Strategist Shi Rui stroked his beard. “I’m afraid this so-called Legitimate Princess is more capable than we thought. We’ve worked with Quzhao before. Their combat strength is somewhat inferior to ours, but they’re still formidable.”
Jiao Hualing frowned. “In theory, we searched all of Dingyang thoroughly back then. How did this Legitimate Princess manage to rise to power? Could Emperor Yan have left her an army?”
No one could answer. The matter itself was simply too strange.
She had clearly been a frail and timid princess, yet she had suddenly vanished without a trace while being escorted. Then their own great general had been struck down by “Heaven’s punishment.”
However one looked at it, the whole affair reeked of intrigue and conspiracy.
Jiao Kang coughed, bringing the discussion back on track. “What do you all think we should do?”
Jiao Hualing shook his head. “We absolutely cannot give Anwu County to Quzhao. Perhaps we could consider cooperating with them and attacking Fengzhou together.”
Shi Rui furrowed his brows. “Where would we find the troops? We could spare twenty or thirty thousand without much trouble, but Quzhao has fifty or sixty thousand soldiers and still doesn’t dare face the Jinyang Army. Adding another twenty or thirty thousand from us probably won’t change their attitude.”
“Even if Quzhao agrees, they’ll probably make us take the vanguard. That would put us directly against the Jinyang Army.”
“The Jinyang Army’s attitude remains unclear. So far, they show no intention of targeting us. If we provoke them because of this, the losses will outweigh the gains.”
Jiao Kang nodded. That was precisely what he was thinking.
The Jinyang Army had taken Fengzhou from Quzhao, which proved how powerful they were.
Although the Jiao Army had four to five hundred thousand soldiers, their territory was vast as well. The fighting in Sizhou remained deadlocked, while Daqing and the other Han Chinese factions had tied down part of the Jiao Army’s forces. This was indeed not the right time to confront Jinyang.
Nor did they want to clash with the Quzhao army.
Quzhao now had nothing left. An army fighting with its back to the wall was the most frightening kind.
The military officer Jiao Heng suggested, “Perhaps we could give them Wenlong County in Wuxiao Commandery?”
Wuxiao Commandery was the westernmost commandery in Juanzhou, bordering the Southern Wu Kingdom. Wenlong County lay at the extreme western edge of Wuxiao Commandery, right on the border.
Fang Mao narrowed his eyes. “Although the Han Chinese currently occupy that area, it will belong to the Jiao people sooner or later. Why should we give it to Quzhao?”
He was also a senior general of the Jiao Army, and a particularly burly man.
Jiao Hualing frowned. “Even if we gave it to them, Quzhao likely wouldn’t want it. There’s hardly any arable land there. How would they feed and support their army?”
He looked toward Jiao Kang. “Grand Chanyu, we still need to find a way to lure Quzhao toward Chongzhou and let them fight there. The Ji Army has been far too idle.”
While schemes were unfolding on one side, peace and tranquility reigned in Gefeng.
Li Fu had just finished work at the weapons workshop and was walking home. Surrounded by the noisy bustle of the streets, he felt no annoyance at all. Instead, his spirits were high.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t been home for several days. Whenever the weapons workshop was busy, the weapon craftsmen would voluntarily work overtime.
Recently, for some unknown reason, the workshop had been rushing to manufacture Dragonfeather Crossbows, Dragonshade Crossbows, and the arrows used with them.
Before long, he turned into the narrow lane leading to his courtyard. There were fewer people here, and it was much quieter.
Just then, a burly man came running from the distance.
Li Fu frowned and shifted slightly to the side. The man was moving too quickly, however, and Li Fu couldn’t avoid him completely. Their shoulders collided.
The man hurriedly apologized. “I’m so sorry! I was in a rush and bumped into you. Are you all right?”
Li Fu took a small step back. “I’m fine.”
The man’s manner was sincere. “Brother, ah—are you Li Dalang?”
Li Fu was startled. “You know me?”
