Chapter 335: The Alliance Between Li Guanyi and Li Zhao Wen

"Oh? You've already called him Lord?"

Li Zhao Wen raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled, asking; Changsun Wu Chou bowed and replied, "My sister and I came from the Central Plains. Though my father held an official post, he died early, and my uncle seized our family's wealth, forcing us to flee here. Had it not been for Young Lady, my sister and I would surely be dead."

"Your great kindness, Changsun Wu Chou dares not forget."

"Yet over these past two years, I and the men of Tiance Prefecture have truly shared life and death together."

Li Zhao Wen smiled, "To have feeling and righteousness—this is good."

She sat down casually, unfolded the letter, and said, "I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly—I thought it would take months at least. But what I foresaw may not have been accurate."

"Originally, I thought the Tangut Kingdom could hold out a bit longer."

"Who could have imagined that within just one or two months, its decline became so obvious?"

Unfolding the letter, seeing its words, Li Zhao Wen lowered her eyes slightly, a faint smile on her lips, then laughed heartily, "Good, good, good—this is how you write! That former Gold Guard is no longer the same man!"

She placed the letter on the table; Changsun Wu Chou glanced at it—the ink was heavy, yet only three characters appeared—

【I HAVE COME】!

Li Zhao Wen laughed freely, "He says he's come, but this letter hides three more characters after: 'I have come—where are you?' Yet who but you and I could understand this letter?"

From these three plainly written characters and the three hidden ones, Changsun Wu Chou sensed a mutual understanding, a silent camaraderie; on Li Zhao Wen's face, that expression of 'you know me, I know you, we are brothers in unspoken accord.'

Changsun Wu Chou felt a stomachache.

He pulled out another box from behind him, holding it with both hands, saying, "This sword was taken in his first great victory after arriving in the Western Regions—when he broke through Huyan City, killing over two thousand, and personally slew their general, Huyan Yinshe."

"Through many storms, he never let it leave his side."

"This time, Lord specifically ordered me to bring this first trophy to Young Lady."

Changsun Wu Chou, as cunning as a fox, hid many intentions within his words.

What were all those 'storms'? In truth, it was merely a lack of money.

Li Zhao Wen smiled, "Brother Li, fighting on the battlefield, yet still leaving me this sword—excellent, excellent." She reached out and grasped the golden blade; its scabbard inlaid with seven gemstones of different colors, its blade thin as a cicada's wing, yet engraved with sutras.

Li Zhao Wen swung the blade twice; the sharp sound of air splitting made even Changsun Wu Chou, at the Fourth Heaven, feel his scalp tingle. This Second Daughter of the Duke was a natural Law-Form cultivator—in raw talent alone, even the commander of the Golden Crescent Cavalry, the Khan of the Nine Tiele Tribes, Qi Bi Li, could not match her.

More than two years ago, when she sent him to Li Guanyi, he was already around the Fourth Heaven.

Given his talent, the Duke's resources, and the Western Regions' endless battlefield trials, Changsun Wu Chou had no idea what realm this Second Daughter had reached now.

The Lord's methods and internal energy are peerless among his generation.

If one must name someone who could rival him—

Only this Second Daughter of the Duke, born with the bearing of a dragon and phoenix.

Li Zhao Wen sheathed the blade, saying, "It's touching how thoughtfully he's acted—now I feel as if I, too, might fight beside him on the battlefield, with this fine keepsake."

She removed a jade-bone folding fan from her waist and handed it to Changsun Wu Chou.

She said with ease, "Reciprocity."

"Give this to Brother Li."

Open, unreserved, calm—true brothers.

Changsun Wu Chou felt a stomachache.

Li Zhao Wen said, "But Brother Li's sudden letter was surely not merely to discuss our bond. I wrote of the great changes in the Western Regions and invited him; he replied, 'I have come.' Knowing Brother Li's nature, he must have already established a foundation and seeks an alliance with me."

"What else, besides this letter, do you have?"

Changsun Wu Chou said, "There is a letter from the State Secretary Mr."

He produced the letter from Po Jun, delivering it with effortless composure, subtly informing Li Zhao Wen of what Nicheng required. After reading it, Li Zhao Wen laughed, "Interesting, interesting—it seems our esteemed Duke of the First-Class Military Merit is quite poor."

