Uninvited Guests (1)

The letter reads as follows:

"Zhengnan humbly pleads for death at the steps of the holy emperor: the rebels have stirred chaos, defying heavenly power, breaking divine laws, and disturbing the order of the nation. They deserve to be annihilated a hundred times over, their bones crushed and their ashes scattered into the gullies. However, the troops of Nanliang Prefecture, amidst several wars, have become weakened multiple times. The horses have no forage, the soldiers lack armor, and the once contiguous camps spread over a hundred miles have long been reduced to a tenth of their original size. If we act recklessly, it would be no different from crossing a mid-river port with an empty stomach while wolves roam the wilderness. The Lu family of Jiangdong has long been eyeing us with tiger-like vigilance, plotting day and night to cross east. If the Mulan crossing is lost, then the Western Prime Minister will have Qingcheng as his backyard. Zhengnan's heart to protect the nation is as clear as the sun and the moon, thus he holds the halberd to guard the eastern court of the Prime Minister, not daring to allow the slightest mishap. Those rebels, an uncoordinated mob, cannot shake even an inch of the city gate. The Flying General holds the Wolf Fang Seventh Division to dominate the world, and Pillar Yang commands the Dianjiang Academy, galloping across a thousand miles. Relying on the grand and majestic fortifications of the Prime Minister's city gate, we can surely defeat them in one blow. By then, Zhengnan will surely lead the three armies to sweep the return path, preventing the remaining rebels from wreaking havoc across the land and boosting the prestige of the two generals. For half a lifetime, Zhengnan's feelings are tied to Mulan, his heart entrusted to the Prime Minister, worrying and caring deeply, hence this plea for death nine times over. I bow my head to the emperor, begging heaven's listening."

The silk letter taken from the bronze tube passed through everyone's hands, gradually silencing the hall. Only the unaware serving slaves continued to shuttle back and forth with dishes, but a few observant old serving slaves seized them forcefully.

This letter of petition was vague, filled with various excuses and reasons why Zhengnan dared not face the enemy. If it were an ordinary commander, it might be overlooked, but the letter's author was Lian Zhengnan, the Governor of Mulan Prefecture, the direct descendant of the once top-ranked military family of Lian.

Regardless of the excuses, this act alone suggested an abundance of empty words and complaints with little sense of duty, indicating that the once mighty Lian family had indeed declined.

Out of respect for tradition, the gathered crowd did not voice their opinions, but all eyes turned to Lian Naiyun, the patriarch of the Lian family, hoping he would defend his family.

Lian Naiyun, Zhengnan's uncle, was the father of Empress Dowager Lian, aged seventy-eight, the eldest at the family banquet. He had witnessed the family's rise and fall, and today was likely his last public appearance representing the family.

Lian Naiyun was known for three notable deeds in his life. The first was the "Blue Eye Plan" that once caused a great stir in the military.

Forty years ago, Changxiang City considered the Qingcheng Lu family as their hypothetical enemy, with all training and exercises focused on crossing the Mulan River and seizing the estuary. The Lian family, having guarded the river defenses for generations, was naturally concerned about Qingcheng's every move. Reliable military reports suggested that Qingcheng was training birds to transmit intelligence, capable of far more than ordinary carrier pigeons. The Lian family was alarmed and tasked Lian Naiyun with addressing the issue.

Lian Naiyun, with his lifelong interest in various magic arts, was thrilled by the task and spent over a decade investigating. He eventually found the described "bluebirds" on a hot southern island. These birds could store what they saw in their pupils, and a specially trained bird handler could "read" this information using a unique magic. Lian Naiyun immediately proposed collecting these birds and native handlers in large numbers and deploying them for military use ahead of Qingcheng.

This proposal met with strong opposition from the sixteen noble families. Changxiang City had always despised such sorcery, preferring straightforward combat. However, just as opinions were deadlocked, Lian Naiyun's daughter was made empress, and Lian Naiyun, leveraging his new status, pushed through the plan. At its peak, they collected up to three thousand bluebirds.

But war often unfolds unpredictably. Qingcheng's bird plan seemed to be abandoned after some scholarly debate, and the Eastern Xiang Kingdom showed no signs of aggression, while instead on the northern side Sikong Zhilong rose rapidly. The focus of military action shifted to the barren Qihuang Plains.

