Northern Qiang, Yuanyang City.
Kou Gu’en entered the palace with a sullen expression.
Outside the bedchamber, Kou Gu’en cast a chilling gaze over the guards.
"I want to see the King."
The guards bowed slightly, their demeanor respectful.
"The King knew you were coming and has been waiting for some time."
Kou Gu’en’s eyes twitched. He let out a cold snort and stepped into the chamber.
Passing through several layers of curtains, he saw the King of Northern Qiang, Yelü Jiejia, seated calmly on the bed, engrossed in a book he held in his hands.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Yelü Jiejia set the book down and looked up. Seeing Kou Gu’en, he smiled slightly. "Qiuren, you’ve arrived."
Kou Gu’en stepped forward and bluntly asked, "Your Majesty, are you aware that the Grand Marshal abandoned Liangzhou Prefecture to go to Ningye?"
Yelü Jiejia smiled and nodded. "I am."
Kou Gu’en opened his mouth, hesitated, and then asked, "And are you aware that the Grand Marshal’s actions run completely counter to the strategy we discussed?"
Yelü Jiejia crossed one leg over the other, tapping his fingers lightly on the bed, and said, "I am."
Kou Gu’en gritted his teeth, stiffened his neck, and asked, "Then are you aware that the Grand Marshal has disobeyed military orders and delayed our chance for victory?!"
Yelü Jiejia raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"How so?" Kou Gu’en widened his eyes. "Capturing Liangzhou Prefecture is the most critical part of our plan. The Grand Marshal is the most capable in battle, and no one else can carry out this mission. At the critical moment, he abandoned the Liangzhou siege and went to Ningye instead. How can Your Majesty—how can you say, 'How so?'"
Yelü Jiejia adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and said slowly, "Liangzhou Prefecture... we’ve deployed significant forces there, yet the fact remains it has not fallen after a prolonged siege. What is wrong with the Grand Marshal shifting to aggressively strike the western frontline instead? Moreover, has he not already sent back a victory report?"
"How can it be calculated this way?" Kou Gu’en frowned deeply. "Precisely because Liangzhou Prefecture is difficult to take, the Grand Marshal must remain there. With his departure, capturing Liangzhou Prefecture has become an even more distant goal. While there is good news from the northwestern front, it is far from decisive.
"I’ve discussed this with Your Majesty before. The reason we’ve been able to hold out in the Ruen Dynasty for so long is because we control Yanchi Pass. Without Yanchi Pass for supplies, we won’t last through this winter. Just the matter of supplies could exhaust the entire strength of Northern Qiang."
Yelü Jiejia clapped his hands and stood up. "Qiuren, you are a wise strategist, I know that. But with your intelligence, you must also understand that the battlefield changes in an instant. No matter how perfect the plan, adjustments are sometimes necessary.
"The Grand Marshal, my brother, has led armies for decades. He certainly knows how to fight a war better than people like you and me, who stay in the palace all day. Rest assured, he knows what he’s doing."
Kou Gu’en hurriedly began, "Your Majesty..."
Yelü Jiejia patted Kou Gu’en on the shoulder and said, "Qiuren, there’s no need to say more. My brother has never failed me, and I trust him. Besides, as the saying goes... when a general is on the field, he has no superiors."
With a single statement, Yelü Jiejia effectively shut down Kou Gu’en’s argument.
Kou Gu’en took a deep breath and stared directly into Yelü Jiejia’s eyes. "Your Majesty... the Ruen Dynasty is not some small country like Fusang or Oirat. If we can’t crush them in one decisive blow, Northern Qiang will suffer greatly."
Yelü Jiejia laughed heartily. "Haha. If that day ever comes, we’ll have to rely on you, Qiuren, to come up with more strategies for Northern Qiang!"
Yelü Jiejia laughed freely again, making it clear that he hadn’t taken Kou Gu’en’s words to heart. He waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, I appreciate your effort, Qiuren. You may leave now."
Kou Gu’en subconsciously clenched his fist but quickly relaxed it. He nodded and turned to leave.
After taking just two steps, Kou Gu’en suddenly stopped. Yelü Jiejia raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kou Gu’en’s back. "What is it? Does Qiuren have something else to say?"
Kou Gu’en was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "Your Majesty... are you perhaps placing too much trust in the Grand Marshal?"
In the shadows, Yelü Jiejia’s expression darkened visibly. He narrowed his eyes and asked, as if casually, "Qiuren... are you trying to meddle in my family affairs?"
The voice carried a bone-chilling coldness, causing Kou Gu’en to shudder involuntarily. It was only then that he realized what he had implied. Perhaps his long-standing comfort had made him too relaxed.
Kou Gu’en took a deep breath and said, "It was my recklessness. I... I'll take my leave." With that, he left hurriedly.
In the hall, Yelü Jiejia watched the direction Kou Gu’en had left for a long while before returning to his bed, picking up his book to continue reading. After a short while, he found himself inexplicably restless. He tossed the book aside and sat on the bed in silence for a while before suddenly calling out, "Dang Gui."
A figure emerged from the shadows in a corner of the hall, standing upright with a bowed head. "Here."
Yelü Jiejia propped his chin on his hand, deep in thought. "What progress has the Qihuang Society made on their mission?"
The one the King called "Dang Gui" immediately responded, "All one hundred and twenty members of Qihuang Society have entered the Ruen Dynasty, operating in teams of three or two.
"There are twenty three-person teams and thirty two-person teams, making fifty teams in total. According to the latest intelligence three days ago, they have claimed seventy-six heads, including twenty-one martial masters and eight martial grandmasters."
Yelü Jiejia nodded, twirling his thumb ring without commenting. After a pause, he asked, "Do you think that will work?"
This time, Dang Gui hesitated before replying, "So far... the Ruen Dynasty's jianghu has already fallen into fear. It is said that no one dares to travel at night anymore... so I believe it should be effective."
"Has the Ruen Dynasty imperial court responded?" Yelü Jiejia asked again. "Given the commotion in the jianghu, it's impossible for the court to be completely unaware."
"There’s been no response." Dang Gui shook his head. "The members of Qihuang Society are tight-lipped. No one should be able to confirm our involvement. Even if people have their suspicions, they would only be speculation."
Yelü Jiejia pursed his lips. "No response from the Ruen Dynasty’s court? It seems Kou Gu’en was right... This scheme of targeting the jianghu was indeed a clever move. The jianghu is a blind spot for the court. Unless something much bigger happens, the court is unlikely to act, especially with the border wars already tying up their attention."
Dang Gui nodded. "Your Majesty is correct."
Yelü Jiejia exhaled and ordered, "Then let it be so. Pass my command. Instruct the members of Qihuang Society to continue their operations. Among those killed so far, there may have been famous individuals, but none were capable of truly shaking the foundation of the Ruen Dynasty’s jianghu. Find someone truly important... Understand?"
Dang Gui bowed. "Understood."