Chapter 393: The Grand Tide, The Choice

When Lan Wendu saw this letter, his expression first startled, then shifted to a wild joy mixed with fear, so intense his hands trembled; he glanced sidelong to confirm Duan Qingyu was still deeply asleep before slowly retrieving the stack of letters.

Is it real?

Or is it fake, an illusion?

Lan Wendu fell silent for a long while, sitting cross-legged beside Duan Qingyu.

Yet he did not rush to open the letter; he was dazed, hesitant—he was a disciple of the Mohist school, a strategist with near-genius talent, and instinctively sensed something amiss; he seemed to sit there by instinct, hoping to see Duan Qingyu awaken.

But Duan Qingyu slept deeply.

Lan Wendu opened the letter and confirmed the handwriting was Lu Youxian's.

He held his breath to read.

There were several letters—clearly not discovered all at once.

Lan Wendu was utterly wary, yet curiosity drove him to continue; he read how Lu Youxian intended to surrender the city to Li Guanyi, hoping Li Guanyi would overlook Lu's earlier blockade of Qin Wu Hou at Yicheng three years prior.

It was winter, and no one came.

Sweat dripped from Lan Wendu's forehead as he said: "... Could this be a forged letter?"

He continued reading, until he saw—

【Send a secret letter to Yu Langwang, lure him here, then I shall feign alliance with your lord's Xiyu Alliance forces to jointly exterminate Yu Langwang】

【I shall also appoint Ye Bu Yi, Zhou Liu's camp, Gong Zhenyong, and other former officers of your lord as commanders】

A great wave surged within Lan Wendu.

Even the secret letter was here!

It perfectly matched Lu Youxian's actions; Lan Wendu now believed, yet countless thoughts rose—he muttered: "No, not necessarily—Yu Langwang's son, Prince Chen Wenmian, is here too; if this came from here..."

Until he saw the final letter—the one written by Li Guanyi to Lu Youxian, stating that once Lu surrendered, after eliminating Lan Wendu, all benefits Lan had amassed would be given to Lu.

Lan Wendu's thoughts and gaze sharpened.

This layered, unrelenting pressure shattered his psychological defenses; his expression flickered with inner struggle, then he slowly exhaled, folded all the letters, tucked them away, and stowed them in his robe.

Ignoring his earlier words to Duan Qingyu, he rose and left; he found Duan Qingyu's location heavily guarded, and from afar, he saw troop movements—he felt a jolt, realizing he carried something secret, and took his leave.

The guard, curious, asked: "You were just chatting with Master Duan Qingyu—why leave so suddenly?"

Lan Wendu laughed heartily: "My bond with Brother Duan was instant; we drank too much today—I'm already a bit drunk, and Brother Duan passed out cold, but I suddenly remembered some alliance matters left unattended, so I must go."

"Oh oh, Mr. Lan, take care on your way."

Lan Wendu laughed loudly, mounted his horse, and rode off casually, abandoning his troops, exiting the city, cracking his whip, and galloping straight back to the border city—then he spared no effort to send the secret letter far to Chen Dingye in the Chen capital.

The guard watched Lan Wendu depart, then strode into the secret chamber, removed his helmet, revealing a young man with a carefree, easygoing air; he sat cross-legged beside the table, sniffed the wine, and frowned slightly: "This smell is overpowering!"

Then he pulled out another wine cup, sipped slowly, and tapped Duan Qingyu's cheek with his sword scabbard: "Wen He, wake up—the fish has bitten."

Duan Qingyu opened his eyes slowly: "... Not easy."

"Yuan Zhi."

The guard outside, who had mobilized troops to create the illusion of imminent danger forcing Lan Wendu to flee, was none other than Yuan Zhi—the Tiance Prefecture's top strategist, the undisputed elite among the younger generation.

Yuan Zhi smiled carefree: "How far did he go before he bit?"

Wen He sat up: "The final step."

"Even if Po Jun could mimic any handwriting—so perfectly even Lu Youxian himself couldn't tell— and Gong Sun Huai Zhi forged Lu's seal, and the Star Gazer disrupted heavenly patterns—he still only bit at the very end."

"His initial joy, the factional rivalries, the truth and falsehood of Yu Langwang's secret letter—even the threat to his own life—he saw through it all, held firm, and even suspected me."

"But he couldn't cross that final step."

