Chapter 225

Seven days later.

Within the Fire Qilin Army's main camp.

Amid cries of pain, Fire Qilin soldiers turned to see several men sprinting out from somewhere—Fan Qing, with his steel-boned frame, and the defiant Yuwen Hua, both wrapped in bloody bandages—when suddenly a humming sound arose.

Two crossbow bolts struck directly into the lower backs of these two warlords.

The crossbows lacked force, and the wounds were small, but they were coated with highly concentrated Ma Fei San; Fan Qing collapsed instantly, Yuwen Hua staggered forward several steps, turned, lifted the unconscious Fan Qing, and resumed sprinting.

Then they were seized by seven Physicians.

These two were standard warlords capable of commanding thousands, daring to challenge the era's famed generals within the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array, generals who could withstand a single blow from a famed general without even blinking when a blade pierced their flesh.

Yet now their faces were pale as they were dragged back by Qi Laogui and his Seven.

The cries of pain spread quickly.

"Fuck, get away from me!!"

"Take that thing away! Get it away!"

Fire Qilin soldiers shuddered and turned away, no longer paying attention; the great battle had ended, the Fire Qilin Army had won a rare, decisive victory, and Qi Laogui's Seven and three hundred Alchemists had worked nonstop for days, saving over thirty lives from among the gravely wounded brothers.

When Shi Dalin emerged, he said only: "Thirty-seven survived."

Then he fainted and slept for two days and two nights, barely breathing.

The armies of Chen and Ying had withdrawn; after abandoning nearly ten thousand corpses, they were severely weakened, their front lines retreating, while the warships bearing the symbols of the Eastern Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions advanced and successfully captured cities left defenseless without infantry or commanders.

Thus, Yuan Zhi's strategy, as outlined to Li Guanyi, was fully completed.

All eighteen provinces of the Jiangnan region now lay under the control of Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army.

And if this continued, one day it would be possible: to control one province while remotely directing the other seventeen, bringing all lands within a thousand li under his command. Though not comparable to vast empires spanning tens of thousands of li, this region held unique passes and critical chokepoints.

As long as Chen and Ying remained preoccupied with each other, they could not spare attention to attack here.

The Fire Qilin Army was being reorganized, not expanded, maintaining a force of ten thousand infantry soldiers and eight thousand logistics personnel.

Its naval force consisted of thirteen thousand combat troops and fifteen thousand logistics personnel.

Even so, the terrifying logistical pressure had already left Li Guanyi's scalp tingling; there were also countless prisoners—those originally attacking Dongdu City, and those caught in the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array—and every morning Li Guanyi opened his eyes, he felt the logistics straining.

Yuan Zhi advised against further reckless expansion.

At this moment, a letter from the Imperial Academy finally arrived.

It was signed 【Fang Ziqiao】, the eldest disciple of Master Wang Tong, Li Guanyi's nominal senior brother, though they had not spent much time together; Li Guanyi, surprised, opened the letter: "Dear Brother Guanyi, it has been nearly a year since we parted. How have you been?"

"The three of us are temporarily residing with Master Wang in the Central State Imperial Academy. We heard you have conquered the four directions, and we are overjoyed. Yuan Zhi is beside you—tell him that since he entered the world, Gongyang Su Wang is displeased, yet he has proven his ability and talent himself."

"Su Wang says he has passed his final examination."

Li Guanyi looked toward the wandering swordsman beside him.

Seven days ago, after commanding the battle array, Yuan Zhi collapsed; such large-scale warfare, involving nearly ten thousand troops, exacted a brutal toll on a commander's spirit. Now he sipped a bowl of Lei Laomeng's Secret Recipe Chicken Soup, looking relieved.

Li Guanyi said: "Is the Imperial Academy's examination so harsh?"

Yuan Zhi replied: "It's Su Wang who is terrifying."

This young strategist, who had dared to defend a city before ten thousand troops upon his debut, then implemented the "Rapid Assault" strategy, swallowing vast territories in mere months like a tiger devouring miles, now used the word "terrifying."

Fang Ziqiao briefly recounted past events, then shifted his tone:

"Yet Yuan Zhi excels in strategy and battle arrays, but is not yet top-tier in other areas. I suspect that if you gain a foothold in Jiangnan, you will face many troubles. I inquired of the Imperial Academy about who is most skilled in grand strategy and overall affairs."

"I have enclosed it with this letter—if you find it feasible."

"When you one day enter the Imperial Academy, bring Jiangnan's Three-Month Spring Incense as a gift."