The bluebirds, which had already cost a lot of military money, had to be put into military use immediately, but it soon became a joke. This is an expensive and clean-freak bird. Once its wings are stained with mud, it would immediately immerse them in water to clean them. This habit of cherishing its wings has become its fatal flaw. On the dusty plains, simply preparing clean water could capture the birds. All three thousand birds were soon slaughtered, providing no valuable information.

Lian Naiyun's second notable act was preserving the family's ancestral artifacts.

At the start of the national war, the head of the Lian family was Lian Changping, who guarded the river defenses. Lian Naiyun, as the esteemed father-in-law of the emperor, was included in the group protecting the emperor in retreat. Perhaps still reeling from the failure of the "Blue Eye Plan" or wishing to stay out of the conflict, Lian Naiyun volunteered to preserve the family artifacts. Thus, countless treasures, books, and ceremonial items were selected and loaded onto a hundred ships, navigating the Mulan River according to the changing battlefronts.

The war, as anticipated, resulted in quick defeat. In the chaos, the sixteen families lost contact and had to fend for themselves. Over ten years of war, none of the noble families emerged unscathed. However, without any direct conflict, Lian Naiyun also suffered severe losses on the river. Over ten years, a hundred ships were reduced to three, allegedly due to mutiny, river refugee raids, and Qingcheng Lu family schemes.

This is an unsolved case, and it may never be solved. Many people suspect Lian Naiyun. After all, although there were many refugees crossing the river, most of them could only swim across the Mulan River holding broken wooden boards. Escaping was already a blessing. It was incredible that they had the energy to rob. As for the subordinates who defected, each of them had a name and surname, but they disappeared after the war. This is also unreasonable. The only one who could be blamed was the Qingcheng Lu family, but the "Qingcheng Lu family" refused to take the blame. After the war, they directly sent the river defense logs and city gate records. Every detail was clear: during the national war, the Eastern Prime Minister only provided support and did not take advantage of the chaos to rob. On the surface, their actions were impeccable, and secretly, they lacked motive.

In short, ninety-seven large ships disappeared inexplicably, and Lian Naiyun, the defending commander, couldn't even say who did it.

But no matter what, the ancestral relics were finally preserved. Lian Naiyun lived and ate on the last three ships, turning the three large ships into the mobile ancestral temple of the royal family. He visited his ancestors every morning and evening, made tearful pleas, and wrote long articles and thick collections of poems. As a subject, he did not behave disrespectfully at all.

When it came to discussing merits and demerits after the war, no one could tell exactly what Lian Naiyun's merits and demerits were.

Lian Naiyun himself had no guilt or shame, saying things like, "History will record my merits and demerits, and only my heart can tell clearly." He had lived a good life after "begging for death" for ten years and had become the social center of sixteen idle old noble families.

His life should have ended here, but just a year ago, a miraculous turn of events took place.

This was the third thing he did, and the only one he actually accomplished.

After the national war, the most bizarre situation was that the emperor had lost contact—the entire Changxiang City was anxious. The rupture of the royal bloodline was enough to change the country's destiny, and this moment could not be delayed. Many people even discussed Qi Xiang, saying that his attitude was ambiguous, perfunctory, and his ambitions were obvious.

Lian Naiyun really liked bluebirds. When all three thousand bluebirds died, there were still some eggs left. He spent a lot of effort raising dozens of them and kept them with him. He didn't know how to make this rare bird reproduce. Those dozens of bluebirds grew from young birds to old birds, gradually withered, and finally only a dozen were left.

One day, Lian Naiyun was so excited that he staggered to find Prime Minister Qi. This time, his bluebird flew over three thousand miles, over the snow-capped mountains, and found his daughter and grandson, the current empress dowager and emperor, in a mountain cave in a wild land.

All government affairs on Prime Minister Qi's desk were put on hold immediately. The most urgent and important task in Changxiang City was to welcome the emperor back to the court.

Countless elders cried bitterly, and the sixteen families were in an uproar again. This was a great feat, no less significant than defending the city.

Lian Naiyun became the patriarch of the Lian family in his twilight years.

