Chapter 914: The Phoenix and the Phoenix Sing in Harmony

The Great Zhou Imperial City, Qianyang Palace, rear hall warm pavilion.

Beside the imperial desk stood a white jade tripod with twin handles inscribed with blessings and longevity, emitting a milky-white dragon’s saliva incense, its fragrant smoke curling slowly, suffusing the air with a deep, mysterious aura.

Chen Mo, a veteran minister of two reigns, seasoned by the tides of court politics, instantly grasped the hidden meaning behind Emperor Jiazhao’s words.

The leak of military provisions was the origin of the Mongol remnants’ southern invasion and the root of its poison—unforgivable—but the court’s immediate priority was not punishing the culprits, but the outcome of the campaign against the Mongols.

Jia Cong had crushed the elite Mongol remnants outside Shenjing City, securing the first victory in the Mongol campaign, reversing the downturn since the fall of Xuanfu Garrison, and thus received lavish praise and promotion from His Majesty.

This move was not merely the promotion of a rising star, but also a means to boost morale for the Mongol campaign; His Majesty seized this opportunity to remove the deputy commander, Duke Qi Guo, Chen Yi, implicated in the leak.

Jia Cong thus became deputy Regional Commander of the Mongol campaign, now the second-most powerful figure in the Beisan Pass forces, and with his outstanding battlefield achievements, he held decisive weight over the entire campaign.

The old feud between Jia Cong and his uncle Jia Zheng was known to all in Shenjing City; it was said Jia Cong, burdened by his birth mother’s disgrace, had been abused by his biological father’s principal wife in childhood, barely surviving.

Only through the care and protection of his uncle Jia Zheng was he raised, educated, and brought to adulthood; though nominally uncle and nephew, their bond was like that of father and son, deeper than ordinary kinship.

The former deputy commander, Chen Yi, had already been disgraced and removed; if his uncle now fell into grave sin, the court’s face would be shattered, public outcry inevitable, and morale in the Mongol campaign inevitably damaged.

Moreover, the Xue family had resided in Rongguo Prefecture for years; to outsiders, they were indistinguishable from the household itself. Xue Pan’s involvement in this major case, coupled with the Feng Yuan incident, rendered their combined crimes unforgivable.

Jia Cong is the esteemed deputy Regional Commander of the Mongol campaign, leading troops in the nation’s name; if several of his household members committed grave crimes, the court’s appointment of him as commander would inevitably bear the stain of foolishness and ignorance.

Governing a state is like cooking a small fish: one must reward and punish clearly, yet balance advantages and disadvantages, control the grand picture, and guide public sentiment—a hair’s breadth off, and the error becomes a thousand miles wide; Chen Mo deeply understood its subtleties.

…

But Jia Zheng’s involvement in the Jia Yucun case had already entered the records of the Ministry of Personnel and the Three Judicial Offices, making concealment impossible; if his crime went unpunished, public criticism could not be silenced.

Though His Majesty asked him how Jia Zheng should be punished, in truth he sought a compromise solution for the sake of the larger picture; Chen Mo, inherently gifted, needed only a moment’s thought to devise a strategy.

He said: “Your Majesty, in my view, Jia Zheng, driven by personal sentiment, entertained unlawful intentions in the Feng Yuan case, and his conduct as an official merits disciplinary inquiry—he cannot escape legal punishment.

But he remains a secondary offender in this matter. Jia Yucun, as the official in charge, if he had been upright and incorrupt, would never have acted on Jia Zheng’s letter to commit the atrocity of taking innocent lives.

The root of this unlawful act lies in Jia Yucun’s desecration of state law, his flattery toward capital elites, and his pursuit of personal advancement—making him the principal architect and chief culprit of this case.

Though Jia Zheng is not the chief culprit, he must, by law, be dismissed and investigated; yet his official position is not ordinary, for he did not rise through the imperial examination system.

His post was granted when the former Rongguo Duke lay dying, submitting a final memorial requesting retirement; the Retired Emperor, moved by the Rongguo Duke’s loyalty and valor, bestowed upon Jia Zheng the title of Acting Director, promoting him to Deputy Minister of Works.

Jia Zheng’s office stems from the Retired Emperor’s benevolence; to strip him of rank and punish him would tarnish the Retired Emperor’s virtue. In my view, Jia Zheng’s fault differs from Jia Yucun’s crime.”

Emperor Jiazhao nodded slightly and said: “Minister Chen speaks wisely. Jia Zheng’s position is the legacy of a loyal minister, a grace bestowed by the Retired Emperor; as Son of Heaven, I must uphold filial piety.”

Chen Mo said: “Your Majesty is wise. In my view, Jia Zheng’s offense may first be met with suspension from office and confinement to his residence for reflection; once Jia Yucun is convicted and the case closed, he may then be demoted and exiled.

This will clearly demonstrate to court and realm that any official whose moral failure breaches the legal boundary—even if he is the descendant of a Duke, or a close relative of a meritorious noble—will be met with no leniency, no slackening of punishment.”

Emperor Jiazhao said: “Minister Chen handles affairs with maturity, balancing all sides without bias or excess—this is appropriate. Draft the punishment for Jia Zheng, and submit it to me.”

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted to the side of the imperial desk, where a map of the northern lands lay spread, marked with a bold red line drawn in vermilion ink, stretching unbroken to Beisan Pass.

