Qingzhou, Qijiang County, Fan Manor.
The door creaked open as someone entered, then cupped their hands in salute towards the young man brewing tea inside the room.
"Sir Diting, the 'divine miracle' affair has been exposed." The person then recounted in full detail the incident of Hu Bao beating gongs and drums in the marketplace.
A look of surprise crossed Diting's face, his fingertips tapping rapidly on the table a few times. "In just four days, Marquis Wu'an moves with such speed."
The informant continued, "After the failed reconnaissance of the Qin residence the night before last, before we could take a second action, Marquis Wu'an returned to Guoyun County yesterday morning. That same day, he took Lady Dai out of the manor to witness the debunking of the divine miracle. The rumors are true; the woman is indeed stunningly beautiful and deeply favored by the Marquis. However, yesterday afternoon, she accompanied the Marquis to the military camp. Simultaneously, all personnel have evacuated the Qin residence."
Diting's eyebrows moved slightly.
With Lady Dai now inside the military camp, there would likely be no opportunity to act against her in the short term.
Diting inquired about another matter, "The task I assigned you earlier, is it done?"
That person took out two pieces of mulberry bark paper from his bosom and presented them with both hands. "Please have a look, sir."
Diting took them and unfolded the papers.
If Nianxia and Bipo were here, they would surely be greatly alarmed, for the portraits on these two papers were unmistakably theirs.
The painter's skill was remarkable, achieving a nine-tenths likeness.
The man said, "The maid with round eyes is slightly shorter, about six chi and seven cun tall, slim build, yellowish skin. The one with long eyes is taller, about seven chi, average build, fairer skin. The embroiderers have all seen both of them."
Diting set the papers down. "Have the embroiderers personally go to Yinwan to select candidates, then help them adjust their appearances."
The man nodded in acknowledgment of the order.
"With all personnel evacuated from the Qin residence, it seems he..." Diting's words halted halfway as someone hurried in from outside.
Knowing his rules, that person stopped outside without entering. "Sir Diting, Lord Fan requests your presence."
Diting rose from his seat, picked up a silver Buddhist-patterned mask nearby to cover his overly youthful face, and simultaneously said to the informant, "Go inform the embroiderer first. That matter is not urgent; have her work meticulously, striving for perfection."
This indicated the orders were complete.
The informant withdrew.
Guided by guards, Diting proceeded to the study in Fan Manor.
Three people were already in the study: the Fan father and son, and Shi Wuji.
Seeing Diting, the host Fan Tianshi greeted him cordially. "Sir Diting, have you settled in these past two days at the manor? If there are any shortages, please feel free to speak with the servants."
"Everything is excellent," Diting replied, his tone as pleasant as a spring breeze.
Fan Tianshi got to the point. "Previously, sir, you mentioned having a method to keep Qin Shaozong fully occupied. Now, it seems that method has failed."
The events in Guoyun County had not escaped Fan Tianshi's notice.
This statement carried a hint of questioning and displeasure, which Diting naturally detected. His tone remained calm. "In a game of chess, moves are exchanged. What harm is there in conceding him one move?"
"Then, in your esteemed opinion, what should the next move be?" Fan Zhongmin asked.
Diting: "Concede another move. Withdraw from Qijiang County."
Fan Tianshi's gaze shifted sideways to Shi Wuji, who gave a slight nod.
Outskirts of Qijiang County.
A great wind suddenly rose this day, howling fiercely, as two different army banners snapped and fluttered violently in the gale.
Qin Shaozong wore a golden-patterned taotie helmet and golden armor, holding a three-meter-long silver Overlord's Spear. His crimson cape billowed behind him like flame, making him exceptionally conspicuous among the ten thousand troops.
Riding abreast with him was the similarly armored Nan Gongxiong. Military commanders often have burly builds, and he was no exception, currently holding a tang weapon, his presence imposing.
Not far away, the gates of Qijiang County were tightly shut. Banners fluttered atop the city walls, where a line of defending soldiers stood.
Qin Shaozong raised his head to survey the scene, his eyes sweeping across the battlements. "Something's amiss," he said.
"What's wrong?" Nan Gongxiong hadn't given it much thought. What trouble could a mere Qijiang County possibly stir up?
Qin Shaozong called out two men. "Feng Feng, Bai Jianping, step forward and issue the challenge."
Two riders detached from the ranks and advanced.
Not to be outdone, Nan Gongxiong also dispatched a commander from his side to join them.
The words of challenge were never pleasant, counting ancestors and insulting families, starting naturally with the leader, Fan Tianshi.
After a round of insults, the city gates indeed opened.