The Lian family, which had suffered heavy losses in the "Fengxin Incident," seemed to see signs of revival.

But this sign was illusory. The family could only be revived through military merit. Since the moment the Qingcheng Lu family dominated the defense of the Mulan River, the Lian family's arena had been closed. All honors belonged only to the past. This was destined and the trend of the times.

What remains is how Lian Naiyun will bid farewell on behalf of his family.

"Well, speaking of it, the Prime Minister has his own difficulties, and Zhengnan has his own difficulties. Well, it's not easy for either of them." Lian Naiyun spoke like this, living up to everyone's expectations. He was old, and his voice was low, vague, and hesitant. He held the wine glass with both hands, staring at the phantom in the glass, as if he had stared at the eyes of a bluebird countless times. His dry throat gurgled and moved, as if swallowing a mouthful of shame: "I really don't know what the children are doing. Military and political affairs are all decided by the Prime Minister and you all."

He lowered his head hard, and many people present also lowered their heads—such a weak response—for many years to come, this family would completely lose its voice.

The one who kept his head held high was He Peiyu.

After He Peiyu entered the lobby, he took off his shoulder armor, shin armor, wrist guards, and sword according to etiquette, knelt on one knee, and waited for Qi Xiang to call him up. The pure white silk underwear stuck to his sweaty muscles, bulging and taut, just like his uncontrollable ambition.

"Your Excellency," He Peiyu spoke impatiently, "Nanliang Prefecture and Mulan Prefecture are closely related. Peiyu knows a thing or two about Nanliang Prefecture. If it's not too abrupt, Peiyu is willing to speak for General Lian."

He was abrupt and reckless, with a fierce look between his eyebrows, but his kneeling figure was as steady as a rock. He came prepared and didn't mind being seen by everyone.

Qi Xiang pondered, then turned his gaze to He Langfei. He Langfei sat still, only took a sip from his wine glass, and slowly said, "Ask the knowledgeable about state affairs, and the warriors about military affairs. My son has been in Mulan Prefecture for many years and is proficient in everything. If the Prime Minister is interested, you may consult him."

Well, once it's said, it means that this young man has the full support of the family.

"Please," Qi Xiang raised his hand.

"Yes." He Peiyu stood up. He picked up his sword from the pile of armor and held it high with both hands, indicating that he had no intention of offending anyone. He drew his sword and made a big cross on the ground, pointing to the upper left, lower left, and the intersection in the middle.

"Please look, everyone. This is Nanliang Prefecture, and this is Mulan Prefecture. The border between the two prefectures is called Xiaoying Mountain. Nineteen miles northeast of Xiaoying Mountain, there are villages. Thirty-nine miles northeast of the villages is Wucheng. Nanliang Prefecture has two major ferry crossings, the Mulan Ferry in the north and the Wucheng Ferry in the south. Five years ago, the autumn flood in Mulan came early, and the wind and information changed. The Prime Minister borrowed 300,000 dan of autumn grain from Qingcheng and repaid it in Nanliang Prefecture. Among them, about 100,000 dan of autumn grain went across the river at Wucheng Ferry. From the beginning of September to the end of October every year, boats gathered and transported it in about ten times. This time, the rebellion started from this Wucheng Ferry."

"Wucheng Ferry is not a military ferry. The garrison and the navy have only a thousand people, and the rest are soldiers recruited from the local area. About ten days ago, a group of masked bandits attacked Wucheng, robbed food, arrested people, and seized boats. At that time, the two garrisons of Wucheng Ferry made a wrong judgment and thought that these bandits were going to hijack the boats and escape eastward, so they immediately sent out the only thousand navy to block the river defense. At the same time, they sent a letter to Mulan Ferry to ask General Lian for military assistance, and at the same time, according to the usual practice, reported to Changxiang City. However, this group of bandits was bluffing, and immediately retreated to Xiaoying Mountain after robbing the food. The two guards found something wrong, but they were afraid of military law, so they didn't raise fire or send letters. After a discussion, they took 300 personal soldiers and sailed to Qingcheng at night. The Qingcheng guards didn't dare to neglect it and reported to Lu Zhanmei along the way. As you can imagine, the Lu family didn't dare to take such hot stuff, so they immediately arrested them and sent them back to Mulan Ferry to be handed over to General Lian for punishment. In the process of going back and forth, they wasted two nights and one day, and the opportunity to fight was delayed. After getting food, the bandits immediately left the mountain, traveled a hundred miles north, hung up the lightning wind flag, and headed straight for Changxiang City."

