Before heading north into the biting cold wind, Zhuge Qiao took one last look back at Jiangling City.
He had never been eloquent, yet simply recalling the changes that had taken place in this city over the years was enough to stir one's blood.
General Guan had been ordered to fortify the city, the people were compliant and the merchants obedient. This was clarity.
The Yangtze was filled with ships, merchants bustling back and forth. This was prosperity.
A lone city repelled Jiangdong, powerful crossbows destroyed the enemy leader. This was valor.
Vertically linking Jingnan and Jingbei, horizontally controlling the river's heart. This was grandeur.
Watching a mighty city rise, watching it host banquets for guests, watching it endure countless tribulations and still stand, watching as one mounted a horse and rode north.
"Big brother, why are you spacing out? We're going to Guanzhong to find Father!"
The crisp voice shattered Zhuge Qiao's emotions, mixing with bell like laughter, scattering his thoughts into the sky like drifting silk clouds, glowing beautifully under the blazing sun.
Zhuge Qiao's mood lifted. He answered Zhuge Guo,
"We're heading north to Guanzhong to find Father."
The pair, one older and one younger, climbed into the carriage, leaving Jiangling behind them. As they gazed at the distant mountains, they were already thinking about what they should say once they met their father.
At this moment, atop the walls of Jiangling, Jiang Wan sighed as he patted the parapet.
"They're gone. Finally gone."
Beside him, Zhang Ni laughed heartily.
"Governor, if others heard that, they might think Lady Huang was impossible to deal with."
Jiang Wan only smiled lightly.
After last year's great battle, Zhang Ni had rushed thousands of miles to reinforce the front. Together with Shamoke, he fought fiercely against Jiangdong's army at Lexiang County west of Jiangling, beheading Han Dang and earning merit. This left a deep impression on Jiang Wan, who praised both Zhang Ni and Shamoke extensively in his report to Chang'an.
Perhaps because Nanzhong had already been pacified, or perhaps to prepare for advancing from Jingzhou into the Central Plains, the lord eventually issued a distant order. Zhang Ni was to remain stationed at Jiangling temporarily, and together with Shamoke, receive rewards for their merits. The two would assist Jiang Wan, allowing Jiangling to truly command all of Jingnan.
Shamoke was fierce and bold, Zhang Ni cautious and meticulous. Neither showed arrogance before Jiang Wan, making his role as governor increasingly comfortable.
Of course, the greatest deterrent against the soldiers was likely still the powerful crossbows mounted atop the city walls. After all, Lü Meng had died because of them.
Jiang Wan smiled and said,
"These strong crossbows are excellent for defending the city. If Lady Huang could stay a while longer and tailor more crossbows to Jiangling's terrain, this city would truly be flawless."
But it was only idle talk. Lady Huang was going north to reunite with her husband. Who would dare stop her, and who could?
After all, the elite cavalry escorting this carriage bore a general's banner embroidered with a massive character, Zhao. None dared oppose its might, none could blunt its edge.
When news of last year's battles in northern Jing reached Jiangling, Jiang Wan had already seen perceptive merchants producing prints of Guan and Zhao together, calling them the Twin Door Guardians.
Zhao Zilong charged through Cao's camp with a thousand cavalry, breaking the enemy in a single night.
Guan Yunchang shattered Cao's forces with a thousand riders, unmatched by any.
Unsurprisingly, whether Guan Yu or Zhao Yun was stronger became the most common topic of idle conversation during the New Year in Jiangling.
Neither Zhao Yun nor Guan Yu knew of such talk, nor did they care.
But when Zhao Yun heard that Lady Huang intended to go north, he still dispatched a unit of elite cavalry to escort her.
Zhuge Guo sat at the front of the carriage. After staring at the unchanging mountain scenery for a while, she quickly lost interest. She clambered to the back instead, where the partition had been lowered. Zhuge Qiao sat there chatting idly with a nearby cavalryman.
The topic naturally revolved around the battle before the New Year. Zhuge Guo listened with interest. After the cavalryman finished recounting that night's achievements, she asked,
"Since Uncle Zhao defeated the enemy, why doesn't he go to Chang'an with my mother?"
The cavalryman laughed loudly.
"Why go to Chang'an? Once General Zhao finishes wiping out the remaining enemies here, he will naturally lead his troops north. You can meet in Luoyang then."
Zhuge Guo scrunched up her small face.
"Why so much traveling?"
