A special thank you to my patrons:
—Shahzaam, Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Pasang Sherpa, Acedia, kurtis newman, Nhoxious, Little Sand, Alin Kadas, sediaz, Targaryen, King Scales, Kurgarraz, Astraala.
You can read 50 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
————————————————————
Inside the main hall of the Huang family's secluded estate, the atmosphere carried a faint trace of strangeness.
The visitors were not only Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province, but also Cai Feng, the patriarch of the Cai clan.
By all reason, as the master of Jing-Xiang, Liu Biao would have been perfectly within his rights to sit in the seat of honor, even here in the Huang family hall. Yet, he firmly refused to take it. And since Liu Biao would not sit there, Huang Chengyan could hardly, with any decency, plant himself there either. He had no choice but to accompany Liu Biao in the guest seats...
Then, naturally, neither Cai Feng nor Fei Qian could go and take the host's seat. Thus, the seat of honor in the upper part of the hall remained conspicuously empty, while the four of them sat facing one another in the lower section, in a state of faint mutual embarrassment.
Liu Biao gazed at Fei Qian, a myriad of emotions surging within his heart. For a moment, he was actually lost in thought. Once upon a time, this very person had been a mere chess piece he could manipulate at will. But now, he had become a high-ranking official of a regional power, sitting as an equal.
On the other side, Elder Cai Feng was consumed by a deep sense of regret. Back then, he had been but a single step away—perhaps just a few days at most. He had gone to the extent of formally recognizing a daughter from a former regional family, only to then receive news that Fei Qian and Huang Chengyan's daughter had become engaged.
Cai Feng cast a sidelong glance at Huang Chengyan and grumbled inwardly: 'With that ugly creature of his... sooner or later...' Then, he shifted his gaze back to Fei Qian. '...If this young fellow can keep climbing the ranks... well, there's no harm in... hmm, it wouldn't be entirely unacceptable either...'
Cai Feng was so absorbed in his own musings that he momentarily missed a meaningful look Liu Biao shot his way.
Liu Biao twitched his eyebrows in frustration. Left with no other choice, he cleared his throat twice and spoke up himself: "With the clan bandits of southern Jing not yet pacified, and political and military affairs so numerous, I, Biao, have been remiss in not coming in person to congratulate Commandant Fei on his lofty promotion. I have prepared a few humble local products of Jing-Xiang, and I beg the Commandant not to scorn them."
Hmm?
Fei Qian was somewhat puzzled. Liu Biao speaking so humbly—this was not at all his usual style. Moreover, it was true that Liu Biao had not come when the Huang family held their banquet, but he had sent Yi Ji as his representative, which was entirely acceptable and by no means a breach of etiquette. So why was he now offering gifts yet again? What was his ulterior motive?
Fei Qian waved his hands repeatedly and declared, "Lord Liu, please do not overwhelm me with such courtesy. I am but a farmer who tends the fields. Having undeservedly received the sacred imperial grace and been elevated to a high post, I am already filled with trepidation and unease. I have never spread any virtue or beneficence across Jing-Xiang; how could I possibly accept gifts from Lord Liu? This absolutely must not be!"
Huang Chengyan glanced at Fei Qian, then lowered his head slightly to study his own table, remaining silent.
Cai Feng raised an eyebrow, seemingly on the verge of speaking, but then promptly shut his mouth and lowered his eyelids.
None of those present were fools. Both Huang Chengyan and Cai Feng understood perfectly the subtext behind Fei Qian's words. Therefore, they both adopted the manner of wooden statues, practically on the verge of sticking little notes to their foreheads reading, "The person is not here." Besides, this was an old grudge; the one who tied the knot must untie it. There was no need to entangle themselves in it, only to gain nothing but trouble.
Huang Chengyan and Cai Feng were both old foxes, tempered by years of experience. How could they not know that although four people sat together here, the main players were truly Liu Biao and Fei Qian? Their own roles were primarily to mediate and soothe should any conflict flare up between those two. What was more, Fei Qian's words were only a small, veiled jab at Liu Biao. It was no great matter, and Liu Biao's own past actions were indeed the root cause. If either of them were to leap forward now, they would only make things more awkward for Liu Biao. Thus, both Huang Chengyan and Cai Feng pretended they had heard nothing at all.