The man gave an embarrassed laugh. “Hey, I’m the neighbor who just moved in diagonally across from you. What a coincidence. I have something to take care of today, but I’ll definitely come over later to apologize properly.”
Li Fu smiled faintly. “There’s no need. Go on, you’re busy.”
Watching the man hurry away, Li Fu’s brows drew together slightly. After a moment, he turned and went home.
When Hu Erniang saw her son return, she was overjoyed. “You’re back? Have you been very busy lately?”
Li Fu nodded with a smile. “Yes. I’ve just finished a rush of work, so I have the day off today.”
Hu Erniang’s eyes curved into happy crescents, and even the wrinkles on her face seemed to radiate her delight. “Then I’ll go buy some meat.”
Li Fu worked as a weapon craftsman at the workshop, and not just an ordinary one—he was one of the highest-level craftsmen there. His pay and benefits were excellent. Not only was his salary generous, he also received plenty of ration coupons and other vouchers.
But they had all come from poverty and were still reluctant to spend freely. Every so often, they would buy a little meat to help Ah Le build up his health. Fortunately, the family raised chickens, so they could eat one or two eggs every day.
Li Fu quickly caught hold of his mother as she was about to leave. “Mother, wait. Has the family diagonally across from us changed?”
At that, Hu Erniang launched into an explanation. “How did you know? A new family did move in. Their surname is Li, too—just like ours.”
“Let me tell you, the Li family has plenty of money. They paid a hefty price to buy that house from the Ye family. I heard they paid quite a bit more than it was worth.”
The Ye family had been the previous occupants. They happened to be planning to move to Xianglu County to develop their business.
They had wanted to keep their house in Gefeng, but the Ye family was only moderately well-off. They needed money to buy a house and establish a household in Xianglu, as well as capital to start a business. They had no choice but to sell their home in Gefeng.
The Li family appeared at just the right moment and was willing to pay a high price, so the deal was completed quickly.
Li Fu pressed his lips together. “Have you noticed anything unusual about them?”
Hu Erniang froze. Then she grew nervous, glancing around before lowering her voice. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
She had received the Lord’s “education” and knew that the Lord had now conquered all of Fengzhou.
She also knew that as the Lord’s territory expanded, more people would inevitably try to plot against him. That was why they remained vigilant in their daily lives.
Hu Erniang knew more than most. After all, her son had been among the first weapon craftsmen to follow the Lord, and she knew that the Jinyang Army’s weapons were extraordinarily powerful.
Li Fu shook his head. “There’s no problem. We should simply keep our distance from newcomers and remain cautious.”
Only then did Hu Erniang let out a breath of relief. “Don’t worry. Who do you think I am? I’m a woman of Gefeng, one of the first to follow the Lord. My awareness is excellent.”
“From now on, I’ll keep a closer eye on the Li family. We have to remain wary of every unfamiliar face. I understand.” She patted her chest as she promised this.
Li Fu found her reaction somewhat amusing, but looking at his lively, energetic mother also filled him with a touch of sadness.
Who could have imagined that just two years ago, they had lived like rats, hiding in a low, ramshackle mud hut that could collapse at any moment? They had been afraid to speak loudly and afraid even to raise their heads when looking at others.
Not long after Hu Erniang left to buy meat, the Li family man came to their door.
“Li Dalang, I’m sorry about earlier. I bought a few things to apologize.” He held out two paper-wrapped parcels.
Judging from the packaging, they appeared to contain sweets and pastries.
Li Fu quickly waved his hands. “No need, really. We’re neighbors—there’s no need to be so polite.”
The Li family man, however, insisted.
Left with no choice, Li Fu accepted the gifts. “Come in and sit for a while.”
The Li family man smiled and agreed. “Then thank you. Speaking of which, it really is fate that brought us together. My surname is Li as well, and I’m the third son in my family.”
Li Fu cupped his hands. “Third Brother Li, please sit.”
When Hu Erniang returned home with the groceries, she found her son chatting animatedly with the Young Master Li who had recently moved in.
Her eyes flickered, and she smiled benevolently. “Ah, Young Master Li has arrived.”
