Chapter 25: Plum Blossoms Stained with Blood (Part One)

Li Fu glanced back at those few broken stone tablets buried among the wild grass. Here, in the imperial gardens of the Eastern Capital, quietly lay dozens of defeated claimants to the throne. All of this had been wrought by the ruthlessness of kings...

The three wandered leisurely through the imperial gardens. Yang Zixu’s other friend, Jiang Moyuan, was not at the residence; he had left at dawn, heading to the Tiance Palace, apparently to report on military affairs.

Along the way, Li Fu and Chu Ge conversed with great enthusiasm. One was a promising young talent of the Tiance Army, who at nineteen had followed the Marquis of Martial Might in campaigns across the land, earning much merit in battle and being regarded as a candidate for one of the future Eight God Generals. The other was a student of the Grand Tutor, skilled in poetry, music, and the arts of war and statecraft—each complemented the other perfectly.

“I’ve heard you’re well-versed in military strategy,” Chu Ge asked in the garden beside the plum orchard. “Zixu told me you once discerned the Divine Strategy Army’s intention to ‘feed war with war’ at a single glance?”

“To be honest, I didn’t dare think so at first, but one aspect of the Divine Strategy’s deployment puzzled me,” Li Fu replied after some thought, his voice low.

“Which part?” queried Chu Ge.

“Holding Yongguan…”

“Holding Yongguan? Why not the campaign at Tianliang Commandery?”

“Yes, Yongguan. Last April, judging by the strength and route of the Rongdi forces, their main army was nearly trapped within Tianliang Commandery by the Divine Strategy Army. Though the Rongdi eventually broke out, they retreated to Yongguan. It was later proven that while the Rongdi army was besieged in Tianliang, there were at most tens of thousands of defenders in Yongguan. If the Divine Strategy Army had forcibly taken Yongguan, the Rongdi would have had no choice but to withdraw, even if they didn’t want to. But here’s where it gets strange,” Li Fu mused, then spoke.

“So then... Yongguan was nearly an empty city!” Yang Zixu, prompted by Li Fu’s words, suddenly realized something, and the plum he had just put in his mouth was swallowed whole in shock.

“Even so, Yongguan’s walls are thick and strong. With thirty thousand defenders, it’s not easily taken,” Chu Ge shook his head, unconvinced.

“It could have been taken,” Li Fu replied earnestly, clearing his throat as he continued. “Less than twenty miles from Yongguan is East Wushan. The northern side used to be farmland, and behind the mountain lies the Wei River. During the reign of Taizong, the local governor diverted the Wei River to irrigate the fields. But in the reign of the Holy Empress, flooding downstream led to a change in course, and the river no longer passed through there. The farmland fell into neglect, but the irrigation channels remained. Stationing ten thousand troops to dam the river, then dispatching another ten thousand to clear the old channels and reopen the Wei River, the water could flood Yongguan. The whole process would take just three hours. By then, Yongguan could be seized effortlessly, and with it as a hub, the army could circle northward through Qingcheng and Baima Commanderies, striking at the Rongdi rear,” Li Fu patiently sketched the campaign’s direction with the teapot and cups.

For a moment, Yang Zixu and Chu Ge were stunned by the audacity of Li Fu’s plan.

To flood a mighty fortress with tens of thousands of inhabitants—such a notion was utterly astonishing!

“This is no jest. Flooding a city of such size, even if successful, would surely bring imperial scrutiny! Besides, there was no sign of unrest in Yongguan at the time,” Chu Ge exclaimed.

“That’s precisely what’s strange. While the Rongdi main force was trapped in Tianliang, the only Tang army facing them on the northern frontier was the Divine Strategy Army. The Feather Spirit Army had retreated to Liangcheng. If the Rongdi reinforced Yongguan with another hundred thousand, then struck out, Liangcheng had no natural defenses and could never withstand such numbers, nor was there any nearby Tang force to reinforce. With Liangcheng seized, the Rongdi could march south unhindered...” Li Fu fell silent for a moment before continuing.

