Volume Two: Lords of Kin and Blood Chapter 55: Li Xian

Li Xi spoke up, “Ji’er, it’s good for you to go out and travel, but you must be cautious in all things.”

With his father’s words, Li Ji stepped down from the terrace respectfully and said, “Yes, I will be careful, but it may not be possible for me to leave.”

“Everything depends on one’s efforts. If you cannot go, there will be no regrets,” Li Xian replied with a gentle smile.

Li Ji nodded silently, his heart filled with hope, but his second brother spoke up again, “Third Brother, that marriage arrangement needs to be changed. It should be Ninth Sister who marries.”

“What?” Li Ji looked up at his second brother in surprise.

Li Xian’s expression became serious. “Fourteenth Sister is of concubine birth, while the young lord who seeks marriage is a military governor and the Marquis of Fufeng, of noble status. We cannot allow ourselves to appear dismissive.”

“The young lord is also of concubine birth, and he truly likes Fourteenth Sister. If we rashly change the bride, it will only backfire,” Li Ji retorted.

“Then let him marry them both,” Li Xian said bluntly.

Li Ji’s breath caught, and he looked speechless at his second brother.

Li Xian continued, “Changing to Ninth Sister is mainly for Father’s sake. The young lord may not care about the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born, but Chancellor Wei certainly does. If he hears we’re marrying off a concubine’s daughter, he’ll think Father is being perfunctory. The stronger the Wei clan becomes, the more this will turn into an indelible stain.”

Li Ji let out a light sigh and said calmly, “Second Brother, being overly calculating doesn’t always lead to good results.”

“Life shouldn’t be overly calculating, but if these were peaceful times, Father’s talent would be enough to earn him high office and lasting fame. But these are troubled times—without powerful support, becoming prime minister is impossible. For Father’s sake, are you unwilling to be pragmatic?” Li Xian pressed him.

Li Ji was left speechless. He heard his second brother say again, “This is only a contingency plan. The young lord is about to go on campaign to Hedong. If he returns safely, then it’s worth marrying him to our sisters. The future can be discussed later—there’s no rush.”

Li Ji stood up helplessly and said respectfully, “If Father has no further instructions, I will take my leave.”

Li Xi nodded. Li Ji bowed to his second brother and left.

...

Near noon, at the Bluefield County official residence, Wei Fufeng had just finished his martial practice when a subordinate reported that Li Xi’s second son, Li Xian, had come to visit.

“Li Xian? Oh, Fourteenth Sister mentioned him.” Wei Fufeng recalled that the visitor was an elder, and went out to greet him. Li Xian’s arrival meant that Li Ji had not kept their secret.

At the gate, Li Xian wore a plain, round-collared robe. Seeing the youth in a purple official’s robe standing on the steps, he quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and smiled, “Li Xian apologizes for disturbing you, Marquis. Please forgive me.”

Wei Fufeng was slightly surprised but smiled in return. “Second Uncle, you’ve come a long way. Please, let’s speak inside the residence.”

As they walked in, Li Xian discreetly observed his surroundings, noticing many archers and armored guards within the residence, while the gate was guarded by militia with long spears—clearly, true strength was kept hidden inside.

Once seated in the hall, Wei Fufeng smiled, “Second Uncle, you’ve come far. Please speak plainly if there’s something on your mind.”

Li Xian smiled, appreciating Wei Fufeng’s directness, and said warmly, “I’ve come on behalf of your future father-in-law. He is upright by nature and too proud to ask favors. I’ve heard that you are acting as Governor of Southern Sichuan, and have been appointed by His Majesty as Governor of Qianzhong as well. Would you grant your future father-in-law an official post?”

Wei Fufeng replied evenly, “To be honest, the situation in Southern Sichuan is unstable—there’s potential for war at any time. Now is not the right moment for Uncle Li to take office. Once things stabilize, I’ll invite him to serve as an official.”

“That’s not quite right, Marquis,” Li Xian pressed on. “It’s precisely because things are unstable that your future father-in-law should go. If everything is settled, he would be embarrassed to accept the post. He’s a man who doesn’t know how to be flexible. Marquis, you should agree to this.”

Wei Fufeng forced a slight smile. He considered that if Li Ji took office, it would benefit the consolidation of the territory—first, because an imperial appointment carried legitimacy, and second, Li Ji’s presence would deter any who might harbor disloyalty.

“If Second Uncle insists, then I can only agree. Please ask the elders to be patient for a few days. If the Chuan’nan army successfully takes over Qianzhou and Fuzhou, I’ll appoint Uncle Li as Prefect of Fuzhou.”

“Thank you, Marquis.” Li Xian stood and bowed in gratitude.

Wei Fufeng looked at Li Xian and said, “But I must ask the elders to keep my affairs confidential. Even my own parents, and Elder Wei Zhaodu, do not know I am both commander of the Fufeng Army and a military governor.”

Li Xian was surprised, and Wei Fufeng continued with a slight smile, “I am of concubine birth and do not wish to be constrained by my clan elders. It’s the same as you coming to ask for an official post—it’s hard to refuse, but if I accept too many requests, would I not be dividing my power among others?”

Li Xian nodded solemnly, “I understand, Marquis. I will keep silent.”

“Then I thank you for your understanding, Second Uncle.” Wei Fufeng rose and bowed.

After Li Xian left, Wei Fufeng patiently awaited further news, not leaving Bluefield County again. Li Xian’s request for office also indicated Li Xi’s goodwill.

...

Five days later, a messenger from Southern Sichuan arrived, bringing military news that Wei Fufeng had been awaiting. The twenty-thousand-strong army advancing into Qianzhong had already secured Qianzhou, Nanzhou, and Fuzhou.