"From Xiaoying Mountain to Changxiang City, it is a total of more than 800 miles. There are three beacon stations set up by the Prime Minister along the way, which go directly to Changxiang City. The nine ordinary military stations handed down by the Lian family are connected to Mulan Ferry. Excuse me, it is because the two communication channels are parallel that the battle report is quite chaotic. When the bandits started the war, the emperor was outside Changxiang City. The three beacon stations were temporarily used to welcome the emperor. The war report of the uprising and the false report of the two garrisons arrived at the same time. The station supervisor misjudged it as a trivial matter of bandits robbing grain and suppressed it on his own initiative. I can't trace how the war report was handled afterwards. Please investigate. The battle report from General Lian was only summarized in my hands two hours ago. The three letters said different things. The number of bandits alone was 100,000, 150,000 and 120,000."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room gasped. No matter which number it was, it was obviously beyond everyone's expectations.

"I summoned scouts for consultation. According to them, they were a motley group of slaves who didn't know how to command troops or how to march. When they first came out of the mountains, they beat drums and gongs to coerce the people along the way to join them. Three days later, the old, weak, sick and disabled were exhausted and abandoned by the slave leader halfway. Five days later, the coerced people were rescued by General Lian and escaped, and some of the old, weak, sick and disabled caught up again... The team was scattered and more than a hundred miles long. General Lian couldn't figure out their strength and didn't dare to lead the main force to intercept them, fearing that they would be outflanked by the bandits."

"Please look, everyone." He Peiyu said respectfully, "Judging from the geography, General Lian's actions are absolutely correct. The Dongshan and Xilu of Nanliang Prefecture are all flat along the river, and the customs road passes through it, which is extremely easy to attack but difficult to defend. The Lian family has guarded the Mulan Ferry for generations, with six parts of the navy and four parts of the infantry. Their primary responsibility is to defend the river. Once there is a mistake, the Jiangdong Lu family will take advantage of the opportunity to enter, or the refugees will break through the river defense and escape. It will be a major event that will shake the family. General Lian puts the river defense first, not as an excuse, but out of loyalty. Judging from the weather, General Lian's actions are even more reasonable. Now it is the beginning of October, which is the end of the autumn harvest. The bandits took the opportunity to start a rebellion because they were short of food and grass, and deliberately looted along the way. General Lian fortified the walls and cleared the fields, and collected the grain into the warehouse. He was not cowardly, but biding his time."

"Why didn't General Lian report to Changxiang City but reported to Nanying instead? Does it mean that Nanying is the loom of Changxiang City?" someone asked.

"Good question!" He Peiyu clapped his hands and sighed, "After the national war, the Prime Minister set up four beacon stations in Mulan Prefecture and three beacon stations in Nanliang Prefecture. Whenever there is any disturbance, the report will go straight to the Prime Minister's residence without having to meet with the officers and soldiers along the way. Whenever the world uses troops, scouts go first, there is no reason for double-track communication. For example, this turmoil, the disaster came suddenly. The Prime Minister certainly didn't know the situation of General Lian, and General Lian didn't know what the Prime Minister knew. The two hesitated and were seized by the bandits. This is the first reason. Second, I'm afraid you didn't hear it clearly just now - the so-called lightning wind flag is the lightning resurrection flag. Those bandits are not rioters, but slaves. This group of slaves have been hiding in my mountains and swamps for fifteen years. Peiyu doesn't dare to be arrogant, but there is probably no one else in the world who knows their habits well. General Lian knew I was here, and he wrote to ask me, so he didn't ask the wrong person."

"Slaves?" someone shouted.

The family dinner, which had been relatively quiet, finally exploded. There was all kinds of excitement, indignation, and shouting, and the word slave" was mixed in every sentence. The anger was like a flood, swallowing up all the peaceful voices. If everyone had been worried or treated it as a joke before when they learned that a hundred thousand rabble were going to attack Changxiang City, then at this moment, the only emotion was anger.