Chapter 301

As Li Guanyi's voice fell, Sunsun Wuchou immediately bowed solemnly and turned to stride out; the young lord walked forth, and not only did the soldiers salute him respectfully, but even the passersby bowed with deep reverence.

Yet this young lord bore no airs—he refused even the freshly picked fruit offered by the people; when the Fire Qilin grew greedy, Li Guanyi's gaze settled upon it, and the little Fire Qilin muttered, "A gentleman loves fruit, but takes it by the right way."

"Eat it? Or not?"

The little Fire Qilin froze stiff.

The little Fire Qilin slapped its own mouth with a paw, gritted its teeth, then slumped in despair: "Damn it, that old Qilin is still chasing me!"

Li Guanyi laughed and said, "Have you had your fill of good fruit these days?"

The little Fire Qilin answered instinctively: "For the past hundred years..."

Instantly regretting it, it slammed its front paw hard against the ground and muttered:

"No! I've had enough—I've had more than enough!"

"I never want to eat another one!"

Li Guanyi burst into laughter, then moved with his cultivation technique, already gone to the meeting hall.

The place was unremarkable—just an ordinary small courtyard of a government office—but armored guards stood at the gate, and only the true core strategists and generals of the Qilin Army were permitted entry.

Li Guanyi sat alone in the main seat, waiting for the others to arrive; spring sunlight filtered through the latticed windows of Jiangnan, casting a hazy glow. The spring breeze, spring sun, spring light—all made the world's turmoil seem like nothing but a dream.

One could not help but wish to grow old right here in Jiangnan.

Li Guanyi waited alone, unfolding the letter.

Li Zhao Wen's letter was just as always.

First, he congratulated Li Guanyi on his achievements, then discussed the grand state of the realm.

The letter also contained a detailed description of the Western Regions, which Li Guanyi read through: at the very end of last year's Son of Heaven's autumn hunt, the Ying and Chen states finally launched a long-planned war, each side winning some battles, but Chen was gradually weakening.

Before the autumn hunt, the Regent had already brought most of the Tangut territory under his control, then halted his military advance; at that time, the Tangut had failed to force Chen to send troops and had threatened to sacrifice the Chen princess sent as a bride.

The Regent launched an expedition, rescued the Princess, and did not press further.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted among all the tribes of the Western Regions.

People of unknown lineage emerged, claiming their ancestors were great figures, refusing to submit to Han domination of the region, and causing loud, bitter disputes.

Li Zhao Wen mentioned it only in passing, but Li Guanyi knew the unrest in the Western Regions was complex—and intimately tied to him.

After all, the Tuyuhun King's Seal was in his hands.

Li Guanyi thought of how Li Zhao Wen had received it, then gifted it to him, and how he had later passed it to Khan Qibili; it felt surreal—this had already been nearly two years ago.

The Western Regions were vast, and among its thirty-six tribes, all had once been suppressed by the Tuyuhun; after the Tuyuhun's fall, neither Chen nor Ying had seized the seal in time.

Without the seal, they could not fully subdue the tribes, and with the Mo Sect's machinations, over the past two years, all manner of demons and monsters had surfaced.

The letter read: "A spy obtained word from the Regent: he is constrained by insufficient logistics, inadequate troops, and the sheer vastness and complexity of the Western Regions—hence he has been unable to deliver the final blow against the Tangut."

"Once this news spread, the new leaders of the tribes grew arrogant, each proclaiming themselves Great Khan or Great General; the Regent paid them no mind. At that moment, I sensed deception—there must be a trick—so I stayed here instead of going to Zhongzhou."

"Pity I could not meet Brother Li."

"But it was not in vain."

"As I suspected, the Regent's apparent weakness was merely bait—he lured out the tribal chieftains and Mo Sect leaders; when Chen and Ying went to war, Chen was too occupied to care, and the Regent swung his blade straight toward the Tangut."

"Now, the Tangut state is weakened, nearly on the verge of annihilation."

"For Brother Li, if the Western Regions stabilize, Jiangnan will hang isolated. Though you may enjoy a decade or more of peace, without balancing the realm to keep Chen and Ying locked in endless conflict, you will have no other path to survival—this strategy, even if carefully weighed, still leads inevitably to ruin."