According to the reports, the army passed through Nanzhou and entered Qianzhou. Commander Lu Qing sent envoys to accept the surrender of the remaining Qin rebels stationed in Pengshui County, but they withdrew northward on their own.

Lu Qing decisively left three thousand troops to defend Pengshui County and led the main force northwest toward Fuzhou.

Fuzhou lies downstream from Chongzhou along the great river, and its seat, Fulingshire, was caught completely off guard. The city was already in disrepair and much poorer than Chongzhou, with only two thousand troops. Seeing the approaching army, the Prefect of Fuzhou abandoned the city and fled, saving Lu Qing the trouble of offering terms.

After occupying Fulingshire, scouts reported that the retreating Qin rebels had occupied Fengdu County under Zhongzhou.

Lu Qing sent envoys again, but the rebels in Fengdu still refused to surrender.

Zhongzhou lies downstream from Fuzhou along the great river and is under the jurisdiction of the Jingnan Military Governor, part of the Three Gorges region. The Jingnan Governor, Cheng Rui, currently holds only Kuizhou and has not yet taken control of Wanzhou or Zhongzhou, both upstream.

Zhongzhou belongs to the Jingnan Governor’s domain, and since Fuzhou borders Zhongzhou, the Sichuan officials sought Wei Fufeng’s instruction—should they move to capture Zhongzhou and eliminate the remaining Qin rebels?

Wei Fufeng replied that they should not intervene, instructing the Sichuan army to focus on consolidating their legitimate territory, not to provoke the nerves of Cheng Rui. As for Shizhou, already occupied by Cheng Rui, he was content to maintain peaceful relations and did not intend to contest it.

Shizhou is under the jurisdiction of Qianzhong, northeast of Qianzhou, south of Kuizhou, west of Jiangling Prefecture, and holds strategic depth for the defense of the Jingnan region. If an army set out from Qianzhou and marched through Shizhou, it could strike straight at the heart of Jingnan.

Having secured Fuzhou, Wei Fufeng instructed in his reply that the Prefect of Fuzhou should be appointed by the court. He also enclosed plans for establishing the Qianhe Battalion and ordered the Sichuan officials to implement this immediately, gathering the heirs of fallen officers into the new unit.

He then wrote to his future father-in-law, advising him upon taking office to cooperate closely with the stationed army, and in the event of a powerful enemy attack, to prioritize survival—even if it meant abandoning the city or surrendering.

The letter included a formal military appointment, the prefect’s authority, and permission to recruit a thousand local militia. Five thousand farming-soldiers would also be stationed in Fuzhou, operating independently from the prefect’s administration.

Wei Fufeng sent one hundred stone of grain as a respectful gift for his future mother-in-law, delivered by ten subordinates who would also escort Li Ji to Fuzhou.

Wei Fufeng did not visit his future father-in-law in person, avoiding awkwardness and wary of drawing attention by being seen too often in Chang’an.

...

After the capture of Jinzhou in May, June arrived. In Bluefield County, Wei Fufeng finally welcomed the second group of soldiers escorting grain supplies. The campaign order for the expedition against Hedong had also arrived in recent days, commanding the Fufeng Army to march and assemble in Jinzhou.

After the second group arrived, the first group prepared to return to Sichuan. Many officers requested to stay and join Wei Fufeng in the Hedong campaign, but he refused, emphasizing the importance of defending Sichuan.

Nearly two thousand soldiers spent two days together in Bluefield. The first group then departed.

Wei Fufeng spent another five days familiarizing himself with the second group, giving them time to rest and relax before leading them northward on campaign.

Though his troops set out north, Wei Fufeng had no intention of joining the main army at Jinzhou. He planned to use “losing his way” as an excuse to deliberately veer west of Jinzhou and then take a circuitous route into Hedong.

After traveling several miles, Wei Fufeng was suddenly struck by a sense of loneliness. Staring into the distance for a long time, he called Amber’s father and secretly instructed him to ride to Chang’an and deliver a letter, asking Fourteenth Sister and Mingyu to see him off outside Yanxing Gate.

Amber’s father rode off. Wei Fufeng then ordered his troops to turn toward Chang’an, telling his soldiers he wanted them to witness the grandeur of the world’s greatest city.

The soldiers, unaware of his personal motives, were happy to take the detour.

Before noon, eight hundred soldiers arrived near Chang’an.

Two hundred were left behind in Bluefield as a supply force, and in truth, as a relay for military intelligence. Any developments in Sichuan or other important news could be quickly relayed to Wei Fufeng.

Upon seeing Chang’an, Wei Fufeng, who had been walking, mounted his horse. Clad in fine scale armor, he stood out among his many armored guards.

Amber’s father had already returned and informed him that Fourteenth Sister would be sitting in the carriage, as Wei Fufeng had requested.

Wei Fufeng wanted only to see Fourteenth Sister and Mingyu seeing him off, to satisfy his longing for family affection as he departed for war. As the troops neared Chang’an, the city guards were startled and sent men to inquire.

Wei Fufeng replied that they were the Fufeng Army, marching north by imperial decree to suppress rebellion, merely passing through Chang’an so the Emperor would know they had set out. The eight hundred soldiers, marching four abreast, made a respectable sight as they approached the city.

Riding at the head, Wei Fufeng saw the majestic Yanxing Gate ahead. Beyond the drawbridge stood a carriage with a coachman beside it.

Wei Fufeng’s heart warmed at the sight, a gentle sorrow welling within him. He suddenly regretted never having embraced Mingyu.

As the troops approached Yanxing Gate, about fifty meters away, they naturally turned north as previously instructed by Wei Fufeng, keeping their distance from the city wall, talking amongst themselves about Chang’an as they marched on.