To her, the memory of fleeing south from the north years ago had grown faint. But the swaying, jolting carriage beneath her reminded her how exhausting constant travel was.
The cavalryman, Xi Zhen, smiled and shook his head. Seeing Zhuge Guo's innocent expression reminded him of his long unseen younger brother, softening his heart.
"Little lady, how do you think the people of Dangyang are living?"
They had traveled only a hundred li or so from Jiangling and were passing west of Dangyang City.
Because grain had been transported north through this area during the Jingxiang campaign two years prior, Dangyang had grown more prosperous. From here, one could already see small groups of villagers checking their fields, preparing for spring plowing.
Dangyang. Zhuge Guo's first thought was the story her Third Uncle had told her, about shouting down hundreds of thousands of Cao troops at this very place. She looked around but could not find the bridge.
Her eyesight was good, though. She clearly saw that while the villagers' clothes were full of patches, they were far from ragged or starving.
She was not ignorant of the world. Casual remarks from her mother and her father's constant worries had taught her much. After hesitating, she guessed,
"They seem… alright?"
"More than alright," Xi Zhen sighed.
"Compared to the frontier settlers in the north, these people live like lords."
Zhuge Qiao nodded slightly. Zhuge Guo half understood.
As commander of this escort unit, Xi Zhen had little leisure. Before leaving, he only added,
"On this northern journey, just watch and see. The people of the north all await Lord Xuande to pacify the realm. How could he fail their hopes?"
Xi Zhen rode ahead, shouting orders to the scouts to thoroughly check the surroundings for danger.
Zhuge Guo watched the Dangyang villagers pointing and whispering at the passing convoy.
Their backs were not straight, yet when they pointed at the banners, the joy bursting from them was unmistakable.
She looked up. On both sides of the convoy were banner bearers on horseback. On the left flew the banner of Han, on the right the banner of Zhao. The cold wind snapped the flags sharply.
Zhuge Qiao also looked up and sighed,
"A fine east wind."
Zhuge Guo, endlessly curious at her age, asked why.
"The wind of the second month is the wind of Jianmao," Zhuge Qiao explained gently.
"The fiercest among them are west winds and north winds, belonging to autumn and winter."
"When west or north winds rise, cold overwhelms warmth. Raids and plunder follow."
"If the Jianmao wind blows south to north, months of rain may cause floods."
"But today's east wind is what the Grand Historian praised as the wind of enlightened governance. When it rises, all things emerge."
Zhuge Guo's eyes curved like crescent moons as she praised,
"Big brother is so learned."
"This east wind in the second month is a sign of favorable weather," Zhuge Qiao replied politely.
"And my sister is clever."
With the east wind, the journey went smoothly, and they soon arrived at Xiangyang.
Before entering the city, Zhuge Guo asked curiously,
"Who is the fierce general painted on the wall?"
Zhuge Qiao thought for a moment.
"Perhaps old General Huang?"
Seeing the rough lines depicting a fearsome old warrior, then recalling Huang Zhong's kindly face like a neighborhood elder, Zhuge Guo burst into laughter.
"If General Huang knew, I wonder if he'd be upset."
Zhuge Qiao, however, felt some worry. Though the old general looked vigorous, he was still advanced in years, and warfare had been unceasing. Could his body endure it?
For Lady Huang's group, Xiangfan felt more like a sightseeing stop.
They rested a day in Xiangyang, then crossed the Han River, admiring the massive bolts still embedded in Fan City's southern wall, marveling at the ferocity of the Jingxiang battles.
Circling east of Fan City, they saw a newly built shrine near several li of graves, the Jing'an Shrine.
Led by Huang Yueying, Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Guo both wore solemn expressions as they performed the rites.
For Zhuge Guo, after crossing the Han River, the atmosphere among the people changed completely.
South of the Han, cities were stable and people at peace. The east wind carried warmth.
North of the Han, it felt like iron hooves clashing. Even the east wind beside the Jing'an Shrine sounded like metal striking metal.
The crossbow bolts still lodged in Fan City's wall and the meticulously maintained shrine spoke of a war that had never truly ended.
As they continued north, the scenery gradually overlapped with Zhuge Guo's fading childhood memories.
She had been only six when her father was invited by Lord Xuande to serve as strategist in Xinye, and the family moved there.
After barely a year of peace, the Cao forces invaded Jingzhou, and she fled south in panic with her parents.
Nearly six years had passed. Southward flight had become northward return. Cao's armies again, restless hearts again, the sense of imminent danger again.