"For me, my family has been hereditary marquises—Great Ying's Marquis."

"If the Regent Chen Fubì takes the Western Regions, he will likely invade my homeland, and may even swallow Chen whole; Chen Fubì is himself of Chen's imperial clan, once the Prince of Puyang of Chen. If he breaks Chen, the state will swiftly fall under his command."

"At that point, Chen would be reborn—its ruler would change from Chen Dingye to Chen Fubì. This would be bad for my family, bad for Great Ying—and for Brother Li... if your goal is merely to hold Jiangnan and let the realm burn in endless war to preserve your power, then it is a fine choice."

"But if you, Elder Brother, harbor ambitions to claim the realm, then come and speak with me."

"I have already prepared fine wine. As I once said: if you come, I shall reveal my true face. Today, that promise shall be fulfilled."

"Your younger brother, Li Zhao Wen, respectfully submits."

Li Guanyi pondered these words carefully; Yao Guang stood silently beside him. The Qilin Army's officers had all arrived but remained outside, waiting for everyone to gather before entering together.

Pang Shuiyun had also returned the day before from beyond Jiangnan; this elder, unquestionably the highest-ranking among Li Guanyi's strategists, saw the others arrive.

He learned from the guards that Li Guanyi had already entered, and smiled gently:

"Gentlemen, the young master has waited long enough. Let us go in together."

All replied in unison: "Yes."

Pang Shuiyun straightened his robes and hairpin with meticulous care, received permission, then pushed open the door. The two wooden panels, carved with pine patterns, swung open, and spring sunlight poured through the gap.

It seemed no one had come here for some time.

This simple motion stirred a faint breeze, lifting fine dust motes that danced in the golden light, glowing clear and golden; as Pang Shuiyun thought he should have the place cleaned, he looked up—and froze.

The beam of light spilled from the doorway and fell upon the man seated in the main seat: the Qilin embroidery on his sleeve, his features fully revealed—brows raised, familiar yet radiating an indescribable calm, undeniably heroic and majestic.

Somehow, Pang Shuiyun halted mid-step, as if his chest had been pierced.

In a daze, he seemed to see again the young, radiant Tai Ping Gong—Li Wanli—of over a decade ago, a man who once seemed invincible; the old man stood transfixed, whispering:

"Lord..."

Footsteps sounded as others—Wen Lingjun, Wen He, Feng Xiao—stepped past the frozen elder, halted, and stood still; footsteps continued, people came and went, the rest gradually faded, colors and sounds receding.

The world surged like tides, leaving only Pang Shuiyun standing here, gazing across the years at the young man; as the old man stood lost in thought, he seemed to hear that voice from long ago, the man looking up at him and smiling: "Shuiyun, how have you grown so old and frail!"

The phantom voice vanished. Pang Shuiyun shook his head, and the blurred image of Li Wanli in his eyes resolved into Li Guanyi; Li Guanyi asked, concerned:

"Old Pang?"

"Old Pang?"

Thus the illusion of gazing across time at Tai Ping Gong Li Wanli dissolved. Pang Shuiyun wiped his eyes, looked around, and saw the young faces watching him with worry.

Here were brilliant strategists, cultured gentlemen of the Southern court skilled in governance, noble sons of the North who plotted the grand tide of the realm, prodigious array masters, fierce cavalry generals, bold naval commanders.

The same boundless ambition, the same mastery over the world.

But these people are no longer the Twenty-Four Generals of Tai Ping Gong.

This is the Fire Qilin Army, subjects of the Tiance Prefecture.

Those who once fought under Tai Ping Gong have grown old or died, yet in this chaotic age, young men continually emerge into this world—heroes grow old, but the world remains forever young.

Pang Shuiyun looked at Li Guanyi; he did not realize when this youth, who had been only fifteen at their first meeting and still needed his help, had grown into a man—his brow radiant, no less than his father's!

When one grows old, one remembers the past; sometimes, seeing a single scene, one involuntarily recalls old memories, only to be pierced by them.

Pang Shuiyun smiled and said, "Young Master, do not worry."

