Chapter 532 – The Winds of the World (Part Two)
The power change in Fengyi County didn’t attract much attention. Aside from the heavily damaged Green Garment Army and the Red Lotus Sect clinging on in defiance, the North remained eerily quiet. In contrast, the Southern flames of war had already ignited, triggering a cascade of reactions.
Changshou Wang sent the body of Liu Zhi’s illegitimate daughter, Liu Huan, to Chongzhou, intending to recruit Liu Zhi to his side. Little did he know, Liu Zhi remained indifferent; after accepting the coffin of his illegitimate daughter, he didn’t even utter a word.
Liu Zhi’s heartless reaction infuriated Changshou Wang, deepening his resentment and planting the seed for future revenge.
However, for now, there was little he could do to Liu Zhi. He would have to wait until he ascended to the throne to settle the score.
Even though Changshou Wang managed to sow discord between the Emperor and Huang Song, causing Huang Song to withdraw from the frontline and take up the post of county magistrate in Zhaiyang, he still couldn’t successfully take Chenzhou nor unseat his brother the Emperor.
Why was that?
Because his chief strategist jumped ship!
Speaking of which, we have to mention how Changshou Wang’s growing arrogance was revealing his true colors.
Ever since Liu Zhi secretly sent Changshou Wang a letter that revealed Liu Huan was his own daughter, Changshou Wang lost his composure in front of his chief strategist. As battles stalled, Changshou Wang wrongly blamed his strategist, consistently undermining him. To make matters worse, when the military generals questioned the strategist’s tactics, Changshou Wang happily joined in the ridicule.
Thus, he completely alienated his capable strategist.
It would be fine to offend an ordinary person; after all, there’s not much to fear from someone without skills.
But offending a petty yet vengeful strategist with a sharp mind? Now, that was awkward.
Before leaving, the strategist played a trick on Changshou Wang, leading to a significant blunder in the attack on Chenzhou. This misstep severely depleted their forces and wounded their morale. Thanks to this, the once-ailing Chenzhou could catch its breath and mount a counterattack.
Yet, the strategist was clever—before revealing his intentions, he ensured he wouldn’t be pinned with the blame, cleverly shifting it onto others.
Having deftly dodged responsibility, he left as a “slighted” individual; Changshou Wang had no face to take it out on him.
It turned out that the strategist’s actions were right on the mark. Changshou Wang’s forces faltered; just as he was about to break through Chenzhou’s defenses and march on the new capital, a catastrophic mistake occurred, leading to half of his elite troops being devoured by Chenzhou’s forces, leaving him critically wounded.
For a time, he could only helplessly stare at Chenzhou, utterly incapable of delivering a devastating blow.
After his defeat, Changshou Wang thought about his lovely strategist and casually sent a lowly soldier to fetch him.
The tent was empty as the strategist had long since packed up and left, even leaving behind a letter. The letter didn’t contain any melodramatic messages like “I’m leaving you, you ungrateful scoundrel! I can’t stand you anymore!” No, instead, it lamented the illness of his aging mother and his duty as a filial son to return home and care for her in her final days.
Seeing the heartfelt letter full of sorrow and filial piety, Changshou Wang found it hard to get mad, especially since he was clearly in the wrong, even neglecting to realize the strategist’s mother was sick.
Now that the strategist had left to show filial piety, Changshou Wang felt he should send some generous gifts to express his sentiments.
At this moment, he didn’t even realize that his strategist wasn’t going for a temporary break; he had thoroughly fled! He was even unaware that his frontline defeat was all thanks to the strategist’s machinations. When he finally learned the truth, he might very well be driven to a frenzy.
Although Changshou Wang didn’t think about bringing him back, first of all, his pride wouldn’t allow it. After losing the war, rushing to find the strategist he had dismissed for so long would make him look desperate. Where could he put his face? Secondly, he had more than enough talent in his ranks; he wasn’t missing one strategist.
So, if the strategist wanted to go home to show allegiance to his mother, so be it! When he returned, his position would be even lower.
Changshou Wang casually tossed the bamboo paper letter aside and called for other strategists to gather, preparing to discuss future plans.
What about that strategist who had quietly left for three days?
He had already taken his book boy and a half-cart full of books with him—books he had meticulously copied using the bamboo paper provided by Changshou Wang.
Don’t let the half-cart fool you; though it looked like one or two boxes, in terms of bamboo slips, they could easily fill twenty carts.
While Changshou Wang might not be a great person, when he chose to be kind, he was genuinely generous.
He had learned that the chief strategist loved books and spared no effort in pleasing him, providing various precious texts.
The strategist was fully aware of Changshou Wang’s true nature. He knew he wouldn’t last long under his rule, but should he not copy down everything in a frenzy?
The book boy asked while driving the cart, “Sir, where are we headed now?”
The strategist, reading in the cart, casually replied, “Anywhere is fine, just not the South.”
The South was the battleground for Changshou Wang and the Dongqing royal family. Now that Changshou Wang was severely weakened, the previous advantages had turned to dust, sending both powers back to square one. They still needed to regroup. If he stayed in the South, what would happen if he accidentally ran into Changshou Wang’s forces?
Indeed, the strategist’s so-called “ailing mother” was merely an excuse.
In truth, he had no idea who his real mother was—they might have been one of the brothel girls, for he was found there, his swaddling blanket rich enough to hint at a noble birth rather than that of a poor child. However, these were bygone stories he simply didn’t care about.
The book boy grimaced, driving the carriage while saying, “We must have some destination, right? We can’t just run aimlessly! The world is chaotic now; I’ve heard that after the fall of the Nansheng, things turned upside down, with warlords rising everywhere. There are also increasing troubles in Dongqing—wandering about carelessly could lead to disaster.”
The strategist, annoyed, opened the curtain of the cart and frowned, “People used to say your master was long-winded and meddlesome. Now that it’s your turn to lead, why are you blaming me? Just decide where to go! Go wherever you want!”
The book boy’s face grew even more troubled. What kind of master was so difficult to please?
After some thought, he said, “Didn’t you admire that Huang fellow? I heard he’s been demoted to Zhaiyang. I remember Zhaiyang is in Haozhou, near the North, far from the Southern frontline, and untouched by the Northern chaos. Let’s go there.”
The strategist, rolling up his collection of books, playfully tapped the back of the book boy’s head.
“I knew you were a petty person; are you trying to get your master killed?”
