Chapter 109

On the day He Jingyuan returned to Jizhou, Fan Changyu, Tang Peiyi, and a group of military officers personally came to see him off.

His injuries had not yet healed, making it impossible for him to ride a horse. Waiting outside the camp was a carriage covered with a blue canopy.

Before He Jingyuan boarded, Tang Peiyi solemnly cupped his fists and said, “Please return to Jizhou and recover in peace, my lord. I will surely take Chongzhou, capture Sui Yuanhuai alive, and not disappoint your expectations!”

Looking at him, He Jingyuan nodded. He patted Tang Peiyi’s shoulder with satisfaction before sweeping his gaze over Fan Changyu and the officers who had once followed him. A trace of weariness appeared in his eyes.

Everyone present today was one of their own, so he no longer had many reservations.

“Peiyi,” he said, “my niece here will have to rely on you in the future. Please look after her.”

Tang Peiyi quickly replied, “Although Commandant Fan is a woman, she is a fierce general admired by the entire army. It was also Commandant Fan who intercepted and killed those three scouts, preventing our plan from being ruined. Had Lucheng fallen, even if I died ten thousand times, I could not have escaped responsibility. In the future, it is I who will need to rely on Commandant Fan.”

His promotion to commander-in-chief had indeed been made possible in part by the achievements of the Right Wing Army, so his words were not merely empty flattery.

He Jingyuan said, “This girl can be stubborn to a fault at times. When it comes to matters of the court, guide her a little more.”

This time, Tang Peiyi simply agreed without saying anything further.

Only then did He Jingyuan turn to Fan Changyu.

Her emotions were mixed as she called out softly, “Uncle.”

He Jingyuan said, “Serve well under General Tang. Build your achievements and make a name for yourself.”

Hidden in his eyes were the countless complicated emotions connected to what had happened seventeen years ago.

But those words could no longer be spoken in front of others.

Fan Changyu nodded firmly.

Beside her stood a military officer with a layer of bluish stubble on his chin. He looked imposing and heroic, yet at this moment his eyes had reddened.

“My lord…”

He Jingyuan merely smiled at him.

“I’ve kept you by my side for all these years. Your temper has been tempered enough. Wenchang, follow General Tang and carve out a future for yourself on the battlefield.”

The man was Zheng Wenchang, who had only recently been transferred from Jizhou.

When the rebels had attempted to seize Jizhou and attacked Lucheng, the gateway to the province, He Jingyuan had personally gone there to oversee the battle. During that time, all affairs in Jizhou had been entrusted to Zheng Wenchang.

From another perspective, he had also served as He Jingyuan’s eyes in Jizhou, keeping watch on Li Huaian.

Now that Li Huaian had found what he was looking for and remained on the Chongzhou front, while He Jingyuan was being transferred back to Jizhou, He Jingyuan feared that Fan Changyu would stand alone in the army. That was why he had arranged for Zheng Wenchang to be transferred as well.

Both Tang Peiyi and Zheng Wenchang had once served under him.

However, Tang Peiyi had only been his subordinate. Zheng Wenchang, as his student, was far closer to him.

Now that Tang Peiyi held great authority, many matters required careful handling and proper restraint.

After the farewells were finished, He Jingyuan boarded the carriage bound for Jizhou.

As Fan Changyu returned to camp, she glanced up at the vast sky and felt a trace of melancholy.

The farther she walked down this road, the more it seemed that the people close to her gradually drifted away.

Yet she had no choice but to continue forward.

The night before, He Jingyuan had summoned her privately.

He had told her to remain patient and continue accumulating military merit on the battlefield. Once the rebels were wiped out and she returned to the capital to receive the Emperor’s personal commendation, the matter of her parents’ forged identities would be reopened for investigation.

Once Wei Yan was implicated, and with both the Emperor and the Li family personally overseeing the case, the truth about what happened seventeen years ago would no longer remain hidden.

He had also told her that Zheng Wenchang was his man and that if she encountered any difficulties, she could seek Zheng Wenchang’s help.

Fan Changyu felt deeply grateful for all of He Jingyuan’s thoughtful arrangements.

Ever since her parents had passed away, aside from Aunt Zhao’s family, she had never again received such care from an elder.

As a military officer of considerable rank, she was now allowed to participate in discussions within the central command tent.