Li Guanyi nodded, unfolded the second sheet of paper, and at once a faint fragrance arose; the handwriting was clear and elegant, the tone calm and composed: 【General, you have seized the Jiangnan river crossings. If my guess is correct, Yuan Zhi will pursue a risky, rapid strategy and engage Chen and Ying in decisive battle.】

【If this battle is won, General, you may seize most of Chen, Jiangnan, and its vital waterways.】

【I have two strategies, awaiting your adoption.】

【One: the hearts of men. One: the world's expectations.】

Li Guanyi had not expected someone ten thousand li away in Central State to have already predicted this situation; he studied the Imperial Academy student's strategy. The first plan contradicted the enthusiastic thinking of other generals.

It was utterly unlike the mindset of other commanders.

【General, your victory over Chen and Ying has made your name resound across the land, yet your foundation remains unstable. By foundation, I do not mean territory or cities—though Jiangnan spans only a thousand li, its position as a critical chokepoint held by one man is no small matter.】

【The foundation I speak of is the hearts of men.】

Li Guanyi's expression grew solemn; he sat upright, reading the letter, lowering his gaze as if he could see the gentle young man ten thousand li away, writing each character with care:

【Consider whether your ambition is merely a region—or something greater.】

【The captives you have taken are Chen people, Ying people, sons, fathers, brothers—yet under your command, their families know not if they live or die. Left unguided, your name will be ruined.】

【According to my plan, all Chen and Ying prisoners must be released, given rations and provisions, and handed official edicts.】

【Order: Disperse and Proclaim!】

Li Guanyi stared at those five characters, pupils contracting, whispering: "Disperse and Proclaim…"

【Let these routed prisoners return home and tell their parents and clans of your benevolence. From your actions—I see how you rose from a thousand Fire Qilin soldiers to ten thousand—I believe you practice the benevolent Way of Kings.】

【Thus, within three months, your name will fill the world.】

【Make the hearts of the people your fortress, the will of the common folk your territory—this is true kingship, upright and righteous. If you achieve this, you will be invincible.】

Merely reading this far, Li Guanyi wanted to clap and cheer.

"Good, good, good!"

Had the letter not been unfinished, Li Guanyi would have turned to Yuan Zhi beside him, seized his strategist, and demanded: Who is this man? He continued reading; the letter's tone remained calm:

【Yet even this is not enough. Though you hold Jiangnan, your reputation among the world remains insufficient. I suspect you will later rise slowly, concealing your edge. I have one more strategy.】

【Choose a great talent, equip him with gold and treasures, and send him to Central State to persuade: Qin Wu, the County Lord, serves the descendant of the Red Emperor of Central State. Now, the Red Emperor's lineage has lost power; Chen and Ying both harbor wolfish ambitions.】

【By honoring the Red Emperor, the Great Emperor, you will gain great prestige. If your subordinate succeeds in this, you may be elevated from County Lord to a higher rank—then you will hold land in Jiangnan, earn the people's hope, and possess the title granted by the Red Emperor's divine mandate.】

【As long as Chen and Ying do not wish to immediately break with Central State, you will be safe.】

「【Seizing the benefits of the great tide for himself, while letting the threat dissipate through the chaos of Chi Emperor's Central State, his actions are grand and righteous; Chen and Ying states, though inwardly unwilling, are forced to retreat before the overwhelming tide.】」

「【This grand and hegemonic】」

「【The great tide of rulers under heaven ought to blend royal and hegemonic ways.】」

「【My plan serves you as the best strategy, yet I also have my own private motives. Eight hundred years ago, when Chi Emperor founded the realm, I could not bear to see the descendants of heroes reduced to this. No one in Chi Emperor's lineage remains to rely upon. If you go now, you seize his momentum and eliminate his threats, giving the Great Emperor of Central State a pillar to lean on.】」

「【This grand and hegemonic offer made to you is but idle talk.】」

Li Guanyi turned over these two strategies—targeting 【human hearts】 and 【the world's reputation】—then sighed deeply: "Though this man is ten thousand miles away, he seems to have seen through our predicament at a glance."

"Jiangnan has not yet fully recovered; it still needs rest and nourishment."

"If we immediately raise troops, the world will perceive us as warlike and mad—just as the great warlords of old were seen. That is the impression such generals leave."

"Though we repelled the main forces of Chen and Ying, we have now made enemies of them. But if we establish ties with the Great Emperor of Central State, neither state can act against us—after all, the Eighteen States of Jiangnan have already broken from Chen."