A single rider charged out from within. The man had thick eyebrows, a prominent nose, dark skin, and bore a fifty percent resemblance to Zang Yinghao, whom Qin Shaozong had slain with his blade during the previous tripartite meeting.
Zang Yingjie rode out alone, shouting fiercely, "Where is Marquis Wu'an?!"
Feng Feng scoffed. "Looking for our Lord Marquis? Are you worthy, you runt? Get past your grandfather here first!"
Shi Wei, under Nan Gongxiong's command, grew impatient. Unwilling to waste more words, he clamped his legs against his horse's flanks and charged forward, broadsword in hand.
Feng Feng and Bai Jianping knew the other side wanted to seize credit, but with Shi Wei already engaged, they had no choice but to hold back.
"These Qingzhou men are unruly, charging ahead without even a word."
"The man from Yanzhou looks quite capable. No rush, let's watch a bit longer."
As the two exchanged whispers, the combatants ahead had already clashed.
Shi Wei used a broadsword, while Zang Yingjie wielded a horse lance. The saying goes, 'an inch longer, an inch stronger.' On horseback, the horse lance's power was formidable. Shi Wei fought over a dozen rounds with his opponent without gaining any advantage.
"You from Qingzhou, fall back! Let me take your place!" Feng Feng bellowed.
Whether his shout distracted Shi Wei in the thick of battle or Shi Wei had simply reached his limit, his broadsword was sent flying from his grasp.
The long blade spun through the air before thudding into the ground.
Shi Wei hastily wheeled his horse around, urging it to flee before the lance could strike. Seeing this, Zang Yingjie laughed heartily, his morale soaring.
"Cease your arrogance, you runt!" Feng Feng spurred his horse forward. He used a halberd, also a long weapon. Long against long, the weapon advantage was neutralized, leaving it to personal skill.
At the front of the formation not far away, Qin Shaozong was still observing the city walls. He suddenly remarked, "This is an abandoned city."
"What?" Nan Gongxiong responded. "You mean Fan Tianshi is retreating without a fight? But abandoning a city and fleeing would damage morale, wouldn't it?"
"Look, the number of soldiers on the walls is pitifully few. If you were Fan Tianshi, knowing a combined force from two sides was coming to attack you, would you deploy so few men? Sometimes, avoiding a direct confrontation is also a strategy," Qin Shaozong said.
Nan Gongxiong peered at the city walls.
He hadn't noticed before, but looking carefully now, it was indeed true.
He gave a start. "Then we must attack the city quickly, or they'll get away."
"They're long gone. You think they'd wait for you to reach their doorstep before running?" Qin Shaozong looked towards Zang Yingjie, who was locked in combat with Feng Feng.
The distance wasn't too great; he could clearly see the Yanzhou commander's features. Combined with the man's immediate demand for him upon emerging, this person was likely related to the Yanzhou commander he had slain a few days prior.
For the sake of revenge, this man had volunteered to be the sacrificial pawn.
Not far away, the battle had already been decided. Zang Yingjie's horse lance was knocked away, and Feng Feng's long halberd pierced the opponent's shoulder blade first.
Nan Gongxiong suddenly heard the person beside him give a light chuckle. He was about to get annoyed, thinking this fellow must be mocking him, but unexpectedly heard him whisper, "She truly spoke auspicious words. A victorious start."
"Qin Changgeng, what are you muttering about?" Nan Gongxiong asked.
Qin Shaozong merely said, "Let's begin the siege. Barring any surprises, we can take it within half an hour at most."
Siege ladders and battering rams were deployed, soldiers swarming like a tidal wave. Three quarters of an hour later, the gates of Seven Rivers County swung wide open.
Both armies dispatched small teams inside to clear the area.
Proclamations to reassure the people were issued, enemy remnants were cleared out, and by sunset, Seven Rivers County was fully secured.
The place where Fan Tianshi had once stayed was now empty, conveniently providing lodging for Qin Shaozong and Nan Gongxiong.
...
In the study.
A massive sheepskin map was spread out, clearly depicting the various counties and commanderies along the border of Qing and Yan provinces.
To the west of Seven Rivers County lay a strategic pass. This pass guarded the approach to White Sun City, hence it was also called White Sun Pass.
This pass faced the Jin River to the north and was backed by towering peaks to the south, effectively pinched between a river and a mountain range. The official road through the middle was extremely narrow, only allowing small groups to pass, unsuitable for large troop movements.
"One man can hold the pass against ten thousand! Qin Changgeng, this White Sun Pass won't be easy to take." Nan Gongxiong's expression was grave.