Changsun Wu Chou's face tightened, "Yes…"

Li Zhao Wen mused, "An alliance means mutual benefit. The Tangut Kingdom is near collapse; Your Majesty is advancing south with unstoppable momentum, poised to conquer all under heaven. If the Southern Court's Regent seizes the Tangut capital, he will grow overwhelmingly powerful."

"At that time, our family and Dacheng will face the Yu Langwang's blades."

"Even if Your Majesty conquers the Southern Court, he cannot unify all under heaven—he still has powerful rivals. Thus, the Tangut Kingdom must not fall into the Yu Langwang's hands."

She smiled, "Better to give it to Brother Li."

Changsun Wu Chou said, "Lord… cough, he is… somewhat short on funds."

"Young Lady…"

Li Zhao Wen laughed, "Ha! Wu Chou, wait a moment—this matter is too great to rush."

Li Zhao Wen had Changsun Wu Chou stay temporarily, arranged for him to reunite with his sister Changsun Wu Gou, then went home herself to inform her father and brother of major plans. Li Zhao Wen was only eighteen, still a time when family bonds mattered deeply.

She concealed Li Guanyi's true identity, merely saying she had secret means to connect with a great city in the Western Regions.

Li Jianwen, Li Zhao Wen's elder brother, blinked in surprise.

His gaze toward his younger sister was complex.

As the power of Ying State in the Western Regions, they had all sensed the turbulent upheavals across the land—but the Duke's heir had achieved nothing, while this younger sister, quietly and without fanfare, had secured such a major accomplishment.

A strange unease stirred in his heart; his fingers paused on his prayer beads.

Li Zhao Wen detailed the grand strategy: "If the Yu Langwang grows strong, our family will face great peril, directly confronting his blades, and Your Majesty's grand plan will falter. Rather than let him rise, we should support this great city."

"Let this city grow powerful in the Western Regions to counterbalance the Yu Langwang, buying time for Your Majesty's conquest of all under heaven."

Li Jianwen said, "Have you not considered what if this man seizes the Tangut Kingdom?"

"Aren't you afraid that by removing one wolf, you invite a tiger?!"

Li Zhao Wen frowned and said,

"Brother, how short-sighted!"

"If this man takes the Tangut Kingdom, he will not attack Ying State as the Yu Langwang does. First, the Yu Langwang and our Great Ying have a blood feud; second, the Yu Langwang is of the Chen royal house—if he grows powerful while Your Majesty attacks Chen fiercely—"

"The Yu Langwang raises his arm, and Chen's soldiers and people will flock to him."

"This natural legitimacy means that if the Yu Langwang gains power, Chen may rise again—dead but not extinct. The Western Regions and the Tangut Kingdom may be held by anyone—Westerners, outsiders—but never by Chen Fubi."

"Brother, do not forget!"

Li Zhao Wen said slowly, word by word: "Chen Wenmian, son of Chen Fubi, was Crown Prince of Great Chen for over a decade—he once had the Eastern Palace, his own faction; are those men still alive?"

"His patron, Yan Daiqing's father, now serves as Vice Minister of the Yellow Gate in Chen."

"Have you not noticed?"

"Chen Wenmian is gone, but his old allies and close friends still hold posts throughout the Chen court."

"The Chen court and the people may resist Chen Fubi, but they resist Chen Wenmian far less."

"With the sharpness Chen Dingye has now revealed."

"If the Regent Prince seizes the Xiyu Alliance, and Chen Dingye rises again, reclaims Chen Wenmian as Crown Prince, and resists our Great Ying, it would mean the union of Xiyu and the Central Plains—a slim possibility, but not impossible."

She paused, then whispered: "Chen Wenmian's background is too extraordinary."

"He possesses righteousness, bloodline, and legal legitimacy."

"I even wonder if Chen Dingye and Chen Fubi have reached some tacit understanding."

Li Jianwen was left speechless.

The Duke showed slight hesitation: "Then… that might be good…"

Li Zhao Wen again sent servants to close the door and clear the room, then said: "Father, Elder Brother, that was the first reason. There is a second: His Majesty is conquering the four corners of the realm with unstoppable momentum, but he is old."

"If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the four directions will surely be stable."

"But if the Second Prince becomes Emperor, the realm may descend into chaos—if we have the Xiyu Alliance as an ally, our rear will be secure; if peace prevails, we may retreat to the Duke's safety; if the Central Plains erupts, we may advance and contend for power there."