Emperor Jiazhao recalled the memorial delivered by the Marquis Zhongjing from outside the city; his heart throbbed uncontrollably as he thought of Jia Cong, who had crushed the Mongol remnants at Wuwu Garrison and now marched north without pause…

…

Four li north of Yaoshan Relay, towering mountains formed a barrier, with withered trees and withered grass stretching endlessly under the boundless sky; the ten-li encampments of Great Zhou and the Mongol remnants faced each other across the distance.

Before the two armies, forces numbering over ten thousand clashed daily, fighting desperately to annihilate each other—such bloody scenes occurred almost every day.

In this day-after-day of relentless warfare, both sides’ encampments had been breached, yet each time they fought desperately to reclaim them; the bloody struggle never ceased.

Three days ago, at dawn, Zhou Army Assistant Regional Commander Liu Yongzheng led twenty thousand elite troops in a surprise assault against the left flank of the Mongol remnants’ encampment—the largest offensive yet launched by the Zhou forces since the standoff began.

The Mongol forces momentarily faltered, but Andahhan remained calm, deploying thirty thousand troops from his center and left flank to counterattack and repel the Zhou surprise assault.

The two armies battled for nearly an hour; Andahhan commanded with composure, stabilizing not only the right flank and center, but swiftly reversing the tide and securing the left flank.

Just as Andahhan prepared to launch a counteroffensive, Liang Chengzong, observing from afar, seized the precise moment to sound the retreat; Liu Yongzheng did not linger, swiftly withdrawing his forces.

In the days that followed, the Zhou army’s offensive momentum remained vigorous, but Andahhan, observing the situation, did not advance recklessly, instead advancing step by step; the two sides remained locked in stalemate, each gaining and losing ground.

…

On the watchtower of the Mongol remnants’ central command tent, Andahhan, accompanied by Alitang and other officers, watched the battle ahead, but his gaze lingered longer on the imposing encampment of the Zhou army in the distance.

Beside him, Alitang said: “Great Khan, these past days the Zhou army has launched frequent attacks, charging forward with ferocity; I’ve observed closely, yet their troop numbers have steadily declined.

They appear strong on the outside but weak within—seemingly running out of steam. Though the smoke from their campfires has not diminished, when viewed through the long-distance lens, troop movements within their camp appear sparse.”

Could it be that after Chen Yi’s removal, they have further reduced their forces, hence launching these attacks to mask their retreat and preserve their defensive posture?”

Andahhan said: “Three days ago, they deployed twenty thousand elite troops in a surprise assault, forcing us to be fully alert; then they quietly withdrew troops to maintain the stalemate.

Liang Chengzong is indeed a master strategist; his feint is executed with great skill. But a military force that appears fierce yet is inwardly hollow may deceive for a day, but never for long.

Each evening after sunset, I ascend the tower to observe: behind the Zhou encampment, torches move at night, heading north toward Beisan Pass—their shapes are obscure, secretive.

Though the number of torches is sparse and their spectacle unimpressive, they are sufficient to illuminate night marches—clearly, the Zhou army is withdrawing under cover of darkness!”

Alitang, your guess is correct: these past days, their intensified attacks are merely a smokescreen, meant to conceal their retreat to Beisan Pass and deceive our forces.

Since Deputy Commander Chen Yi was removed from the front, the Zhou army has shown signs of weakness; they are merely holding on by force, for Manhai has already stirred chaos within the passes—now a thorn in their side!

We have held our ground at Yaoshan Relay, willingly expending troops and supplies, to create an opening for Manhai; our scheme has finally borne fruit—it is time to turn the tables.

Transmit my orders: today’s battle shall proceed as usual, without revealing any weakness. At dawn tomorrow, deploy ten thousand troops from each flank to launch a surprise assault on both wings of the Zhou encampment.

I shall lead twenty thousand elite troops directly through the center; the Zhou army has stripped its interior, leaving it hollow—this battle shall bring victory. Order the rear guard to construct siege engines and prepare to assault Yuanzhou.

Send orders to Xuanfu Garrison: command Badu to hold Xuanfu, and dispatch twenty thousand elite troops southward at once to reinforce us—the siege of Beisan Pass demands greater strength…”

…………

Two hundred li east of Yuanzhou, deep within the dense forests of Yunyan Mountain, a sizable Zhou army—horses like clouds, wheels rolling—marched swiftly northward.

Jia Cong, accompanied by a dozen personal guards, climbed onto a high boulder and raised his long-distance lens to the west, clearly seeing the vast, cloud-like expanse of enemy encampments stretching across the distant wasteland.

Jia Cong said: “The main force has passed through the Yuanzhou region. Jiang Xiao has transmitted my orders: the army shall halt here, set up camp, cook meals, and extinguish all smoke to conceal our trail.”

Ai Li said: “Yuzhang, we are near the Mongol remnants’ encampment; patrols within two hundred li will be frequent—we must guard against detection.”

Jia Cong said: “You’re right. I ordered the army to halt here precisely to study the map—we must avoid the path Manhai took, lest we be discovered.

This time, we shall advance eastward fifty li into the dense forest, then turn north in a wide arc—this is the surest way to achieve the element of surprise.”

When the troops settled into rest, Jia Cong turned back to gaze at the throng of men moving through the forest; their numbers now far exceeded the original six thousand Divine Mechanism Corps.

Since the army neared Tongzhou, several detachments from Tongzhou, Yuanzhou, and other directions had secretly joined the six thousand-strong Divine Mechanism Corps.

Jia Cong now commanded nearly twenty thousand troops, ten thousand of them elite—drawn from the Nine Borders’ frontier armies.