FYM - 123

As soon as he stepped out of Fengyang Hall and the sunlight, finally breaking through after a sudden downpour, hit his face, Yinping Prince Wei Bi’s mind abruptly cleared. He finally understood why Fang Xianting had been so ambiguous about their proposed marriage alliance.

—He had known all along!

He knew that Shi Hong and Du Zehun had petitioned the court to relinquish financial authority, and that they must have already formed an alliance in secret. How could the Fang clan of Yingchuan stand idly by? They would naturally take it upon themselves to deal with these rebellious ministers on behalf of the weak imperial family. However, with the Youzhou campaign still ongoing and most of the Fang generals stationed at key strongholds north of the Yangtze, Fang Xianting lacked sufficient troops under his direct command. If it came to open conflict with those military governors, the chances of victory were…

Fang Xianting needed his support—he wanted to borrow his troops.

Realizing this, Yinping Prince Wei Bi straightened his back, finally understanding that he wasn’t some pitiful creature begging for favors but rather someone who could negotiate with Yingchuan Marquis Fang Xianting as an equal. He should greet him warmly, not only pressuring him to support the new policies over the Jinling faction but also ensuring that his precious daughter was married into the Fang household with great pomp and ceremony!

Feeling triumphant, he quickened his pace, catching up to Fang Xianting, who was walking alone ahead. A richly layered smile spread across his aged face as he clasped his hands and said: “Lord Marquis, please slow your steps. There is still much left unsaid between us.”

Fang Xianting’s expression remained as inscrutable as ever, though his robe bore a few lingering dirt stains and wrinkles from being publicly humiliated earlier. Wei Bi took note of these details, his own smile growing even wider.

“I understand your reservations. Yesterday at the banquet, you opposed the marriage proposal to avoid offending the Empress Dowager and the Song family…”

He spoke confidently, as if he fully understood the situation.

“But my Yinping Prince’s household has its pride too. If Lord Marquis refuses to show mercy to my daughter’s devotion, then the matter discussed earlier in Fengyang Hall…”

He stopped there, implying far more than he said outright. The pressure was unmistakable. Fang Xianting’s eyes lowered slightly, his hands clasped behind his back, appearing even more reserved and distant than usual.

Wei Bi felt immense satisfaction at witnessing the rare moment of vulnerability from the Yingchuan Marquis. He thought how perfectly timed Shi Hong and Du Zehun’s provocations were. In the next moment, he boldly patted Fang Xianting on the shoulder and whispered: “If you fear offending the Song family by formally requesting the marriage, I can find another way for you. As long as the outcome is favorable, the process doesn’t matter much…”

The magnificent Liang dynasty palace was intricate and deep, its shadows stretching endlessly. Behind them, Fengyang Hall loomed beneath lingering storm clouds, its outlines blurred and fragmented. Everyone knew the rainy season of Jiangnan was approaching, and at this very moment… the wind had just begun to stir.

________________________________________

The next day, the Empress Dowager issued an edict summoning the military governors of Lingnan and Jiannan to the new capital, Jinling, to pay homage to the new emperor, and to reconsider the petitions for independent financial authority. The announcement sparked widespread discussion in court. People lamented the difficulties faced by the Empress Dowager. Just when she had successfully completed the selection process for officials, the regional military governors began stirring trouble once more. It was no small feat for a woman to bear the burden of governance while negotiating with those powerful military leaders.

However…

“Is the young Empress Dowager dreaming?”

Thousands of miles away in Guangfu, Lingnan, the weather was equally gloomy. Shi Hong sat with his old friend Du Zehun, who had traveled from Yizhou. A deep scar ran across Shi Hong’s brow as he gazed at the imperial decree with a dangerous mix of disdain and contempt.

“Summoning us to Jinling? To attend her banquet of death?”

These military governors were no fools. Did the Song Empress Dowager really think they would obediently walk into a trap where they’d be disarmed and stripped of power? Once in Jinling, they’d be completely at her mercy—with no recourse even if they were marched to the execution grounds.

“But we cannot openly defy the edict,” Du Zehun interjected. Leaner and more scholarly in appearance, his brow furrowed deeply with worry, showing none of the ferocity one might expect. “She wields the emperor’s authority, and besides, Fang Xianting of Yingchuan is by her side…”

Yes, Fang Xianting.

