Chapter 1454 – Sun Wen’s Envoy (Part 2)
Jiang Pengji’s troops were divided into two paths: one followed her to Cangzhou at Zhanjiang Pass, and the other was led by Fu Wang to Hujun to prepare for the upcoming battle. Before Fu Wang’s army reached the front lines, an urgent confidential letter arrived, making him think that something significant had happened.
Crushing the bamboo tube, Fu Wang took out the neatly folded letter inside, flicked it open, and squinted as he read.
After skimming through it in no time, his brows furrowed like they could squash a fly.
“Someone, quickly summon the General Strategist! Urgent matters to discuss!”
He felt a bit annoyed—didn’t they agree he would lead a strong assault on Yang Tao?
Why change the orders and shift his focus to defensive tactics, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack?
He knew full well that the experience of offense and defense was entirely different. Fu Wang usually practiced offense as defense, rarely taking a passive stance.
Currently, the supplies in the military camp were configured for offense, making their defensive capabilities fairly weak. Jiang Pengji’s command left him in a tough spot. Though the logistics were already on the way, transporting them to the front lines would take time; if anything happened in the meantime—say, a sudden enemy ambush—then it would be a real headache.
He summoned everyone to the main tent that night to figure out how to stabilize the situation and clean up the mess caused by the last-minute order change from the lord.
By the time they came to a conclusion, the sky outside the tent had already turned a deep black, like a puddle of unfathomable ink.
It was the height of summer, hot and humid, with mosquitoes buzzing around the camp, making it impossible to sleep.
Feng Zhen returned to wash the sweat off his face but couldn’t settle down and decided to get some fresh air instead.
Not long into his stroll, he bumped into a familiar face.
Wiping sweat with a handkerchief in his left hand and wielding a feather fan with the other, Feng Zhen said to Yang Si, “Are you also unable to sleep, Jingrong?”
Yang Si was dressed in light nightwear, draped in a sheer cloak; his damp hair fell over his shoulders. He too, likely restless due to an uneasy heart, couldn’t find peace.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Feng Zhen and calmly replied, “Aren’t you as well?”
The abrupt change in military orders had disrupted everyone’s sleep.
“Truthfully, I’ve always been weak and sensitive to heat; summer is particularly tough for me,” Feng Zhen explained. “After enjoying comfort in the North for so long, I’m just not acclimatized to this weather anymore.”
Feng Zhen hailed from Anshan County in Zhangzhou; he should have been used to it by now, yet he feared the heat even more than Yang Si.
With both unable to sleep and with little to do in the dead of the night, they decided to play a few rounds of chess.
Yang Si could tell from Feng Zhen’s moves that his mind was in turmoil, restless and burdened with worries—definitely not the usual carefree Feng Zhen.
After losing three consecutive matches, Feng Zhen waved his hand dismissively, “No more, no more! I’m just not on my game today.”
Yang Si thought for a moment and asked, “Are you worried about your son’s safety?”
According to the original plan, Fu Wang’s troops were the main offensive force, while Jiang Pengji was meant to focus on defense.
With Zhanjiang Pass being a strategic location, all troops under her were elite, making it relatively easier to defend against incoming attacks and thereby lowering the risk. Now that the orders had shifted, Zhanjiang Pass was turning from defense to offense, increasing the level of danger dramatically. The young Feng Yi had been assigned to the lord’s group and was at risk of facing life-threatening situations.
“This child has always been wise and understanding, yet it’s his first time so far from home, without a single relative to look after him.”
Feng Zhen usually acted carefree with his son, his parenting style quite loose, yet he was deeply concerned internally.
Yang Si chuckled softly, “Everyone says the carefree Feng Zhen only cares about his own happiness and is indifferent to his son. Seems that’s not entirely true.”
Feng Zhen huffed, sighing, “Most fathers feel this way, to some extent.”
He didn’t say it aloud, but it was always on his mind.
Hearing Feng Zhen’s sentiments, Yang Si couldn’t help but think of his child still swaddled in blankets, flooded with emotions.
His child with Jiang Xiaowei was born last year—a baby girl, small and soft, with limbs that seemed to have no bones.
When Yang Si held her for the first time, his hands trembled; as the baby nestled against him, an indescribable emotion welled up, as if filling a void in his heart. He realized, for the first time, he had become a father to another life.
Yang Si understood Feng Zhen’s worries about his child.
Conditions while on the march were harsh, and summer nights especially grueling. Feng Yi tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so he took his sword outside for practice.
After drilling until his arms felt heavy and drenched in sweat, he finally stopped.
Perhaps exhausted, he returned to the tent and fell straight into a deep sleep, only to dream sweetly through the night.
With half a day’s journey remaining to Zhanjiang Pass, Jiang Pengji led her troops at a normal pace, while Sun Wen sped towards Zhanjiang Pass under the escort of a group. Even before the two armies clashed, the atmosphere was tense, thick with impending storm clouds. The Nie Clan’s forces had begun arriving at the front lines in droves, setting up camp. Standing at the Zhanjiang Pass gates, looking out, the distant horizon was filled with a sea of deep red flags, resembling a sky engulfed in flames.
The flags displayed not only the character “Nie” but also the family emblem of the Nie Clan.
Within Zhong Zhao, the common people all recognized what this character and emblem represented.
The people living near Zhanjiang Pass had long fled, migrating with their families to other places.
Who could guess if they’d have their heads chopped off by soldiers just for battlefield merit?
Such things weren’t unheard of; in chaotic times, lives were worth less than weeds. Once dead, even crying out for injustice was a luxury.
Sun Wen had already submitted the letter drafted by Jiang Pengji herself, as the diplomatic correspondence between the two armies demanded that Nie Liang personally meet him.
Nie Liang was seated within the tent, with a number of loyal confidants at his side.
These individuals were quite renowned within Zhong Zhao, but compared to them, Nie Liang’s closest friend and confidant, Wei Ying, was practically invisible.
Having read the contents of the letter, Nie Liang remarked, “The handwriting is beautiful, but the attitude is dismissive.”
The content of the letter was personally written by Jiang Pengji, but it had been ghostwritten by someone else.
“Why is Liu Xi sending envoys at this time?”
“Most likely to scout the situation. Liu Xi has split her forces into two, which is already quite the strain. Yang Tao in the South isn’t a cause for concern, but they know little about our army. If they rashly engage in battle, they may not have a good chance,” one person replied. “By the way, who is this envoy? Sun Wen? I don’t think I’ve heard of him.”
The speaker was a young man in his twenties.
He felt the name Sun Wen sounded familiar but couldn’t quite place it.
Not just him; no one else in the tent could remember him immediately either.
There was no aid, since Sun Wen had been virtually unknown except for his significant contributions in the Northern Border War.
“Sun Wen? Wait, is he not Sun Zaidao under Liu Xi?” someone suddenly recalled. “Why’s he here?”
Very few in the world could maneuver espionage as cleverly as him, deftly playing multiple sides while remaining unscathed.
What was truly impressive wasn’t just his manipulation of the Northern Border but also that after doing so much, he was still able to come out unscathed.
Since the Northern Border War, Sun Wen had gone quiet, and the outside speculation was that Jiang Pengji had become wary of him, quietly demoting him, putting him in obscurity.
No one expected Jiang Pengji to promote Sun Wen at this time.
Nie Liang lowered his gaze, stating, “Testing the waters isn’t an issue, but what he seeks to test is what truly matters.”
Is he probing the Nie Clan’s troop strength?
Or something else?