The difference was that fear was gone from the eyes of the people in northern Jing. Beneath obvious exhaustion, their expressions were numb.
At this point, elite cavalry bearing the Guan banner awaited them, exchanging duties with Xi Zhen after verifying seals.
Xi Zhen bade Lady Huang farewell, whistled sharply, and led his men eastward at a gallop.
Zhuge Guo even compared them mentally.
The Guan cavalry radiated brute ferocity.
The Zhao cavalry excelled in agile precision.
On this land, the east wind grew harsher, and the northbound convoy grew quieter.
They passed through Gucheng, Zan County, Shunyang, and Li County in silence. Upon reaching Xi County, Zhuge Guo heard noise outside and poked her head out curiously.
She saw a mountain gorge packed with thousands of civilians. Families dragged their belongings, resentment on their faces, struggling onward despite everything.
"They are likely headed where we are," Zhuge Qiao said after one glance.
Seeing her confusion, he explained,
"From here, crossing the gorge westward over a small mountain leads to Wu Pass. Beyond it lies Shangluo."
"After crossing Mount Zhongnan, we enter Guanzhong where Father is. There is only this road."
Zhuge Guo nodded, her gaze drawn to a mother holding an infant, sorrow etched on her face.
The baby was tiny, yet its wind cracked skin looked older than Zhuge Guo's.
Following her gaze, Zhuge Qiao turned and whispered instructions to a servant. The man hurried toward the woman's cart.
Soon the convoy halted. On Lady Huang's orders, servants unloaded surplus supplies, piling them together. A cavalry overseer stepped forward, shouted for order, and bluntly announced that rations would be distributed per person.
Zhuge Guo watched as the overseer's expression softened and his voice grew gentler.
"Eat, then move quickly. You can rest a bit at Wu Pass. Hurry into Guanzhong before snow returns."
"Who provided the food? Why ask? Be grateful to eat."
"Once you reach Guanzhong and receive land, you can live in peace. There will be no war there."
Watching the visibly relieved refugees, Zhuge Guo asked,
"Big brother, if we could farm even in winter, would no one go hungry?"
Zhuge Qiao patted her head.
"If my sister studies diligently, she will surely find a way."
After things settled, Zhuge Qiao sent servants to gather details, then told her,
"The flow of people into Guanzhong is known to General Guan. Aid stations are set up at Wu Pass."
"They did not expect civilians to travel while winter had not fully passed, so some were already starving before reaching the pass."
"Commander Zhao Lei said he would report back and add more aid stations."
That was all that could be done.
Zhuge Guo nodded. For the first time, she felt an urgency she could not name, whether to grow up quickly and find a way to grow crops in winter, or for Lord Xuande to launch his campaign and truly end this chaotic world.
After passing Wu Pass, perhaps because hope filled the hearts of the people, or because Guanzhong's east wind was different, Zhuge Guo felt lighter.
Shangluo also had an aid station. She heard an official named Ma Zhong clearly announce that those with skills could register and receive generous proper support and compensation. Even those without skills would have half their taxes waived for the first three years after registration.
Leaving the civilians behind, they continued onward. The roads on Mount Zhongnan had clearly been repaired, making travel easy.
At the summit, Guanzhong lay before them.
Eight hundred li of the Qin plain embraced by mountains.
Mighty passes where one man could hold ten thousand at bay.
Hundreds of villages and counties like stars circling the towering Chang'an.
The scenery, utterly unlike the south, struck deep into their hearts. After long silence, they continued on, anticipation now impossible to hide.
Descending the mountain, Chang'an lay only a hundred li away. At the foot, Huang Yueying saw a figure she had only met in dreams for the past two years, smiling by the Ba River.
"My husband," she called softly, all her longing in one word.
Kongming immediately drew his wife close, whispering tender words into her ear. Realizing the setting was improper, he led her onto a boat and into the cabin to pour out their feelings.
Zhuge Guo's smile froze.
She watched her father appear, then watched him vanish at lightning speed, her raised hand awkwardly hanging in the air.
Thankfully, a stiff faced man broke the silence.
"Sir Kongming's eldest disciple is currently under punishment and cannot come. I am Ma Jun, here on behalf of Boyue to offer apologies."
Zhuge Qiao and Zhuge Guo looked at each other.
"Eldest disciple? Punishment?"
Ma Jun nodded.
"By his teacher's order, he is serving as a gatekeeper at the Imperial Academy to temper his character."