Yuan Zhi said: "Interest."

Wen He said: "He was born into a great clan—even with talent, pride, and insight—he still fell to the clan's instinct: securing advantage for his family."

"I spent over a hundred thousand on him."

"When our lord was young, he earned one tael of silver per month in Yicheng."

"That's equivalent to the monthly pay of over a hundred thousand men—yet I spent it all on one man. He's young, from a clan, yet lacks status; once he holds this silver, he won't let go."

Yuan Zhi raised an eyebrow: "Pity."

"But your bait—was the last one the only real one?"

"The earlier ones were just to make the final bait more convincing."

Wen He smiled: "Only you understand me, Yuan Zhi."

Yuan Zhi drank, then said: "What about the silver? You only used Lan Wendu as a temporary storage, didn't you? You even used him to tease Yan Daiqing—but the longer you wait, the more risks—over a hundred thousand taels—better retrieve them."

Wen He blinked: "What hundred thousand taels?"

Yuan Zhi: "Huh?"

Duan Qingyu straightened his robes, extended two fingers, and declared solemnly: "It was two hundred thousand taels!"

Yuan Zhi: "？？？"

Duan Qingyu smiled: "Lan Wendu was born into a great clan—he's my brother, my closest friend. The money I gave him? My money. His money? Still my money!"

Yuan Zhi stared blankly for a long while, then sighed and shook his head:

"Truly a poison strategist—anything you give away carries too high a price."

Duan Qingyu smiled calmly, accepting the praise.

………………

The Chen and Ying states each underwent change.

Turbulent waves churned beneath the surface.

The dragon is about to emerge.

Li Guanyi pondered, then decided: first, mine the ore!

He began developing the mines in the Dangxiang Kingdom that produced weapon-grade metal; in the new year, he encouraged civilian livelihood, appearing utterly uninterested in worldly affairs.

At this time, the winds and clouds of the Western Regions churned without abating, instead growing even more furious; Yu Langwang, Chen Fubi, reached the peak of his sharpness, forcibly swallowed He Ruo Qinhu, then pressed on without pause, smashing into Ying Country's borders.

The Ying Country's Duke Li led his generals in rapid retreat.

All the territory they had barely gained beyond the Western Regions vanished.

The Ying Country's sphere of influence shrank directly back into Xiyicheng, holding firm within its walls, letting Yu Langwang Chen Fubi swallow every fortress, defensive line, and city they had built beyond Xiyicheng.

Yu Langwang advanced eastward, striking the Ying Country's frontier into ruin.

He expanded northward.

The Seven Kings of the Turkic had been resting, following tradition to raid the Western Regions during the winter-to-spring transition, but were shattered outright by Yu Langwang; Tie Futu fled in panic, and half the grasslands Tie Futu had seized from Tuyuhun's chaos three years prior were devoured by Yu Langwang.

He then turned to challenge Chen Country; Lu Youxian remained silent.

He retreated without fighting.

In a short span, he fought several battles, each one dominating the field.

He seized vast territories of the Western Regions, his prestige soaring, unmatched in might, at the height of his glory.

Li Guanyi, Lord of Anxi, quietly nibbled forward along Yu Langwang's campaign, as if by unspoken accord. After Yu Langwang crushed the garrisons and seized grain, gold, and silver, he would depart without delay.

This army truly resembled the wolf packs of the world—hungry, cruel.

Always maintaining the desire to hunt and attack.

Afterward, Li Guanyi's forces crept up silently and seized the abandoned cities.

In stance, they were absolute mortal enemies; yet in grand strategy, they cooperated.

Yet Li Guanyi's forces claimed ignorance: "We knew nothing—we merely found cities left undefended by the roadside and happened to walk in. We know nothing else."

Wan Neng Lei Laomeng, Anxi's official in charge of external affairs, said this.

"Don't ask. I don't know. I'm just a horse breeder."

"Really, don't ask."

"I truly don't know."

With spring's arrival, aided by the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, Anxi's sphere of influence and the entire Western Regions' plant growth flourished; Li Guanyi and his men rested and recuperated, repairing city walls, training soldiers, and simultaneously mining minerals and developing commerce.

The entire domain was gradually becoming prosperous.

But the strategists of Tiance Prefecture knew this was merely a brief respite, meant to prepare for the next great war—the next battle would likely decide who would become the true master of the Western Regions.