However, she had not read many military texts. Most of the time, she simply listened as Tang Peiyi and the others debated around the sand table. Occasionally, the officers would become so excited that their spit flew as if they were about to start a fight.

At first, everything they discussed had sounded like complete gibberish to her.

Now she could at least understand what they were talking about.

But the strategy for continuing the assault on Chongzhou had yet to be finalized.

One thing, however, had already been decided.

The next time they went into battle, she would serve as the vanguard.

As a result, a cavalry unit of two hundred men was assigned to her command.

Although the number was not large, it was sufficient for the spearhead of a vanguard force.

To her surprise, the leader of this cavalry unit was someone she had met before.

Back when they had been building the dam, she had been forced to excavate earth and stone. Among the detained civilians was a man of extraordinary strength who received a chicken drumstick with every meal.

Now that very man was the cavalry squad leader.

When he saw Fan Changyu, he showed little surprise, likely having already known he would be assigned to her command.

One of the cavalrymen under him, however, stared at her blankly.

“Mother of Heaven… Isn’t this the lady who kicked the women’s barracks door flying off its hinges with a single kick when the rebels attacked after the dam collapsed?”

Clearly, this cavalryman had also been among the refugees that day.

To improve coordination on the battlefield, Fan Changyu now had to spend time training with the cavalry in addition to drilling the infantry.

Fortunately, the cavalrymen seemed to admire her greatly.

Whether it was because they had heard of her feat of slaying Prince Changxin or because stories of her digging earth and stone had spread, she did not know.

At the same time, she still had to endure lessons from the advisers that Xie Wu had found for her, studying current affairs and the state of the world.

She had neither the time nor the energy to concern herself with what the soldiers chatted about in their spare moments.

By the time rumors spread throughout the army that she could kick down city gates with a single blow, Fan Changyu was completely bewildered.

She asked Xie Wu, “When exactly did I ever kick down a city gate?”

Xie Wu replied, “I heard it was during the rebel attack on the Jizhou troops building the dam.”

Fan Changyu immediately explained, “I didn’t kick down a city gate. I kicked down the door of the women’s barracks.”

Xie Wu chuckled.

“Let the rumor spread. It only benefits you, Commandant. When we face the rebels on the battlefield in the future, it might even frighten them a little.”

Recently, Fan Changyu had read quite a few military texts.

After causing several advisers to lose half their hair, she had finally managed to swallow the Thirty-Six Stratagems whole, even if only superficially.

Unfortunately, even after she multiplied their pay several times over, none of the advisers were willing to stay and continue teaching her.

At least now she understood that what Xie Wu was talking about was a psychological warfare tactic.

Unable to suppress a sigh, she remarked, “So military strategy is really just a contest to see whose heart is darker?”

Xie Wu smiled awkwardly.

“If outwitting the enemy means fewer people die, then it’s a good thing.”

Fan Changyu nodded.

“Fine. Then find me a few more advisers.”

The smile instantly froze on Xie Wu’s face.

Those scholars who chose not to enter official service and instead worked as private advisers for wealthy households should not be underestimated. News traveled remarkably fast among them.

He had already gone to great lengths to recruit several genuinely capable advisers for Fan Changyu.

When they heard they would be serving under a newly risen female general, they had been somewhat hesitant. Yet after hearing about Fan Changyu’s military achievements, they had ultimately agreed.

Unfortunately, after teaching her for less than half a day, each of them had developed a headache and wanted to leave.

Fan Changyu had not even finished reading military strategy texts yet.

How were they supposed to teach her?

As for court politics, she still did not even know who many of the officials were.

Trying to explain which officials belonged to Wei Yan’s faction, which belonged to the Li faction, and which were neutral and loyal servants of the state was exhausting.

The advisers could only feel despair about their prospects.

A general who possessed courage but lacked wisdom would be fortunate not to die foolishly on the battlefield, let alone enjoy a prosperous official career.

Forced to stay by several large sabers, they grimly persisted in teaching Fan Changyu through The Art of War.

Each day they ate half a bowl less food than before.

Their worries were so obvious that they visibly lost weight.

Fan Changyu felt both guilty and embarrassed.

Fearing that these elderly scholars might literally waste away from depression while teaching her military strategy, she eventually agreed to let them go.

After returning, the advisers drowned their sorrows in wine and complained bitterly.

Even if they starved to death, they declared, they would never again serve as Fan Changyu’s advisers.