"Though this old minister is aged, he still possesses Wu Gong and remains in good health."

"If you are worried, better worry about Yan Daiqing—he is weak in both Wu Gong and physique, more frail than this old man, and if you neglect him, who knows what day I, an old man, must bury a younger man."

Yan Daiqing flew into a rage.

"But look who's to blame!"

Li Guanyi's face stiffened; he coughed and said, "Have Shi Lao and the others tend to Daiqing's condition."

Yan Daiqing's resentment ran deep; his eyelid twitched:

"You might as well let me die."

Pang Shuiyun burst into laughter.

Li Guanyi had finished reading the letter, summarized its contents to the ministers, and Wen Lingjun, Wen He, and others began discussing it; the rest offered their opinions.

The atmosphere in the Tiance Prefecture was not as rigid as that of Chen State or Ying State's court.

As long as no one started a fight on the spot, Li Guanyi ignored it.

Even when conflicts arose, everyone would tacitly avoid and yield to Yan Daiqing.

This gentleman had a rigid character.

He had the fiercest temper.

And the weakest Wu Gong.

Under this atmosphere, many points were quickly discussed; Li Zhao Wen's letter aligned largely with the grand strategic views of Po Jun and Wen Lingjun—this was also Jiangnan's weakness, the concern weighing on all their minds.

Though Jiangnan enjoyed convenient waterways and was a land of rice and fish, it lay between two great powers; relying on its rivers and mountains, it could carve out a mighty domain.

But it could never achieve hegemony over the realm.

In times of peace, it might rest and recover for years, but now the world was in turmoil, changes erupting everywhere—the situation could shift daily, leaving no such opportunity.

Leaving aside the tacit warfare between the Chen and Ying States, and setting aside the Regent Prince's insight into the tide of events, even Li Guanyi's nearly bloodless conquest of the entire Jiangnan region—where the people submitted and city lords defected as he seized Tangxiang through the bloody clash of Chen and Ying—had already shaken the four corners of the realm.

His battle generals were one thing, but when other states learned of this, none could remain calm for long.

Such a mighty spirit, recorded in history, was enough to seize hearts.

Chen Dingye and Jiang Wanxiang each bore their own regrets.

Ji Zichang was overjoyed; he came alone to the great tree beneath the Academy, sat by himself with wine, salt-baked peanuts, and eggs, pouring and drinking for half a day—though no ministers toasted him this time, he drank with particular delight.

After returning, he used the prestige of the Tiance Supreme General to tighten control over the imperial clan; the late monarch's methods gradually revealed themselves.

Xue Daoyong laughed loudly; Ji Yanzhong sighed with emotion.

All nations changed in some way, yet General Yuwen Tianxian, the ever-cold and still Great General of the Immovable King, merely got thoroughly drunk, raised his cup, and toasted remotely toward Jiangnan.

The next day, they must march to other battlefields and could not remain stationed here.

The world's situation shifts like this—Jiangnan's current peace and prosperity exists only because the main battlefields lie elsewhere; once others decide victory or defeat, Jiangnan's terrain will become meat.

The only difference is the cost required to devour it.

The Western Regions, the part bordering the Central Plains, have vast plains; what is commonly called the Western Regions is the vast northwest, while to the south lies the southwest region where Tai Ping Gong Li Wanli once reached the height of his fame.

The Western Regions' Guanzhong Plain.

The Southwest's Land of Abundance.

Jiangnan's Land of Rice and Fish.

These three places are all ideal for rest and recovery.

If taken alone, none is sufficient to achieve hegemony; but if one follows the rivers fed by the snowmelt of the Turkic highlands downstream, linking these three places by waterway, that becomes the foundation of hegemony.

Strategic depth, water transport, horses, and grasslands—all are present.

Like stones on a Go board, their liberties connected, a great dragon ascends.

Within the Tiance Prefecture, the strategists' styles and specialties differed, yet all had reached one consensus— the Western Regions must be taken!

Wen Lingjun spoke calmly: "For Chen State, Ying State, and the Li family, it is better for the Western Regions to be in chaos now. Our strategic goals differ from Ying State's, yet we share one point of agreement."