"Our chances of victory aren't very certain…"

Po Jun sipped tea, thoughtfully saying: "In the Western Regions, Yu Langwang clearly intends one final, massive outburst—he can balance the Turkic, pressure Ying Country—but his military momentum is gradually waning."

"The battle against He Ruo Qinhu is the last true great war predicted for Yu Langwang's lifetime; after that, his forces will grow weaker."

"The current problem lies in…"

"Yu Langwang will surely attempt to tear open a breach in Ying Country's grand strategy, but Ying Country will never sit idle—they will inevitably respond by sending forth a large army and a famed general."

"But who will that famed general be…"

Yuan Zhi's eyes lowered slightly.

They said nothing, yet all their minds bore one name.

Li Guanyi said: "The grand tide of warfare is like a boulder rolling from a mountain peak—immense, unstoppable. With Yu Langwang's current spirit, few in all the world can stop him; and of Ying Country's options, only one person holds the certainty…"

Yuan Zhi, Wen He, and Master Yan Daiqing fell silent.

The First Divine General of the Realm, the Martial Dao legend.

Jiang Su!

That name carried an inexplicable, mysterious power—overwhelmingly formidable—plunging the young geniuses of Tiance Prefecture into silence: the First Divine General who led armies to contest the world, and the strongest Martial Dao legend.

After defeating Yu Langwang…

This would be the opponent they might face.

History had proven countless times: young warlords who rose to fame across the land often drew the targeted suppression of the reigning First Divine General.

Yuan Zhi hesitated, then said: "I heard Jiang Su is in the northern frontier, clashing with the Turkic and Chen Country—surely he cannot suddenly arrive here…"

Wen He said: "This First Divine General of the Realm clashes with Chen Country and the Turkic on the frontier, yet he does not seek swift victory—he deliberately drags out the conflict, forcing Chen Country to pour its entire focus here."

"Troops, grain, logistics, metal, all are drawn toward him."

"After defeating Chen Country's armies, he seizes their supplies and grain, then returns to his base without immediately annexing land, letting Chen Country keep sending more troops—this cycle has continued for months."

"Chen Country cannot abandon the northern frontier—if they do, Jiang Su will continue this strategy inward, yet they have no other general capable of opposing him, so they can only raise taxes repeatedly and send more grain and troops."

"Now, resentment surges throughout the nation."

"It's like slashing a gaping wound into the giant of Chen Country."

"Letting that wound bleed endlessly is an extremely ruthless tactic—Jiang Su intends to use this battlefield to exhaust Chen Country, waiting until its logistics and livelihood collapse entirely, until popular outrage erupts, before moving in."

"At that point, capturing cities will become far easier."

"The highest form of warfare attacks strategy—Jiang Su's battle targets Chen Country's grand momentum and popular will."

"Grand and majestic, yet cruel and sharp."

Wen He praised: "Fighting him is a nightmare. Running is better."

"Better to gather gold and valuables and retreat southward by river."

Master Yan Daiqing clenched his fist.

Wen He fell silent.

Yuan Zhi said: "Yet this strategy only succeeds if the general is arrogant enough, strong enough—plundering the enemy's flesh and blood to enrich himself. The First Divine General truly is arrogant."

"From this perspective, it's not certain he can come—the Great Khan of the Turkic is also on the grasslands. This strategy, though ruthless, revolves entirely around himself."

"If he leaves, no second general could achieve such a level."

Po Jun said coolly: "But the brilliance of warfare lies here—if I were Jiang Su, I would seize this logic and turn it on its head."

The strategists reached their conclusion.

"The worst scenario is that Jiang Su defeats Yu Langwang, and we must still face this world's greatest military god."

Many strategists fell into silence, their faces no longer relaxed—even the reckless Po Jun, who had already silently named General Jiang Su as his anticipated opponent in his heart.

But not now, not in this way!

Many things are always beyond expectation.

Even the finest strategists cannot foresee every event in the world.

Li Guanyi tossed a Western copper coin in his hand, watching it roll upward, then fall—his Wu Gong had reached the Eighth Heaven, unquestionably the strongest among his generation.

Even across the entire world, he was among the elite.

Yet the gap to the legendary realm of martial arts remained far too great.