"A friend of mine once said: Are kings, marquises, generals, and ministers born of a special bloodline?"

Li Jianwen's face turned pale with shock, anger, and even fear.

This fear stemmed partly from the matter itself.

But he immediately realized that most of it came from the sheer audacity his little sister—born with so many strange omens—had just displayed; instinctively, he stepped forward and rebuked her with the authority of an elder brother:

"Second sister, what are you saying?!"

Li Zhao Wen replied calmly: "I am only speaking of the realm."

The Duke froze, a searing fire igniting in his chest, parching his throat; then he slammed his palm hard on the table, roaring: "Enough! Zhao Wen, do not speak of such disloyal, unrighteous things again!"

Li Zhao Wen said: "Father, there are no outsiders here."

"Our family guards the frontier—we hold military power, authority, and prestige; we are imperial kin. Our ancestors once married into the Chi Emperor's clan. The realm is not yet stable; His Majesty needs us here."

"But when the realm is finally at peace, how many powerful generals with prestige and armies have ever ended well?"

Li Jianwen countered: "Ending well? That's merely your speculation."

"Moreover, even if we wish to support a Xiyu faction and use the 'drive the tiger to devour the wolf' strategy, now is far too early."

Li Zhao Wen said: "This is not about driving the tiger to devour the wolf. The realm is vast, filled with heroes and warriors."

"Only by treating others with sincerity can one earn lasting loyalty."

"The heart is like water; to try to control it is to capsize the boat and drown yourself."

"Giving coal in snow is a bond of life and death; how can it be compared to those who flock to you only when fortune smiles?"

Li Jianwen said: "You have quite the skill—manipulating public sentiment and the tide of the times."

Li Zhao Wen said: "This is not about profit—it is about kinship."

Li Jianwen's irritation grew heavier; he swept his sleeve aside and snapped: "Fine, fine, fine—you speak of kinship with barbarians from the Western Regions? You've grown so noble, so magnanimous!"

"Even if we ally with that one Xiyu city, how do we guarantee they won't turn on us?"

"Human hearts are unpredictable—since ancient times, haven't we always relied on marriage alliances?"

"But who can you truly trust?"

"Are you going to go yourself?!"

Li Zhao Wen said: "If such a vast realm exists, and no one steps forward—if he does not reject me—I shall go myself to seal the marriage!"

"Though I am but a humble willow, I am still acceptable."

"I'll go—I'll go!"

This retort enraged her elder brother; Li Jianwen's face flushed crimson, his hand trembling: "You—you—you!"

"If you act like this, I'll disown you as my sister!"

Li Zhao Wen said: "You were the one who brought it up first."

The Duke erupted, slamming his palm down with such force the purple sandalwood table shattered—white jade paperweights, famous mountain inkstones, tea cups, and inkstands exploded into fragments across the floor, silencing both of them: "Enough!"

His gaze flickered uncertainly as he said:

"Brother and sister quarreling like this—what is this? It invites mockery. Jianwen, she is your own sister; you two are closer than anyone else in this world—must you treat each other like enemies, with swords drawn and death as the goal?"

Li Jianwen said: "Son dares not."

The Duke turned to Li Zhao Wen: "Second daughter, I know you've loved swords, spears, and military strategy since childhood, but you cannot always be like this. Even in this chaotic world, a daughter must still behave like a daughter."

"Our family has produced generations of nobles—we must find a match worthy of our station."

"If you marry a noble lord, will you charge into battle beside him?"

"You must learn to support your husband, raise children, and mingle among the aristocracy."

"You've spoken too much—leave!"

Li Zhao Wen looked at her father, pressed her lips together, and said:

"Yes, daughter understands her mistake."

Li Jianwen couldn't help muttering: "You always say you're wrong—but never change."

Li Zhao Wen said: "You're the same."

The Duke felt a pounding headache; as soon as Li Zhao Wen spoke back, she left. He sighed: "This child grows more and more unlike herself. Jianwen—what do you think of what she said?"

Li Jianwen fell silent for a moment, then said: "... My sister's words hold truth. But we must seek more allies to support—not let one side grow too dominant."

The Duke said: "... It does hold some truth."

But where, in this moment, could one find another power?

Li Jianwen said: "I shall go myself to ease my father's worries."

The Duke nodded, dismissed him, and sat alone with his cup, silent for a long while, before returning to the quiet chamber and murmuring: "The imperial throne…"

There was a royal robe.