All fell silent; this consensus needed no words—

【The Western Regions must not fall into the hands of the Regent Prince】

Wen Lingjun offered an example, with the weight every Tiance strategist would instantly grasp: "After all, if the Western Regions fall into the Regent Prince's hands, it will be time for Wen He to pack his bags."

Wen He: "…………"

The plain young strategist said, "Why so harsh?"

"I merely got you drunk and tied you up to bring you back—why make things so difficult for me?"

Wen Lingjun smiled, watching Wen He.

The latter smiled gently and calmly.

Wen Lingjun's fingers rested on a Go board on the table.

Wen He raised his hand and adjusted his tall crown.

Feng Xiao took a sip of wine, drunk yet perfectly interrupting their friendly exchange: "So the question is—how do we get there?"

"That route has not yet been opened; the entire southwest remains under Chen State's control. If we follow the river downstream from here, beyond Jiangnan's vast territory lies Chen State's land."

"We subdued the other prefectures of Jiangnan because they were all influenced by the policies of Jiangnan's Eighteenth Prefecture—everyone longed to join us."

"When hearts stir, action becomes possible."

"So this battle was relatively easy."

"But if we forcibly launch an expedition, we would be in the wrong, and the people's hearts would not be with us; moreover, with great states like Chen and Ying, rashly extending our front lines would strain logistics—how much more so for us, when we are precisely in need of rest and recuperation."

"If we send troops to the Western Regions, we will surely suffer a great defeat."

"Not to mention the areas now bordering Jiangnan..."

Feng Xiao had no reply.

Everyone fell silent—

After Jiangnan was fully secured, Wen Lingjun continued to advance his grand strategy: using the former cities of Chen as frontier outposts, he gradually spread Jiangnan's light and simple policies, highlighting their benefits to the people, cultivating influence step by step—this was a straightforward, righteous strategy.

Chen Dingye directly asked the old turtle, Lu Youxian.

After Lu Youxian submitted his advice, Chen Dingye now followed it without hesitation.

He directly relocated all civilians within a hundred li of Jiangnan to the interior.

To prevent the events of Jiangnan's seventeen prefectures from repeating.

Lu Youxian forcibly created a hundred-li buffer zone—within it, not a single civilian, not a single village, not even a blade of grass remained; all were uprooted, the land treated, poisoned, rendered barren for ten years.

He shattered Wen Lingjun's grand strategy.

That meant the Fire Qilin Army could not move without long-range supply lines, could not rely on villagers to guide them, could not use the people's support to conceal their movements, and would be exposed directly to Chen's border guards.

In just one strategic move, Lu Youxian had uncovered the Fire Qilin Army's nature.

And without hesitation, he cut it all off.

Not a single blade of grass was left.

Scorched earth.

It disgusted Tiance Prefecture's many young strategists profoundly; they finally understood why this top defensive general had such a poor reputation—everyone who fought him felt nothing but a suffocating sense of helplessness.

After discovering the enemy's possible tactics, Lu Youxian did not consider options—good, better, best, or possibilities—he simply cut them all off; this man did not lust after beauty, did not crave wealth, did not seek glory, did not rush forward—thus, his battlefield achievements were few, and his ranking among famous generals was low.

Yet no one could ever extract any merit from him.

This man was too conservative, too rational, too calm.

Even Yu Langwang had broken all his teeth.

Even Li Guanyi, back then, would have been captured if not for the Fire Qilin and his divine weapon.

After Wen Lingjun and others were thwarted.

Wen He was assigned to handle this matter; he took the opportunity to poison every well within the hundred-li buffer zone, poisoning many Chen spies—his sole principle: if we can't use this land, neither can you.

If you want to come here, you'll need ultra-long supply lines—and you'll have to bring your own water.

Anti-scorched earth.

You won't let us come?

Then fine—no one gets to use this place!

The two sides' strategies clashed, forcibly creating an absolute buffer zone.

And they both found each other utterly repulsive.

Lu Youxian cursed: "Cruel! Cruel!"

Wen He replied calmly: "Turtle! Turtle!"

Under these circumstances, Li Guanyi could not pass through here; Wen He added: "Moreover, although the Western Regions are a land we must take, the people of Jiangnan have endured multiple wars—we must rest and recuperate with them, or the people will suffer."

