, thereby conserving stamina to the greatest extent and also allowing them to scout the surroundings.

Regarding letting Chang Fanqi command troops, many also raised objections; Xiong Tianba was particularly dissatisfied, having originally insisted on coming along. In the eyes of most generals, Chang Fanqi is a defector from Da Yong, and although he sought refuge with Hu Xiaotian at his mother's urging, since joining the camp he has achieved nothing and shown no talent. Many think Chang Fanqi is either merely hollow fame or just dead weight, that he has not truly submitted to Hu Xiaotian in his heart but merely goes through the motions to get by. It is precisely because of these rumors that Hu Xiaotian firmly chose Chang Fanqi, wanting to give him another chance to prove himself and to make clear that he harbors no suspicion toward him.

Huo Shengnan turned to look at the wagons behind, then whispered: "I don't know why Master Zhuge insists on coming along this time."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "I don't approve of his coming either, after all, my sister-in-law has just become pregnant and needs care the most." Actually Hu Xiaotian understood that Zhuge Guanqi's insistence on personally accompanying him stemmed from worry, since the Heisha negotiations involve multiple parties' interests, and everyone keeps their own ledger; Su Yuchi, Guo Guangyi, and Li Tianheng are each hegemonic figures of their respective sides, and no one knows what they truly think, making future developments hard to gauge.

Huo Shengnan said: "It seems the risk this time is not small." She also inferred the subtlety from Zhuge Guanqi's personal presence.

Hu Xiaotian said: "No matter how great the risk, we must give it a try. If the Heisha negotiations yield an ideal outcome, we can quickly stabilize the situation in this region. Even if something unexpected occurs, relying on our strength, we can break out and retreat safely—there should be no problem."

At that moment the sky was overcast with dark clouds, and distant thunder rumbled low, indicating a storm was imminent. Chang Fanqi turned his horse and rode to Hu Xiaotian's side, reporting: "My lord, it looks like it's going to rain; ahead on high ground there is an abandoned earthen city—why don't we first set up camp there to rest, and move on after the storm passes?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Sounds good!"

Upon arriving at the earthen city, before they could properly set up camp, a torrential downpour fell. Fortunately, the city retained some surviving structures that could shelter from the rain. Chang Fanqi directed everyone to settle and rest; seeing Chang Fanqi command calmly amidst the storm, Hu Xiaotian's lips curled in a knowing smile.

Beside them, two people escorted Zhuge Guanqi into the right-side room to rest; although someone held an umbrella for him, Zhuge Guanqi still got soaked like a drowned rat. Seeing his sorry state, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help laughing, followed Zhuge Guanqi into the room to escape the rain, while the soldiers lit a bonfire in the open space. Hu Xiaotian and Zhuge Guanqi sat by the fire, Zhuge Guanqi wiping his face as he chuckled: "Heaven's changes are unpredictable; truly, human plans cannot match heaven's calculations."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "This rain came suddenly, but it fortunately dispelled the heat, which is also a good thing for us."

Zhuge Guanqi nodded, handed the wiped cotton towel to the nearby guard, and sat by the fire to dry his clothes.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Guanqi, hurry up and change your clothes!"

Zhuge Guanqi gave a wry smile: "Everything's soaked; what's left to change into?"

Hu Xiaotian had his specially made T-shirt and big shorts brought over; he changed into a set, and had Zhuge Guanqi change into a set as well. Zhuge Guanqi found Hu Xiaotian's self-designed clothing rather curious; although it felt mismatched, it was actually comfortable to wear. After changing, Zhuge Guanqi lifted his own long scholar's robe to dry by the fire.

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Are these clothes handmade by my sister-in-law?"

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and nodded, his face full of sweet happiness.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Actually, you shouldn't have come with me on this trip; your sister-in-law needs companionship the most right now, and it's not good for you to be away from her."

Zhuge Guanqi replied: "Isn't Weisa keeping her company?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Zhuge Guanqi's calm, unruffled face and said: "Brother Guanqi, although you haven't opposed my coming, deep down you surely are not optimistic about these negotiations."

Zhuge Guanqi chuckled: "How could my lord think that?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you weren't sensing danger, you wouldn't be personally accompanying me on this trip."

Zhuge Guanqi lifted his head, his eyes meeting Hu Xiaotian's, and both simultaneously broke into a knowing smile. Among men, there too exists a confidant. Zhuge Guanqi said: "My lord, let me be frank: I believe that if these negotiations succeed, they would bring enormous benefit to the future situation, yet this negotiation also harbors too many variables. I cannot find a reason to oppose your coming; I think it is worthwhile to make this trip, but I am still uneasy, so I must personally come along to see for myself."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Guanqi, what do you mean by these variables?"

Zhuge Guanqi said: "I can't tell; there are simply too many variables in this. Su Yuchi, Guo Guangyi, and Li Tianheng each could introduce uncertainties. Relative to that, whether this autumn yields a bumper harvest has little to do with Li Tianheng; his territory is only a small part of the northeastern corner, bordering Shaoyuan, and I doubt Li Tianheng would dare to risk coming."

Second Update uploaded; today's condition is okay, there should be a third update, not just should, it's certain! Zhangyu went to type, considered as compensation for yesterday's missing update. (To be continued~^~)