FYM - 131

—That was the first time in Fang Xianting’s life that he openly defied an imperial edict.

When the palace emissary arrived, carrying the Empress Dowager’s decree and seeking him outside the city, Lord Fang had already led his troops out of Jinling to seize the ten thousand soldiers brought by Shi Hong and Du Zehun from the south. Several military advisors refused to comply, claiming they only took orders from their respective governors, and were promptly executed as examples to others. The heavy stench of blood caused the palace eunuchs, who had never witnessed such scenes, to nearly retch.

They trembled as they were led before Lord Fang by a general of the Shenglüe Army. Dressed in black armor, he sat high on his horse, deep in conversation with Minister of War Fang Xing. Seeing them approach, his expression remained impassive. He simply asked: “What is it?”

The two short words carried no overt ferocity but inexplicably chilled those who heard them. The eunuchs hastily bowed low, and the leader held up the yellow imperial decree, trembling as he spoke: “Your servant reports to Lord Fang. The Empress Dowager has issued an order, requesting Your Excellency to return to Taicheng immediately to meet Her Majesty…”

The atmosphere in the camp was solemn. Though the thunderstorm had temporarily subsided, the oppressive clouds still weighed heavily on everyone’s chests. Lord Fang did not dismount, his gaze lowered, exuding an air of arrogance and dominance.

“The situation in the south has changed, and the army cannot be left without leadership,” his voice was cold and hard. “Please inform Her Majesty that I will lead the troops to quell the unrest. Once this matter is resolved, I will return to the palace to offer my apologies.”

This was an outright defiance of the imperial edict, starkly different from his past compliance with the imperial family’s requests. The eunuch had not anticipated such a response and was momentarily stunned, caught between advancing or retreating. At that moment, Zhuoying let out a long neigh, and in the blink of an eye, Lord Fang galloped away, followed by his entire army. Only Minister Fang Xing lingered behind, nodding to the emissary as he accepted the edict. He then said: “Please convey this message back to the Empress Dowager for now… Later, I will personally enter the palace to explain further.”

Around mid-morning, General Lou Feng arrived with his troops, reporting to Lord Fang that Shi Hong and Du Zehun had been imprisoned in the Wei Mansion’s dungeon under strict guard. When Fang Xing arrived, he overheard Lord Fang instructing Lou Feng: “Seal off the city gates. Until I return to court, the curfew must remain in effect. If necessary, you may execute first and report later.”

The words “execute first and report later” were clear, but the definition of “necessary” remained ambiguous. Lou Feng, uncertain, requested further clarification. Fang Xianting turned his head to gaze toward Taicheng in the distance and replied: “If anyone dares to endanger Fuqing Hall during the chaos, kill them without hesitation.”

Fuqing Hall…

Fang Xing closed his eyes briefly, his heart overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Lou Feng departed to carry out the order, while Fang Xing lingered a moment longer, riding his horse to Fang Xianting’s side and addressing him: “Master…”

The latter seemed to anticipate what he would say and did not turn around. Seeing this, Fang Xing grew even more anxious, lowering his voice urgently: “I understand that Master does not wish to yield to the Luoyang faction’s coercion, and today’s actions against Shi and Du were unavoidable. However, they are regional governors, and such measures will surely invite criticism from the court and beyond!

“Master is the head of the Five Regents and a pillar of the state. The safety of the empire rests upon your shoulders. How can you risk rushing into the southern territories? The two prefectures command over fifty thousand troops, and the border situation is unpredictable. Currently, most of our forces are aiding Youzhou. If anything goes wrong, who could bear such responsibility?

“To take a step back, even if we were to execute Shi and Du, it should have been done through an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager and the emperor. For Master to make such a decision on behalf of the imperial family risks accusations of overreach and tyranny, bringing harm to our clan with no benefit whatsoever!”

He poured out his heart, carefully omitting any mention of the strained relationship between his master and the occupant of Fuqing Hall. A general must not act out of fleeting anger, and a ruler must not avoid immediate danger. Now, the Fang clan was bearing the brunt of the imperial family’s troubles. If public outrage were stirred, the consequences…

“I have already ordered Zi Xing to lead his troops south. We will rendezvous at Guangfu in ten days.”

Lord Fang did not address his concerns, his tone and demeanor resolute and unyielding.

“Speed is of the essence. The news from Jinling cannot be contained for long… Before then, the matter must be settled.”

With that, he did not linger further. Once the first move was made, there was no room for doubt or regret. As his horse galloped away, the gleam of his armor flashed brilliantly against the backdrop of the endless black clouds sweeping across the sky. Fang Xing watched the army disappear into the distance, sighing deeply.

In the month that followed, the situation escalated rapidly, events unfolding like lightning.