Li Guanyi did not believe he could repel Jiang Su even with equal troops—even with absolute advantages in strategy, terrain, and timing—back then, only Yu Langwang and his father, Tai Ping Gong, had barely held back Jiang Su's advance.

Jiang Su had merely withdrawn calmly then.

He had suffered no loss.

Judging from this great war, Li Guanyi now could hardly even slow Jiang Su's momentum—but he still held the Western army as a hidden trump card, not yet revealed to the Yan state, sufficient to serve as a decisive strike.

"It's not entirely hopeless to stop the military god."

Li Guanyi murmured, looking at Po Jun and Yuan Zhi. He caught the coin, his thoughts sharpening, then pressed the Western copper coin onto the table, his gaze steady, and said:

"Chen and Yan's forces are tied down; Jiang Su cannot take too many troops away from his front line, and behind us lie the Thirty-Six Western States."

"Our wings are not yet fully grown."

"Yet we cannot retreat a single step!"

"Only with forces several times greater than Jiang Su's can we directly clash with the number one in the world!"

"It's not impossible… at least, we might preserve ourselves, and avoid being defeated by this Jiang Su, backed by such overwhelming force."

Yuan Zhi's eyes brightened slightly as he murmured: "And Jiang Su's reputation has already shaken the world—we don't need to defeat him; merely surviving this situation without being defeated by him will be enough to revive our fame, just as Tai Ping Gong and Yu Langwang did back then!"

"But, Lord, do you have a plan?"

Li Guanyi thought for a moment and said: "We need another… someone who can partner with me, with similar Wu Gong."

"A general capable of commanding tens of thousands and coordinating perfectly."

Only such coordination could possibly block Jiang Su.

And this situation is even more complex than when Tai Ping Gong and Yu Langwang faced Jiang Su—we must also watch for Lu Youxian, and for Chen…

Yan Daiqing said: "Your command ability has nearly reached one hundred thousand. Among our ranks, only Yuan Zhi possesses comparable command—but Yuan Zhi's Wu Gong is only Third Heaven, which was already barely enough against Yu Langwang."

"Against the military god Jiang Su, Yuan Zhi likely cannot hold."

Yuan Zhi hesitated and said: "Still, I could try to force myself."

Li Guanyi raised his hand to stop him. "Master, don't force yourself. I'll think of another way…" He fell silent for a long while, sighing. Diaojingke and Master Siming had been gone a long time—even from ten thousand li away, their speed should have brought them there by now.

He didn't know if they had succeeded.

Xue Shenjiang, the world's number one general five hundred years ago, a legendary commander who once had the chance to reach the martial arts legend realm—could this echo of such a general, revived through the power of the Qingpao Changsheng Ke, now ride the battlefield?

The world's number one general five hundred years ago.

The world's number one general five hundred years later.

Who would prevail in leading troops into battle?

Even Li Guanyi felt a stir within him—but he had no certainty whether Diaojingke and Master Siming would return, or whether they would bring the mechanism needed for Xue Shenjiang's echo to act.

Just as he hesitated thus, a visitor arrived at Anxi City.

It was Crown Prince Jiang Gao of Yan.

Li Guanyi was surprised and went to greet him personally. After only a short time apart, the Yan Crown Prince had changed dramatically. Though he still appeared gentle and composed, his eyes were bloodshot, his lips cracked, radiating a suppressed despair.

Jiang Gao held a string of prayer beads, slowly turning them. Hearing the sound, he rose and said:

"Brother Li has come."

Li Guanyi replied: "Brother Jiang."

He raised an eyebrow, inviting Jiang Gao to sit, and asked directly: "Why have you risked coming here today?"

Jiang Gao gave a complex smile, softly saying: "I've come today to entrust something."

Li Guanyi said: "Entrust?"

Jiang Gao fell silent for a long while, then said: "I know you, Brother Li, are a remarkable man with the world in your heart. My failure as commander has led to the great collapse in the West. General He Ruo Qinhu is severely wounded and has been taken back to the Central Plains."

"My father has written me a letter ordering me to return."

"I cannot stay here any longer."

Li Guanyi looked at the thirty-something Yan Crown Prince and said: "Brother Jiang, are you truly going back? The world is in great upheaval. Here on the frontier, you hold military power and the support of generals—why return at all?"

"Why not earn redemption by stabilizing the frontier?"