"Under heaven, all are the Emperor's subjects; our possession of this land is legally justified."

"One strategy claims the realm through the hearts of the people; the other seizes the momentum while discarding the name."

"These two strategies now directly dissolve our danger."

"Good. Excellent."

Li Guanyi praised, and the young general felt as if, while playing a game, a rare card had suddenly appeared—he instinctively wanted to claim it. He turned to the young strategist beside him and said:

"Yuan Zhi, do you know who this man is?"

Yuan Zhi replied: "From the handwriting and the tone alone, it is clear."

"Wen Lingjun is a great family that has endured since the early days of Chi Emperor; now his entire clan resides in Ying's capital. He entered the Imperial Academy as a youth and was called the foremost strategist of grand design. Like Yuan Zhi, you excel only in local struggles, victory decided on the blade's edge."

"Wen Lingjun can lay plans a hundred steps away, his vision stretches far—he is a minister fit to aid a king."

Li Guanyi studied the two strategies in this letter.

He wrote careful replies to both Jiang Qiao and Wen Lingjun.

Then he enacted the strategy: gathered the fleeing soldiers, seized their armor and weapons, distributed food and travel funds, and issued a decree in the name of the Fire Qilin Army's Li Guanyi, permitting them to depart from the Eastern Ferry to return to their homes.

Thus, the Fire Qilin Army's prestige soared, acquiring the bearing of a royal host.

As for the remaining four famed generals:

All were imprisoned. A thousand soldiers are easy to find; one general is hard to come by. These four generals consume little grain here, but if released, they would become a band of ruthless men who had once breached the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array. Li Guanyi preferred to keep them fed.

As these defeated soldiers returned home, the public opinion pressure from Chen and Ying against Li Guanyi collapsed on its own. The reputation once destined for this youth—like that of the ancient warlords—was to be cruel, brutal, a warrior of great skill but terrible slaughter.

Yet it was shattered outright by the Way of Kingship.

The name of the Fire Qilin Army and Li Guanyi spread across the realm.

In Chen's imperial palace, Chen Dingye flew into a rage. His fury was so great even the eunuch in charge of court rituals dared not approach. The third-tier cultivator, propped up by pills, stood silently behind him as the Emperor smashed one ancient artifact after another. Chen Dingye roared:

"Li Guanyi, traitor!!"

"Traitor!!"

"Buying hearts?!"

"What is he, to dare buy hearts?!"

He was no fool. Even though Dan Tai Xianming had stripped away most of his talent, his eyes still saw clearly: he watched as Li Guanyi's actions steadily raised the Fire Qilin Army's fame and prestige—and he could do nothing to the returning Chen soldiers.

Kill thousands upon thousands of returning warriors?!

Even the Chen Huang knew such an act would seal his own doom.

How did Li Guanyi buy hearts? He sent the captives home, spared their lives, and gave them travel permits and funds—that is the grand Way of Kingship.

If Li Guanyi had merely used gold and favors, Chen Dingye would have been angry, but not this unhinged. Then his fury would have been limited to: "What is this fool? Buying hearts with gold? How much gold does he have?"

But Li Guanyi's actions now were not so simple.

His conduct was subtly transforming him from an ordinary general.

He was beginning to radiate the aura of a grand warlord.

It was precisely this realization that made Chen Dingye's fear and rage intensify.

Regretful, he now saw that the tiny ant he had once believed he could toy with on his palm had become a young beast, claiming a territory, its roar not yet lethal—but annoying enough to glare at.

"Li Guanyi, you and your father are both an eyesore!"

"You should have been drowned at birth! Strangled!"

"You deserve ten thousand cuts! Slowly flayed alive!"

The other ministers dared not speak.

Only Chancellor Xue Daoyong was heard laughing loudly in his courtyard for days.

Chen Dingye, after calming himself, realized that though he longed to raise hundreds of thousands of troops and crush Li Guanyi's forces immediately, the Northern Ying State watched like a tiger, and in the Western Regions, the Regent was capturing cities and fortresses. Compared to these two, Li Guanyi was but a minor nuisance.

Li Guanyi's forces could at most bite off a large chunk of Chen's flesh.

The Regent and Ying were aiming for Chen's life.

The Chen Huang issued an edict: reappoint the famed general Lu Youxian, and send this premier defender of cities to the Jiangnan region to rebuild defenses and prevent the Fire Qilin Army from advancing south.