—He was the only real threat.

The imperial family was weak and declining; what was there to fear from a widow and her orphaned son? The Fang clan of Yingchuan, however, was another matter entirely. Rumors had it that Fang Xianting had explicitly rejected the idea of granting financial autonomy. If they defied the summons to Jinling, wouldn’t that give him the perfect excuse to mobilize against them?

“The Fangs have devoured all the meat and won’t even let us drink the broth!”

Shi Hong was furious. With a sweep of his hand, he flung the imperial decree to the ground.

“How many high-ranking officials are there in court? The Fang clan occupies half of them! We’re merely asking for financial authority to supplement our military needs. Why does the esteemed leader of the Five Regents object so strongly?”

His tirade was passionate, and Du Zehun, seeing this, tried to calm him down by pouring tea. After a moment of deliberation, he said: “For now, the only option is to comply and go to Jinling. As for the matters in our petitions… perhaps we can revisit them later…”

At this, Shi Hong’s eyes widened, and he silently cursed his friend as a coward. He then loudly declared: “Revisit them later? On what grounds should we revisit them later!”

“The Fangs may control the nation’s armies, but most are stationed at key northern strongholds! The campaign in Youzhou isn’t over yet. Does Fang Xianting really believe he can single-handedly resist tens of thousands of our troops?”

Lingnan commanded over twenty thousand soldiers, while Jiannan alone had thirty-eight thousand. Though the capital had a garrison of one hundred thousand, nearly half were under Yinping Prince Wei Bi’s command. Currently, Wei Bi did not oppose them and had even shown favor to Du Zehun in the past. There was no guarantee he would side with Fang Xianting.

Moreover…

“Are we relying solely on the troops of these two regions?”

Shi Hong narrowed his eyes, the scar on his brow taking on a sinister cast.

“If the court depends on us as their shield, they should understand the consequences of losing that protection…”

—What was a “shield”? What was a “protection”?

Fang Xianting was a master tactician, akin to a deity of war. Even with only fifty thousand imperial guards, he might prevail against overwhelming odds. But what then? After annihilating the armies of Lingnan and Jiannan, who would defend against the barbarian tribes of Tubo and Suijing? Fang Xianting was no demigod with a thousand arms and eyes. How could he possibly oversee all the battles raging across the land? Even if he could fight, the crumbling court certainly couldn’t sustain such campaigns.

“What you mean is…”

Du Zehun had caught on, his gaze locking with Shi Hong’s.

“We’ll go to Jinling to silence their criticisms for now,” Shi Hong said with a cold smile, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “But the military seals will remain in our headquarters, and our troops will stay deployed along the borders. If the young Empress Dowager proves ungrateful and unreasonable, then…”

He raised his hand slightly, as if envisioning the border gates opening at his command. Du Zehun could almost see the barbarian hordes sweeping through unchecked, pillaging and slaughtering. Every life lost under their blades would become a bargaining chip in their negotiations with the court.

“There’s no turning back now,” Du Zehun said firmly, his tone resolute. “The Ministry of Revenue has been delaying our provisions for far too long. Rather than being slowly bled dry, we might as well take a gamble!”

Hearing this, Shi Hong laughed heartily, slapping his friend on the shoulder in approval. His expression then turned subtle as he whispered: “Ji Mao, don’t look so resigned to death. In my view, our chances of success are quite high.”

Du Zehun raised an eyebrow, watching as Shi Hong smirked mischievously and continued: “There has long been discord among the Five Regents, and the rift between Yinping Prince Wei Bi and Fang Xianting runs deep. As long as Wei Bi doesn’t interfere this time, Fang Xianting will surely hesitate to act against the southern territories…”

“You have a history with Wei Bi. You could discreetly gauge his stance and make him understand something—if our request for financial autonomy is granted, the five prefectures of Yizhou will essentially become independent. From then on, we’ll follow his lead, sparing his son the humiliation of public punishment…”

Court politics were a tangled web, where pulling one thread could unravel the entire fabric. Amidst the storms brewing from all directions, minds schemed endlessly, crafting intricate plans. Cause and effect intertwined in a chaotic mess, impossible to untangle. By the endgame, everything would become clear, but retracing the path revealed that there had never been a solution to begin with.