The other smiled faintly. "I could do that—but I'm afraid, Brother Li. That man is a brutal, murderous hero, the world's supreme general. How could I not be afraid?"

Li Guanyi froze.

Jiang Gao looked at him and whispered: "Sometimes, I envy your experiences—you've traveled the world since childhood. It's truly rare."

Li Guanyi grinned and replied:

"I think that remark deserves a punch."

"I really want to hit you."

Jiang Gao paused, then realized this general had lost his parents young and endured Fei Poison for over a decade. His face softened with apology. "Still, my defeat is deeply entangled with your subordinate, Master Pojun Jun."

"We're even."

"And what I said was sincere. Perhaps precisely because you rose from nothing, starting with absolutely nothing, you fought so fiercely—even toward Yu Langwang, the divine general, you had the heart to draw your sword."

"But I… I've walked a path of unbroken ease. And now, at this moment, I've become afraid. My hands tremble. I haven't slept through a single night."

Jiang Gao whispered: "I'm afraid that when I return, I won't be Crown Prince anymore."

"But I'm also afraid of losing."

"General He Ruo Qinhu was defeated too. I am not his equal. I fear I will fall beneath Yu Langwang's blade, fear I will cause even greater collapse in the Western Regions, fear I will cause the nation to lose its land."

"I fear that because of my own incompetence, all my brave soldiers will die."

"Then I would rather return home and become a neglected Imperial Prince."

Jiang Gao looked at Li Guanyi calmly and said: "Brother Li, which is truly the defeat—fighting Yu Langwang, or returning to the Eastern Palace? Is it about carrying your homeland and country, or merely yourself?"

"What is it that demands courage?"

Li Guanyi could not say anything: "Handing it over to your younger brother does not guarantee peace across the realm."

Jiang Gao smiled and said: "Perhaps so. But neither you nor I can see the future."

"Today, I come here for only one thing to ask of you."

Jiang Gao rose, bowed deeply, and said: "I beg Brother Li to grant this request."

"Generals Yuwen Hua, Yuwen Tianxian, and Qin Yulong, as allied guest generals, shall remain temporarily in Anxi City. Once matters are settled, let them return to the state."

Li Guanyi's expression changed slightly.

"What?!!!"

Jiang Gao said softly: "Brother Li, do not worry over me. I am the Emperor's eldest son. If I return, I may lose power—but blood is thicker than water. I will not die."

"But if these three generals return, they will surely be ostracized, suppressed, even harmed because of me—and may even die... I cannot let that happen."

"I believe your boundless heroism can accommodate these three."

"And with your integrity, when all is resolved, you will surely see them return to the state."

Li Guanyi looked at the young man before him, as warm and refined as jade, and said:

"Even now, at this moment, you still think of others."

Jiang Gao smiled: "The only thing I can do is this much."

He took off the string of jade beads from his hand and placed it on the table—but somehow, when it landed, the string of Buddhist prayer beads given to him long ago by the old Monk of the Central Plains Academy suddenly broke, scattering beads across the floor.

Jiang Gao froze, reaching to pick them up, then paused, and did not. He only looked at Li Guanyi and said: "When we first met in Jiangzhou City, I told you I'd treat you to wine if we met again. We drank that wine—we were enemies and friends alike."

"These three generals—I entrust them to you, Brother Li."

"The day grows late, winter winds are cold, but spring will surely come. Brother Li, you are beyond the Central Plains—take care of your health, add warm clothing. The Western Regions may be beautiful, but do not forget your homeland."

Jiang Gao rose, bowed, and said softly:

"Jiang Gao, farewell."

Li Guanyi returned the bow: "Brother Jiang... go well."

He watched the Crown Prince turn and walk away, paused, then suddenly said:

"Jiang Gao."

Jiang Gao turned his head, puzzled. Li Guanyi thought for a moment, then smiled:

"When spring comes and flowers bloom again, let us drink together."

Jiang Gao smiled: "Good."

"Li Guanyi."

He turned and left.

Step by step, his back straight as a green bamboo.

He did not look back.

In times of chaos, all must choose.

To the eye now, it seems ordinary. In the annals of history, every word settles.

And ten thousand miles away, within the great volcano of Saibei, an ancient black tortoise rose, and an old man with white hair emerged, spat out a puff of white smoke, stared blankly for a long while, then suddenly shouted:

"This old man—finally!"

"Succeeded!!!"

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