………

Yet it was strange: though that day the father, son, and sister had argued fiercely, the next day the Duke had already asked Li Zhaowen which power she had secured. Li Zhaowen answered truthfully: it was a traveling merchant who, amid the chaos of the martial world, led a band to seize a city.

"Its name is—ah, Tangeer."

Li Zhaowen's expression was complex.

The old Duke's heart eased: "So it's just a traveling merchant."

"Rumors in the martial world spoke of a hundred thousand troops—I inquired further and learned it was merely a coalition of tribes dragged along. Indeed, rumors are unreliable. But Zhaowen, what do they want?"

Changsun Wuchou stood bowed at his side, silently making a wish:

"They need money! People! Grain!"

"They need everything!"

At the same time, he inwardly approved: no wonder she was the Second Young Lady. He had only come hoping to bring back some silver and grain—how could he have imagined such a windfall? The Duke's words would surely relieve their current crisis.

Then he heard Li Zhaowen's firm reply: "Alliance!"

"Trade routes!"

"Mutual markets!"

"Exchange of civilian talent!"

"Cough—cough—cough—"

Changsun Wuchou choked on his own saliva, bursting into violent coughs.

No—Second Young Lady!

How could you suddenly demand so much?!

Our Lord only wanted a little money and people—you're opening the treasury?!

Your audacity matches our Lord's poverty in sheer boldness.

The Duke fell silent. Li Zhaowen replied calmly: "An alliance means mutual gain. If we both seek the realm, each must contribute greatly, is that not so?"

Li Jianwen's prayer beads nearly shattered in his grip.

After long thought, the Duke spoke slowly: "Very well. Then open all trade routes. Permit Nicheng and us to trade freely. Grant them many privileges. Inform all western tribes: this city is an ally of our Duke's house."

"We shall also supply grain and provisions—but they must share our interests."

"If anyone within the city wishes to go to that city, grant them travel permits and allow them to leave the pass."

"All the details—leave them to you, Zhaowen."

Li Zhaowen bowed: "Thank you, Father."

Li Jianwen's heart stirred. He was no fool—he was among the best of his generation—and he understood: opening an alliance would place that isolated city under the shadow of the Duke's house, even the prestige of the Ying state.

It would deter other cities from attacking rashly.

Naturally, it would align the interests of this great city and the Duke's house.

Opening trade routes, exchanging goods—behind the Duke's house and the frontier fortress Zhenxi Xiongcheng lay the fertile heartland of the great Ying state. This meant that the impoverished western city would suddenly gain access to abundant logistical resources.

Relaxing travel permits and allowing civilian exchange would draw a wave of ambitious, profit-seeking individuals to the western city—thwarting Li Jianwen's original plan to plant his own loyalists there.

Li Jianwen's anger grew.

Seeing his father depart and his sister depart calmly, sweeping her sleeves with a cold snort, he strode out.

Li Zhaowen said: "No need to see me off, Elder Brother."

After Li Jianwen returned to his quarters, he could not shake his agitation. He drank heavily in gloom. His younger brother came to visit; they drank together. Li Jianwen growled: "What your sister has done is too much. She speaks of the realm, yet sets foot in the western lands."

"And Father—he actually listens to her!"

His younger brother agreed: "Indeed. With you, Elder Brother, as the eldest, your sister acts without propriety—no sense of seniority or hierarchy. Now she dominates this matter. Those who know understand it's the Duke's house allying with the westerners."

"Those who don't think it's your sister allying with this Tangeer."

"If this continues, who will remember you are the eldest brother?"

Li Jianwen snapped: "Don't speak such words!"

"We are blood siblings. Say such things, and what will outsiders think?"

He paused, drank in silence: "Still… your sister doesn't act like a Duke's daughter. She's already eighteen—old enough to marry—and yet she refuses to speak of it…"

"Instead, she's obsessed with the realm."

His younger brother shrugged: "She's a girl. She'll always be someone else's."

"Don't worry, Elder Brother. Come, drink. Drink."

Li Jianwen said nothing.

On Li Zhaowen's side, after seeing off her elder brother and father, she turned with a smile: "Have Li's people handle the details—but let me be clear…"

A young lady in white brocade robe, embroidered with golden peonies, jade belt cinching her waist, golden vertical mark on her brow—her bearing regal as dragon and phoenix—smiled:

"This is an alliance. There must be give and take. I won't simply comply."