Lu Youxian feigned illness and refused to go.

Chen Dingye's fury rose, yet he issued multiple imperial edicts urging him. Lu Youxian still refused to depart. Finally, Chen Dingye controlled his rage, personally went to him, and humbled himself to invite him. Lu Youxian bowed respectfully and replied:

"Your Majesty, it is not that I refuse loyalty to the state—it is that the enemy's momentum has already formed."

"Li Guanyi controls all waterways of Jiangnan, holds cities, commands troops, and commands public favor."

"Had you listened to me then, and turned the last 【Qu Shui City】 into a massive double-walled fortress, even with Jiangnan's hundred thousand troops, I would have dared say we could hold it—enough to break Li Guanyi's momentum of swallowing ten thousand miles like a tiger, forcing him to stall in the middle."

"At that time, if the Fire Qilin Army had failed to achieve a swift victory, lost its momentum, and failed to seize all of Jiangnan, it could not have held all the ferry points. Time would have broken it without a fight."

"But now, Li Guanyi is a tiger, and the winds around him have already risen; his blade is fully exposed."

"To advance now is to send weary troops against fresh victors."

"We must march long distances to assault cities, while they have water routes for logistics and ride the wave of their great victory. It is as if one man stands before me, sword already gleaming with lethal intent—yet I must attack him. My chance of victory is less than two in ten."

As for their invasion of our territory, there is no need to worry—the Fire Qilin Army has won decisively and now seeks rest and recuperation, not renewed warfare. As military strategy says: forgetting war invites danger; loving war invites destruction. Li Guanyi is not such a warlike man.

Lu Youxian steadfastly refused to agree.

Chen Dingye grew displeased, swept his sleeve, and left. Later, influential families slandered him, claiming Lu Youxian had, after drinking, told his subordinates: "Your Majesty has lofty ambitions but poor judgment. Had I been consulted earlier, Li Guanyi would have been subdued—how could we have reached this point?"

Though Chen Dingye said nothing, his resentment toward this famed city-defending general deepened.

Within the capital of Ying State, the Ying Emperor, after reading Li Guanyi's battle report, sighed deeply: "A true Fire Qilin of this age—fierce, dominant, and shrewd in strategy. None of his peers can match him."

"I must clear away Chen State for my sons—but this man may well become their adversary."

He ordered that no region may refuse these defeated Ying soldiers returning home; not only must they be accepted, they must be welcomed with great fanfare. All relief provisions must be prepared at double the usual rate—so that our Ying warriors, after fighting on the battlefield, are not wounded by their own countrymen.

"I ought to have welcomed them back in person, but affairs now are too busy."

"Crown Prince, you shall go in my stead."

Jiang Gao accepted the order.

Jiang Yuan's resentment grew heavier; he chatted drunkenly with the commander of the Turkic Seven Kings' Breaker Army, who comforted him with a laugh: "After all, he is the Crown Prince. Such tasks—winning hearts, representing the Emperor on tour—naturally belong to him."

"Hahaha, so the Second Prince also wishes to go?"

"That would be overstepping. This is the Emperor's way of boosting the Crown Prince's prestige among military men. If you seize this task, it will seem like stealing from the Crown Prince—absolutely forbidden."

"He is your elder brother—and your sovereign."

"As a younger brother, as a subject—you must not do such a thing."

The Breaker Army commander smiled as he urged wine, a faint purple hue in his eyes.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan's discontent grew even heavier.

The Regent paid no attention to this place, laughing heartily as he continued his campaign against the Tangxiang.

Three-tenths of the vast western territories of Tangxiang State had already been occupied.

All the warlords were speaking of this.

Meanwhile, during this year, Pang Shuiyun—who had been wandering outside, upholding Li Guanyi's reputation through tactical maneuvering—received a letter from Li Guanyi, delivered via the Changfeng Lady, detailing Wen Lingjun's comprehensive strategic analysis.

Along with the letter came a sword, and Li Guanyi's note:

"This sword is named Feng Wu, one of the five swords I forged myself. Old Pang, you have labored tirelessly abroad—I am deeply grateful. I humbly offer this sword to you."

"As for the memorial to the Emperor, I, Li Guanyi, am but a warrior and do not understand such formalities. You, Old Pang, are an expert in this—please handle it for me."

On this day, the aged strategist, now white-haired, studied the battle reports and listened to the people's talk of the Fire Qilin Army—how its discipline was stern, how its commander was peerless, bold, and heroic—and he laughed loudly, got thoroughly drunk, feeling that no joy in life could surpass this.