Qin Shaozong's gaze shifted between the Jin River and the Red Horn Mountains. "Tomorrow, you and I will go out."
Nan Gongxiong pressed, "Go where?"
Qin Shaozong looked out the window. The twilight was in its final moments, leaving only a faint, almost illusory glow in the sky. Anyone could tell night was about to fall.
Traveling at night inevitably required torches, which were too conspicuous and easily drew attention.
"You'll know tomorrow," Qin Shaozong simply said.
Nan Gongxiong grumbled, "So secretive."
The moon rose and set, and in the blink of an eye, the night passed. Nan Gongxiong, being a military man, rose early for morning drills, his timing almost coinciding with Qin Shaozong's, and they bumped into each other.
After the drills, it was time for breakfast.
Seeing the large basin of buns brought out, Nan Gongxiong asked in surprise, "What are these?"
They weren't like flatbreads; flatbreads weren't this plump.
"Baozi. Someone at home came up with them. The taste is excellent. Try one," Qin Shaozong said with a smile.
Nan Gongxiong was half doubtful.
Excellent taste?
He, the prestigious Governor of Qing Province, what delicacies hadn't he tasted?
Yet the first bite nearly made him swallow his tongue. He immediately stopped talking and busied himself stuffing the bun into his mouth.
After the meal, Qin Shaozong called for Hu Bao. "Hu Bao, go to the camp outside the city and relay my order. Tell Qiao Wangfei to escort the lady into the city."
Hu Bao was just about to clasp his hands and accept the order when he heard his superior change his mind. "Never mind. Seven Rivers County is newly acquired. Let's discuss this again in a few days."
"Qin Changgeng, is this 'lady' you speak of the one named Dai?" Nan Gongxiong had heard the name before. Looking at the empty porcelain plate on the table, he suddenly guessed, "Earlier you said 'someone at home,' could it also be her?"
Qin Shaozong said yes and stood up to go to the stables.
Nan Gongxiong followed him to the stables, talking as they walked. "I recall you've been widowed for over a decade. Are you thinking of remarrying? The surname Dai isn't a major one. I haven't heard of any prominent noble families with that surname. So she's from a humble background? Tsk, for such a one, just take her as a concubine. Don't go through the formalities of marriage."
Qin Shaozong's temple twitched.
Nan Gongxiong continued, "Your late wife's maternal family, the Weis, are not to be trifled with. And if I remember correctly, the Weis made an agreement with you back then, and they were quite proud of it for a long time..."
"I think for the upcoming battle, we needn't mobilize the troops. We could just send you to the front of the pass and have you flood White Sun City with your saliva," Qin Shaozong said as he led his horse, Red Serpent, out of the stable.
"Just reminiscing a bit about old times. Why are you getting so annoyed?" Nan Gongxiong also went to fetch his horse. "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier. Is Quanjie really your man?"
Qin Shaozong: "He is not my inside agent."
"Hah, in that case, I must settle the score with that brat. Daring to touch my Qing Province tribute? I'll skin him alive and tear him bone from bone, make him regret ever being born into this world," Nan Gongxiong said viciously, riding out of the residence alongside him.
Qin Shaozong: "Can you find him?"
"Didn't Fan Tianshi issue a wanted poster? I thought the drawing on it was quite accurate. Searching based on that should work, right?" Nan Gongxiong said.
Qin Shaozong said calmly, "Don't bother looking. Whatever losses your Qing Province suffered, I will compensate you threefold."
This statement shocked Nan Gongxiong thoroughly. He subconsciously reined in his horse, only to see Qin Shaozong continue forward. He quickly urged his horse to catch up. "You'll compensate me? Why? That brat is no relation of yours. Why go to such lengths? Qin Changgeng, were you lying to me just now? Quanjie is clearly your inside agent."
"He is or he isn't. What's the point of lying?" Qin Shaozong kept his eyes ahead.
Nan Gongxiong changed his approach: "He's not your inside agent, but at the very least, he has some connection to you now. That much is correct, isn't it?"
Qin Shaozong remained silent.
Nan Gongxiong scoffed coldly. "Fine, don't tell me. I can find out myself. It'll just take a bit more time."
"That young man does indeed have some connection to me. He is a son of the Qin clan," Qin Shaozong said, not mentioning he was Dai Li's son.
Nan Gongxiong was puzzled. "Quanjie is a son of the Qin clan? How do you know this? Wasn't he taken into the Fan family around age eleven or twelve?"
"That day he came to assassinate me. I captured him alive. When I pulled off his face covering, his features looked very familiar, reminding me of an old acquaintance. Upon careful questioning later, I learned he was abducted as a child and, after passing through several hands, was adopted by Fan Tianshi," Qin Shaozong glossed over the details.