"Li Brother must offer something too."

Changsun Wuchou said: "Naturally. I shall report this to my lord."

His heart settled.

Trade routes. Alliance prestige. Talent exchange.

With these three points secured, Li Zhaowen could leverage Li Guanyi's influence to shape the western lands, allowing the Duke's house to step into the chaos of the west; Li Guanyi's predicament was lifted—the coiled dragon ascended.

Yet as things stood, both were men of grand strategy, their bearing noble and expansive. With a common enemy, they could unite—but when the final moment came, a fierce battle for supremacy would surely follow.

Changsun Wuchou was caught in the middle, and thinking of that day, he felt a stomachache.

If our armies ever face each other on the battlefield, it won't be just a stomachache.

Your servant Changsun offers this counsel—

Why can't the two of you form a marital alliance?

He sighed, having given up, casting all these matters aside to be someone else's problem in the future; he bowed, preparing to set out that very day to return the alliance terms to his lord.

As for the detailed demarcations—

The Breaker-General Mr. will handle them.

But Li Zhao Wen smiled and detained him, saying, "No need to leave just yet—there are still some gifts." Changsun Wuchou waited several days, during which Li Zhao Wen loaded several carts with treasures, many of them splendid items; Li Zhao Wen then dispatched the guest ministers he had recruited over the years, smiling:

"Earlier we spoke of state affairs—I am the second son of the Duke's mansion."

"Now we speak of private matters."

"These people, Changsun, you know well—they are those you recognized during your travels across the land; each can command troops, not famed generals, but capable of leading several thousand men, commanding an independent flank. I am trapped here."

"Over these years, my elder brother and father have gradually forbidden even leaving the city."

"These men under my command are wasting their time in vain; better to go to Brother Li's side as guest generals and gain a chance to build merit and glory. If they wish to stay, that's fine too…"

Li Zhao Wen smiled carefree: "Let's see who among him and me has more boldness."

"If he keeps these men, that's his ability; if I can draw them back, that's my skill."

"As for these things—"

"Jade ornaments, red hairpins—some were gifts from the imperial family, others entrusted by noble ladies; useless to me, I'll give them to him, and they'll fetch plenty of gold and silver."

Changsun Wuchou froze, opened the carriage, and gasped: "This!"

"Aren't these all the gifts you accepted, Second Young Lady?"

They were Li Zhao Wen's personal private treasures.

If one were to put it plainly, they were the dowry a noblewoman brings when marrying into another family.

Li Zhao Wen smiled carefree: "How about this golden curved blade?"

Changsun Wuchou's eyes lit up, a flicker of hope rising—then he saw Li Zhao Wen pat the curved blade at her waist, calm and composed, saying: "Look at the world, where heroes vie for dominance—if I cannot step into that arena, what use are these gold and silver trinkets?!"

"A thousand years from now, achievements endure; gold and silver are but a handful of dust."

"Better to exchange them for armor and weapons, and push them into this world."

The excitement in Changsun Wuchou's heart died instantly.

He opened his mouth, feeling that his lord and the Second Young Lady were, in some way, perfectly matched; he bowed, took the dozen or so talented officers, escorted the six carts of treasure, and set off on the return journey.

In Agni City.

Li Guanyi held a long sword, facing an impatient silver-haired man.

The Whale Fisher held only a straight wooden stick and said: "I'm leaving—this last time, I'll tidy you up a bit—"

"Your martial arts among your peers are barely passable."

"But in the wider world, it's not enough."

"The West still has the Wolf King, a Ninth Heaven realm cultivator—not to mention Yuwen Lie, He Ruo Qinhu, Jiang Su—these famed generals. Compared to them, you're still lacking; there's nothing to be done—you're simply too young."

"You're just a…"

The Whale Fisher was about to utter something harsh, but reconsidered, suppressing his emotional surge from Yao Guang; he forcibly held it back:

"You're just a very decent, passable sort. After I leave, Yao Guang will remain—but with your current abilities, you're still far behind."

"Come here."

"Big brother's got something good to show you."

Li Guanyi approached warily; the Whale Fisher suddenly sneered.

A formation unfolded beneath his feet.

He pointed two fingers and struck toward Li Guanyi's third eye, laughing triumphantly:

"You little brat finally fell for it—"

"Got you!"

?? Mid-Autumn Festival update, barely made it,

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