In his drunkenness, he could no longer tell clearly:

Was it the Dreaming Peace Army, hailed as righteous and moral, the true Way of Kingship—

Or the Fire Qilin Army of today?

He gathered a thousand gold pieces and numerous valuables, abandoned all other matters, and set out directly for Zhongzhou. Pang Shuiyun, once one of the Five Vertical-and-Horizontal Masters of the previous generation, had many old acquaintances in Zhongzhou; he maneuvered skillfully, bribed and negotiated up and down.

After more than ten days, he successfully submitted the memorial he had written on Li Guanyi's behalf to the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou.

The Great Emperor of Zhongzhou, now two years past thirty, read Pang Shuiyun's memorial.

The handwriting was precise and disciplined.

"In ancient times, under the Red Emperor's rule, the imperial court was greatly tranquil, and the feudal lords paid tribute; now, Chen State and Ying State show disrespect. Li Guanyi, descendant of the Marquis of Xue, bears renown for martial prowess and extraordinary talent, having pacified an entire province."

"He is loyal, reverent, and sincerely devoted to the imperial house."

"He sends a thousand gold pieces, numerous treasures, and one sword forged by his own hand."

Pang Shuiyun directly presented the sword Li Guanyi had given him to the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou.

He was a decisive strategist.

The Great Emperor of Zhongzhou was stunned. In the surge of emotion within him, there was almost wild joy and disbelief—he had already heard of Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin Army in the south; their boldness and dominance were known throughout the land.

Such a warlord, after seizing a territory, would actually come to report to Zhongzhou?

To honor the Emperor above all.

This aura of majesty and authority, reminiscent of the Red Emperor's time, made the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou feel unaccustomed, even slightly dazed. He accepted the gift, pondered long, then wrote to Ji Yanzhong, seeking the elder's opinion.

He received a swift reply; the handwriting was wildly excited, repeating only one phrase:

"Li Guanyi can be trusted!"

"May Your Majesty grant him a noble title!"

"Can be trusted…?"

The Great Emperor stared at Ji Yanzhong's decisive judgment, holding the Feng Wu sword forged by Li Guanyi's own hands, and fell silent for a long time. What title should he bestow? In terms of territory, Li Guanyi's domain rivaled Zhongzhou's; in military strength, his forces were no weaker.

Should he marry one of his sisters directly to Li Guanyi?

That would be direct alliance.

But the Great Emperor remained silent for a long time. The next day, he summoned Pang Shuiyun to court. The chief eunuch of Zhongzhou, face filled with disbelief, carried a tray: golden silk, white jade texture, adorned with the pattern of a Fire Qilin.

Pang Shuiyun was slightly surprised. The Yulin Army stood solemn. The Great Emperor of Zhongzhou spoke calmly:

"Li Guanyi possesses extraordinary talent, having pacified a province, his influence spreading like wind over grass. He is loyal, reverent, and sincerely devoted to the imperial house. Originally, he was to be granted the title of Marquis of a County. But due to his merit, he controls over a thousand li of land and commands tens of thousands of armored troops—the title of Marquis of a County is no longer adequate."

Pang Shuiyun lowered his eyes slightly. As he had expected.

He was to be promoted.

Controlling a thousand li of land—no longer could a Marquis of a County suffice.

Even a Marquis of a Subcounty would be insufficient. At least, a Count.

A real-power, founding Count, commanding territory and troops, was a figure of note even across the land. At sixteen, even his former lord had not reached this point.

Though the world today is turbulent, far more so than in those days, this too reflects the young lord's grand spirit.

The Great Emperor's voice was calm:

"—Make him a Marquis!"

Pang Shuiyun's thoughts paused, his pupils contracting.

He suddenly lifted his head, gazing at the ancient grand hall, at the young Emperor, this Emperor whom everyone despised, whom all believed to be merely a negligible puppet, a pawn beneath the grand tide of this era, now revealed his true strength.

Let me also step into this world, and vie with all the mighty heroes with this body of mine.

I too am a descendant of the Red Emperor.

Not a stingy overlord.

He sat upon the ancient imperial throne, his hands pressing upon the dragon armrests, and with one breath, thrust his bold ambition skyward, carrying himself onto this world.

He violently stirred the winds and clouds of this world.

"The lands of Jiangnan still bear the title of Qin Hou."

"Bestow—"

"【Wu】!"

"Henceforth—Qin Wu Hou!"