Nan Gongxiong marveled at the twists and turns, then laughed. "Earlier we said Quanjie wanting to change his fate was harder than being reborn. Who would have thought fate works in mysterious ways, and he ran into you to clean up his mess. Besides the threefold compensation, I also want ten cartloads of saltpeter, a thousand shi of grain, and three hundred fine-breed horses."
Qin Shaozong glanced at him. "Once settled, the matter is closed for good?"
Nan Gongxiong: "Naturally."
Qin Shaozong: "Done. Agreed."
Seeing him agree so readily, Nan Gongxiong thought to himself he should have asked for more. In these times, horses were precious, especially fine-breed ones. Three hundred were enough to form a small cavalry unit, and a thousand shi of grain could feed three hundred men for seven and a half months.
Thinking of this, Nan Gongxiong felt an itch. "Which old acquaintance's son is Quanjie, that you're so willing to pay such a price?"
As they spoke, they passed through the west gate, leaving the clamor behind.
Not getting an answer, Nan Gongxiong asked again.
Still no answer.
"What's so unspeakable? Could it be that old acquaintance is a woman, and moreover, your lover?" Nan Gongxiong deliberately provoked him.
Qin Shaozong: "We're here. Dismount."
Nan Gongxiong gave a light tsk but didn't press further, nimbly swinging down from his horse.
They had headed southwest after exiting the West City Gate and had now arrived at the foot of Red Peak. After handing the horses over to their personal guards for safekeeping, Qin Shaozong led the men in beginning the ascent.
All of them were military officers, accustomed to such rugged paths, so it took them just over two hours to climb most of Red Horn Peak, though this was merely its main hump. From a prominent, jutting cliff, one could gaze out at the endless stretch of mountains, a majestic, continuous range extending far into the distance, with no city in sight for hundreds of miles.
"Qin Changgeng, this route is impassable!" Nangong Xiong also saw that unbroken expanse and immediately frowned.
This was completely pristine, untamed mountain terrain with no cleared paths, making it impossible for horses to travel. Without horses, supplying provisions became a major problem.
Nangong Xiong said, "Taking the mountain paths won't work. Perhaps we should follow the Jin River upstream instead. My scouts report that about thirty li upstream, there's a relatively gentle access point. We could build boats to cross the river and land there, thus bypassing that narrow pass where ten thousand men couldn't force their way through."
Qin Shaozong stared ahead for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze. "Let's go take a look at the upper reaches of the Jin River."
The group descended the mountain back to their starting point, mounted their horses, and rode to the Jin River. Without a moment's pause, they found a boat, boarded it, and traveled upstream.
The boat advanced against the current for about thirty li per day. After a day on the water, Qin Shaozong saw the relatively gentle access point Nangong Xiong had mentioned.
Nangong Xiong wasn't wrong. Compared to the other sheer cliffs lining the banks, this spot was indeed somewhat gentler.
But it was only somewhat.
This "gentle" landing was no more than ten meters wide, at best allowing two medium-small boats to dock side-by-side. Beyond the landing stretched a steep slope several dozen meters long. Looking further inland, one could see the banners planted by the Yanzhou army.
Clearly, the enemy also knew this was a vulnerable point and had stationed troops to guard it day and night.
"Wheee—"
Their boat had only lingered in the river near the landing area for a short while when a sharp whistle sounded from the shore.
Banners fluttered as soldiers began moving toward them.
"The guard is quite tight. It seems they've stationed significant forces here. Let's head back for now," Nangong Xiong urged the soldiers to sail the boat away.
Returning from the Jin River to Qijiang County, Nangong Xiong was lost in gloomy thought, even the steamed bun he was eating seemed to have lost some of its flavor. As he ate, it belatedly occurred to him that Qin Shaozong had also been unusually quiet for a long time.
Finding some bitter comfort in having company for his worries, Nangong Xiong said, "That battle you fought up north was brilliant. The world calls you the God of War. So, God of War, what's your brilliant idea now?"
Nangong Xiong expected Qin Shaozong to either shake his head or retort with some sharp words—the man could be truly cutting at times. To his surprise, Qin Shaozong said, "Nangong, I have an idea. If it succeeds, we will definitely take White Pass."
Nangong Xiong's burly frame jolted. "Truly?"
Qin Shaozong finished the last bite of his bun, then picked up the teacup beside him and drained it in one gulp. "Come to the study after you finish your meal."
With that, he left the table first.
Nangong Xiong couldn't bear the suspense. He immediately grabbed his bun and followed him.