And so her reputation spread throughout scholarly circles.

Now, whenever someone tried to recruit advisers for her, the scholars would grab their luggage and run before the explanation was even finished.

After some consideration, Xie Wu said, “Commandant, even if we keep looking, I’m afraid we won’t have enough silver…”

Fan Changyu understood immediately.

He was saying that even offering several times the normal pay would no longer attract anyone.

She sighed deeply.

“My adoptive father is such an extraordinary man. In the beginning, he even wanted to take me as his disciple. Could it be that the old gentleman’s eyesight has finally failed him?”

Xie Wu said, “The Commandant possesses great wisdom. Grand Tutor Tao must have recognized that quality in you.”

Fan Changyu knew the phrase “great wisdom appears foolish.”

Was he saying she simply looked stupid?

For a moment, she could not tell whether Xie Wu was comforting her or stabbing her with another knife.

Helplessly, she said, “Enough. You may leave.”

Then she immediately wrote a letter home and instructed Xie Qi to hire a tutor for Changning.

With the war raging in Chongzhou, the local schools had long since closed.

However, wealthy families could still hire private tutors for their sons and daughters.

Fan Changyu felt that Changning absolutely could not follow in her footsteps.

The child had to receive a proper education from an early age.

—

A carrier pigeon fluttered down onto the top of a pigeon coop.

Through the wooden cage, the pigeons inside could be seen poking their heads through the circular openings, curiously peering outside.

The servant responsible for tending the coop spotted the newly returned white pigeon and hurried forward.

After removing the message from the pigeon’s tube and returning the bird to the coop, he quickly headed toward a military tent.

“Young Master, a letter has arrived from inside Chongzhou City.”

The man seated at the desk, who had been writing something, set down his brush at the news.

A hand as slender and elegant as bamboo extended forward and accepted the rolled-up message.

Unlike a woman’s soft and delicate fingers, these hands possessed the structure and strength of a man’s. Yet they lacked the prominent joints typical of military officers hardened by years of training.

Only a thin layer of calluses rested upon the knuckles from years of holding a brush.

Li Huaian unrolled the letter and read it.

Yet his handsome brows remained slightly furrowed.

Murmuring to himself, he said, “Wei Yan is far too shrewd. He shouldn’t have taken the bait so easily.”

The letter had been sent by Sui Yuanhuai, who was trapped inside Chongzhou City.

When the Li family traced their investigation to He Jingyuan, Wei Yan had feared that the Emperor would interrogate him and uncover evidence against himself.

He had attempted to assassinate He Jingyuan.

But he had failed.

Now, not only was He Jingyuan protected by his own death warriors, but members of the Li family were secretly guarding him as well.

Wei Yan could no longer make a move against him.

Sui Yuanhuai had proposed pretending to cooperate with Wei Yan.

Wei Yan would help him hold Chongzhou, while Sui Yuanhuai would help Wei Yan maintain control over Jizhou’s military authority.

After all, once Chongzhou fell, Sui Yuanhuai—the “rebel’s son”—would have no fate but execution.

At the same time, military authority over both Jizhou and Chongzhou would pass into the hands of the Li family, an outcome highly unfavorable to Wei Yan.

Under the current circumstances, cooperation between the two sides seemed to be the best option.

Yet the fact that Wei Yan had agreed so readily after being approached by Sui Yuanhuai made Li Huaian uneasy.

Luring Wei Yan into cooperating with Chongzhou had been a scheme jointly devised by Li Huaian, his family, and Sui Yuanhuai in order to bring Wei Yan down as quickly as possible.

Originally, Li Huaian and his grandfather had intended to use the events from seventeen years ago as their weapon.

However, after investigating for so long, the only clue they had found—the letter—had led nowhere and ultimately stopped with Wei Yan.

Even if they brought the matter before the courts one day, Wei Yan would have a hundred ways to explain himself.

That was why they had devised another trap, this time centered on control of the military forces in Chongzhou and Jizhou.

The moment Wei Yan agreed to cooperate with Sui Yuanhuai, any evidence they obtained would become irrefutable proof.

Even without uncovering the truth of seventeen years ago, they could still bring Wei Yan down through this matter alone.

Yet everything was proceeding far too smoothly.

And because it was going so smoothly, Li Huaian could not shake the feeling that Wei Yan had already seen through their scheme from the beginning and was merely playing along, using their own plan against them.