Everyone fell silent, but Li Guanyi merely said with ease: "Don't worry—I already have a plan."

To the many strategists, Li Guanyi drew his wooden sword; the 【Dragon Map】 blade descended.

The wooden sword pointed forward, silent and edgeless, yet as if dividing the civil and military officials on either side; Li Guanyi placed the letter on the table, his brow calm yet radiant, and looked around at all of them, saying:

"You all—rest and recuperate."

"And I—I go alone."

……………………

Li Guanyi's words naturally drew opposition; the reasons were always the same—he was too dangerous, a man of noble stature should not sit where danger lurks—but Qin Wu Hou only laughed loudly, then said: "In this chaotic world, where is there any true safety?"

"Jiangnan is safe for now only because we've fought through several brutal battles—others see us as a hard bone and dare not attack. Only by first facing danger can you seek safety."

"Jiangnan needs rest and recuperation, and our army can certainly cross Chen's border—so only my method works."

"Gentlemen, remain here and rest with the people. I shall go personally to the Western Regions—there is someone there who made a promise with me, though I do not know if he still remembers it."

"When the time is ripe, I will issue the order; then Jiangnan and the Western Regions will launch simultaneously, and we shall meet in the middle—that is how this strategy will succeed. Otherwise, if you refuse to take risks and wish to achieve greatness while sitting still, how could that ever happen?"

"Moreover, when I say 'alone,' I do not mean one man."

"I will select a few others to accompany me, disguised as a merchant caravan."

Only then did they reluctantly accept Li Guanyi's proposal; but who would go sparked further debate—military commanders vied to volunteer, and strategists each offered their own suggestions.

Only Mr. Wen He fell silent, then quietly stepped back behind the crowd.

Then he met Li Guanyi's gaze and smiled calmly.

He did not step forward.

Li Guanyi laughed and pointed at Wen He: "Mr. Wen, you are indeed sharp."

He added: "This matter cannot be decided in a moment—discuss it for a few days, and begin preparing the trade routes." All agreed. Changsun Wuchou exhaled deeply—he had once been a wandering merchant before the world changed.

He knew trade routes inside and out.

The meeting dispersed, and everyone withdrew. Li Guanyi took a few steps when the silver-haired girl reached out and tugged his sleeve. He turned to face her; Yao Guang's voice was quiet: "I'm coming too."

"What should I prepare?"

Li Guanyi looked at the girl before him and no longer said, as he once had, that she should stay somewhere safe—he simply said: "Do as you wish. Hmm..."

"Bring extra steamed buns. You might need them."

"From now on, this journey will be just like before, Yao Guang."

The silver-haired girl's eyes held no ripples, and without expression, she nodded, turned, and left; as she departed, she extended her hand, and the wide sleeves of the Star Gazer lineage fell down, her fingers brushing against the blossoms of spring, letting each flower slide one by one from her palm.

Beneath the sleeves, her pale, slender fingers touched the petals.

Up and down, as if someone danced with joy, movements light and nimble.

The silver-haired girl simply left like this, her fingers dancing without expression or ripple, and Li Guanyi withdrew his gaze, thinking of the shifting tides of the world: in the Western Regions, there was the Peace Army's Divine Archer General of the Great Flag Camp.

There were the Thirty-Six Western Tribes, the Chen State, Li Zhaowen, and the Regent Prince.

There was the turbulent martial world, and the greatest light cavalry king in the annals of history.

There was Khan Qibili and the Tiele tribe.

And the Mo Sect, far more complex than the Central Plains…

Li Guanyi sensed the hidden contradictions and churning winds in that land, when suddenly he heard the sound of ripples rising from the nearby stream, as if stones had struck it, exploding into splashes.

Li Guanyi turned and saw, in the pond behind the magistrate's office, a fishing line stretching upward; a fisherman wearing a conical hat sat there, slightly lifting his head, his smile gentle beyond measure: "Oh—"

"Second brother, we meet again!"

The fisherman's smile grew even gentler, brighter, and more harmless:

"You say—where will you go after this?!"

"The Western Regions?"

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