Liu Biao, however, was a seasoned and wily old hand. After but a split second of stunned embarrassment, he smoothly replied, "Why would Commandant Fei say such a thing? Everyone sitting here is a man of Jing-Xiang. Why draw distinctions between one and another?"
Inwardly, Fei Qian could not help but give Liu Biao a point of approval. Truly, a masterful response.
After all, Liu Biao was still the master of Jing-Xiang. Even if Fei Qian did not consider his own father-in-law's sensibilities, he still had to give face to Elder Cai Feng and the other Jing-Xiang men present. It would not do to press Liu Biao relentlessly and make everyone uncomfortable.
Of course, this was also the very reason Liu Biao and Cai Feng had come together. Everyone present was a man of understanding; they all had a clear sense of just how far was appropriate.
Fei Qian chuckled lightly and let the matter drop. "Lord Liu, for what purpose have you come? Do you have some instruction for me?"
To the side, Cai Feng nodded and smiled at Fei Qian. In his heart, he greatly admired Fei Qian's manner—knowing when to advance and when to retreat, understanding the greater picture. The more he looked, the more agreeable Fei Qian seemed.
Huang Chengyan caught the look and could more or less guess what was going through Cai Feng's mind. He shot a glare at Cai Feng and huffed through his whiskers.
Cai Feng merely smiled faintly, stroked his beard, and said nothing. He only let his eyes drift slightly to one side.
Huang Chengyan was younger than Cai Feng, and what was more, Cai Feng's two daughters had married, respectively, Huang Chengyan and Liu Biao. Thus, Huang Chengyan had to give Cai Feng some degree of face. Consequently, Cai Feng did not take Huang Chengyan's displeasure as any kind of serious problem.
Though the seniority among them was rather tangled, such complications were a common occurrence in the intermarriages between gentry clans. In a large family, the generational ranks sometimes had to be considered separately for each individual case. It was common for a nephew to be older than his uncle. And it was entirely possible that a nephew and his uncle might marry a pair of sisters from the same family. Then, the elder brother of those sisters might, upon the death of his wife, take the nephew's younger sister as his second wife. The resulting web of seniority was, ah ha...
Seeing that Fei Qian was no longer dwelling on past grievances, Liu Biao breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling, he said, "It is not instruction that I seek, but rather, I earnestly entreat Commandant Fei to lend me the strength of a single arm!"
The strength of a single arm?
Fei Qian repeated the phrase mentally, and suddenly, a certain event leaped into his mind. He could not help but furrow his brow. "Lord Liu jests. Your Excellency's ranks are brimming with talent—Generals Cai, Wen, and Huang; Commandants Liu, Wang, and Lü, among many others. What need have you of my feeble praying-mantis arm?"
Liu Biao let out a long sigh. "Ziyuan sees with piercing clarity... Alas, the matter is urgent. Distant water cannot quench a fire at hand..." He then turned to Cai Feng, signaling him to explain the situation.
At this moment, to demonstrate his impartial stance, Cai Feng nodded and began to clarify: "General Wen is stationed at Caiyang, guarding against the army of Ji Ling. My son, Cai Mao, has led troops to Hengyang, campaigning against the commanderies of Guiyang and Lingling. Commandant Liu is stationed at Changsha, Commandant Wang at Yidu, and Commandant Lü at Sui County... Thus, with Sun the General Who Smashes the Caitiffs now invading... we find ourselves with no officer left to lead troops against him..."
Liu Biao sighed once more. "General Huang was first defeated at Fancheng and is now besieged at Deng County. The gateway to Xiangyang lies wide open, and the city is in peril, hanging by a thread! I beg Commandant Fei to extend a hand and rescue us!"
What?
Did history unfold this way?
What in the world was going on here? Was it really the case that Liu Biao had sent all his troops southward into Jingnan, only to have Yuan Shu exploit the opening?
Was this how it happened historically, or had things already changed?
And wait—what of the Kuai brothers?
Fei Qian asked, "In that case, what wise counsel have the two worthy talents, Zirou and Yidu, offered?"
Liu Biao shook his head in silence, clearly harboring some displeasure.
Eh, how strange. Those two great and worthy talents, whom Liu Biao himself had praised as his own Yong Ji and Jiu Fan—men of profound resourcefulness and strategy—could it be that they had not offered a single plan for the current situation?
This seemed somewhat out of the ordinary...
*******
T/N: Use the code "FROG" for 30% off discount on all tiers.