The Shenglüe Army, the elite force of the Yingchuan Army, covered over two thousand miles from Nanjing to the five prefectures in just fifteen days of continuous marching. Shi Rui, the eldest son of Shi Hong stationed in Guangfu, had barely received a forged letter from Jinling, purportedly written by his father, assuring him that all was well when suddenly the enemy army appeared at the city gates. Shocked, he fell off his bed. The commander of the invading forces was none other than Lord Fang himself. The city’s defenders were terrified, losing half the battle before it even began. The local populace, unaware of the true nature of the conflict, welcomed Lord Fang, believing he had come to aid them against the southern barbarians. Within days, the entire Lingnan region was taken without bloodshed.

A few days earlier, Fang Yunhui, the fourth son of the Fang family, had received word from his third brother about leading troops to pacify Jiannan. Still en route, he learned that the Lingnan campaign had already concluded. Relieved, he whistled and turned to his elder brother, Fang Yongchong: “I told you, Brother, you didn’t need to accompany me on this trip. Third Brother could handle it himself. Besides, the battle in Youzhou is almost over. If you leave now, all the credit will go to the Xie family!”

His frivolous remarks earned him a cold glare from his older brother.

“What do you know?” Fang Yongchong frowned deeply, his eyes clouded with worry. “Yi Zhi’s suppression of the rebellion hinges on speed. What we’ve gained so far is only temporary. Whether we can maintain control remains uncertain.”

Indeed.

The Lingnan garrison was caught off guard, but Shi Hong had spent years cultivating loyal officers within the five prefectures. Though they may lie low for now, they could still rise again in the future. Moreover…

“Moreover, there’s Jinling…”

Fang Yongchong pondered deeply, recalling the incident where the Lou brothers stormed the Yinping Prince’s mansion with troops. The entire southern capital was still under curfew, and the backlash from the Luoyang faction was sure to be fierce.

Countless threads of concern tangled together, each one enough to cause headaches. Fortunately, Jiang Chao was steady and capable, repeatedly achieving victories in the north. His strategies exacerbated the internal divisions between the pro-war and pro-peace factions within the Eastern Turks. Now, Du Luo was overwhelmed and likely to seek a ceasefire soon. Without these successes, the situation might have spiraled out of control…

Fang Yunhui, scolded by his older brother, wanted to retort but dared not. Instead, he muttered quietly: “Big Brother worries too much… Third Brother, as the head of the Five Regents, has shown restraint multiple times out of courtesy. Those who fail to appreciate his kindness deserve to learn their lesson. After all, our family serves the court. There’s no reason to endure hardship only to face slander…”

His complaints were rough but carried some truth. Unfortunately, not everyone was willing to listen. People often demand perfection and lash out at imperfections. Should the southern rebellion fail to be quelled, would future generations blame the greed of the two prefectural governors or criticize the Fang family for refusing to compromise and enduring a year of humiliation…?

Fang Yongchong couldn’t foresee the answer, though he vaguely felt as though he already knew.

The Jiannan region was geographically complex, and the Yingchuan Army, exhausted from their long march, did not find the battle as easy as in Lingnan. During the tense fighting, Fang Xianting personally led the troops in Yizhou, taking considerable effort to suppress the restless Tibetan forces along the border. Afterwards, he launched a sweeping purge of the old factions loyal to Shi and Du, executing relentlessly for half a month.

To be fair, though the Fang family was a military clan, its successive leaders had never been fond of killing. In the past, Lord Fang had treated captives leniently and rarely engaged in mass executions. Fang Yunhui had hoped his third brother would be ruthless, punishing the rebellious ministers harshly to vent their frustrations after years of toil. However, seeing him mercilessly execute all of Shi and Du’s trusted officers left him uneasy, unsure why his brother had suddenly become so severe…

He couldn’t articulate it, but the older Fang Yongchong understood his younger brother’s concerns. After this campaign, new commanders would replace those in Lingnan and Jiannan. However, the court lacked capable replacements. If the new prefectural governors were weak, they would easily be manipulated by the remnants of Shi and Du’s forces. Yi Zhi’s current purge was paving the way for future stability.

Still…

Such iron-fisted methods inevitably invited criticism, especially since all decisions were made by Yi Zhi without consulting the Empress Dowager or the emperor. If malicious parties seized upon this to create trouble, the consequences…

Fang Yongchong grew increasingly uneasy, sensing that continuing down this path would inevitably lead to complications. He tried to speak with Yi Zhi but was repeatedly rebuffed. Eventually, Linze, who served close to Yi Zhi, had to gently advise: “Eldest Master, perhaps it’s best to wait a few more days. Lately, Master has been… unwilling to see anyone.”