“But how can you be certain the Rongdi would have marched that way?”

Chu Ge’s heart grew uneasy. If the Rongdi had truly followed this plan from the outset, the flames of war might have swept the entire northwest...

“If I had been the Rongdi commander, I would certainly have done so. Once occupying a third of the northwest, both the Feather Spirit and Divine Strategy Armies would be cut off, isolated. Then, with concentrated forces, the whole northwest would fall into Rongdi hands. That’s why, the moment the Marquis of Martial Might entered the northern frontier, he immediately recaptured Yongguan.”

“Yes, in the battle for Yongguan, our Tiance Army’s left wing was nearly wiped out. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the central army, we could not have taken it in short order,” Chu Ge sighed.

Yang Zixu, hearing this, stretched luxuriously, his joints audibly popping. Then he stood up from the stone bench in the pavilion, dusted off his clothes, and looked at the other two.

But his eyes were bright—almost sharp.

“If I knew of that hidden channel, I would have diverted the Wei River into Yongguan,” he said casually, though a flicker of pity showed in his gaze.

Chu Ge replied expressionlessly, “Zixu, you must remember, there are tens of thousands of civilians in Yongguan.”

Yang Zixu gently rubbed the back of his right hand with his left, sighing, “If the Rongdi had really followed Li Fu’s strategy, all the northwest of Tang would have been engulfed in war.”

Li Fu and Chu Ge did not respond.

Yang Zixu was right—the Rongdi, after taking Yongguan, had not hurried south but lingered on the frontier. Especially after the Divine Strategy Army entered the defense line, neither side fought any major battles. Eventually, the Rongdi retreated to Yongguan, stayed only long enough for resupply, and left. If at that moment they had pressed south, the flames of war might have swept the entire northwest, and a third of Tang’s territory would have been lost.

Chu Ge remained silent, but he nodded slightly.

Boom! Boom!

A terrifying crash echoed from the front hall, followed by several muffled tearing sounds.

“What’s happening?”

“Sounds like something in the front hall.”

“Let’s go see!”

The three exchanged anxious glances, an uneasy tension filling the air as they hurried toward the front hall.

The ground was strewn with rubble and splintered wood. The marble steps were covered in cracks.

Most striking was a gilded plaque, shattered in two—one half lay on the ground with a deep footprint upon it, the other embedded in a pillar, stirring a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, dozens of horsemen appeared at the entrance to the imperial gardens.

They wore bright clothes, rode spirited horses, and bore the airs of nobility.

Their faces were cold and detached—clearly not ordinary men.

A young knight, seeing the ruined gate, remarked without expression, “Why is this house of the dead still standing here?”

He was in his twenties, his features delicate yet marked by a chill and arrogance. As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the ruined gate as if the residence’s status in the Eastern Capital meant nothing to him, nor did he care about his own actions—his pride was absolute.

Li Fu and the others rushed in from the rear. Chu Ge was stunned by the scene. Hearing the youth’s words, he glanced at him, a cold smile creeping onto his lips, growing broader. His eyes narrowed, he said nothing, and turned back toward the rear court.

Li Fu likewise glanced at the youth, then walked over to the broken plaque, pulling from the pillar the piece inscribed with the character for “Garden.” The handwriting was unmistakably familiar to him. Suddenly, the deep footprint on the ground caught his eye, and his gaze grew cold.

A chill wind swept through, carrying the faint scent of plum blossoms from the Tiance Academy’s rear garden. It brushed Li Fu’s cheek and cleared the dust from the plaque, cooling his eyes.

The words “Grand Tutor” emerged—and upon them, a glaring footprint.

Yang Zixu, now recovered, stared at the youth on horseback and said coldly, word by word, “Shangguan Qi! You... really... have grown tired of living!”

The youth ignored him, for Yang Zixu was not his target today.

Shangguan Qi looked down at Li Fu, who stood before him with icy words, and said indifferently, “So you’re the Grand Tutor’s mongrel disciple?”

Li Fu did not answer, for a gust of wind swept past his side.