The incident began with the fall of Zhending Prefecture.
The emperor made an example of Liu Yun to warn others, and Ling Ziyue was indeed intimidated—after all, no general wished to die before achieving victory.
The King of the Northern Court of the Liao Dynasty, having captured that woman Wei Yue, mistook her for Ling Ziyue’s woman and ordered her to be publicly humiliated daily.
Even if she wasn’t Ling Ziyue’s woman, the thought that a woman could endure such suffering for the nation while they, a group of men, could only watch helplessly! Ling Ziyue endured for over two months, feeling the timing was right, and submitted an imperial memorial requesting to launch an attack against the Liao.
The Liao people were primarily nomadic, and their livestock production was at its peak during this season. The longer the battle dragged on, the better—even if they couldn’t decisively defeat the Liao, they could certainly drag them into misery.
The Song Dynasty lacked many things, but money and provisions were not among them.
Ling Ziyue’s memorial caused an uproar in court. At the time, the emperor had just become infatuated with a certain lady from Guye Palace, feeling invigorated and high-spirited. Amid the turmoil, he acted as the Stabilizing Needle, approving the request with a decisive stroke.
When news of Ling Ziyue’s initial victory arrived, the emperor was genuinely pleased for a time. But soon, the conflict turned into a prolonged stalemate. Reports of battles and vast quantities of weapons and provisions being sent to the frontier came in, yet there was little progress in the war. Then, whispers began—Ling Ziyue was amassing wealth, likely preparing to rebel!
The emperor felt as if doused with cold water. Once his fervor was interrupted, his suspicious nature took over. After much deliberation, he concluded that Ling Ziyue indeed showed signs of rebellion. On a sleepless night, he ordered Ling Ziyue to withdraw his troops. However, Ling Ziyue was at a critical juncture in the siege of Xijin Prefecture—just one more push, and it would fall. After so many soldiers had sacrificed their lives, how could he return empty-handed?
A general in the field need not obey every imperial command. After receiving the imperial edict, Ling Ziyue fought for three more days. When the emperor heard of this, he flew into a rage and issued an urgent decree.
By the time the decree arrived, Xijin Prefecture had just been captured.
Xijin Prefecture was the capital of the Liao’s Nanjing Circuit. Capturing it meant reclaiming part of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
Ling Ziyue had guarded the border for many years, with countless strategies for attacking the Liao, but had been stifled by the court. This time, his swift and fierce assault left the Liao reeling. The Song army’s morale was high, and holding Xijin Prefecture should not have been an issue. Once they secured their position, the land would soon be incorporated into the Song’s territory.
But alas, at this very moment, another imperial edict arrived. It stated that Liu Yun would take over Xijin Prefecture, and if Ling Jiangjun did not return to the capital immediately, he would be charged with treason.
Liu Yun was also a fierce general with extensive border defense experience—indeed the ideal candidate to take over Xijin Prefecture. But once he left Zhending Prefecture, the western defense line would be compromised. Yet Ling Ziyue could not conspire with Liu Yun to defy the emperor’s orders. After years of serving together, he knew Liu Yun’s character well—he was blindly loyal and bound by family obligations. There was no way he would gamble recklessly like Ling Ziyue.
In the end, Ling Ziyue returned.
Along the journey, he pondered whether his actions had been right or wrong. Had he acted too hastily?
Ling Ziyue dared not look back at the situation on the frontier. He could already foresee the outcome. All he could do now was pray for heaven’s favor upon the Song.
Torrential rain poured down.
In the pavilion outside Bianjing, Ling Ziyue stood in full armor, his face weathered by hardship.
"General, you’ve always been steady in your actions. Why this time…?" Li Qingzhi asked.Ling Ziyue remained silent, as Chu Dingjiang's words had awakened him. But at the time, he hadn’t acted impulsively. It was only after repeatedly receiving news about that Wei Yue that he gradually became overwhelmed with grief and anger, losing his usual composure.
"What kind of people are the Wei Yue in the Crane Control Army?" Ling Ziyue faintly sensed something amiss.
Li Qingzhi replied, "The Wei Yue are those who walk the path of no return. The missions they undertake almost always demand their lives."
Ling Ziyue asked, "Could there be spies among the Wei Yue?"
Li Qingzhi thought for a moment. "Unlikely. The Wei Yue only receive orders and have no authority to know the full scope of their missions. The information they can access is too limited."
Seeing Ling Ziyue deep in thought, Li Qingzhi continued, "Moreover, Lord Chu was among those who rescued the Wei Yue. If those two had any ulterior motives, Lord Chu would have spotted it immediately."
"So it seems I was too rash," Ling Ziyue sighed. "Let’s go."
The accompanying soldiers around them rose to their feet.
Li Qingzhi cupped his hands in salute. "I can only escort the general this far."
"Thank you for your efforts, brave warrior," Ling Ziyue returned the gesture, though inwardly he thought, This warrior may have nobly accompanied me for protection, but he doesn’t realize the most dangerous place isn’t the road—it’s the imperial court!
Each autumn rain brings deeper chill.
In Bianjing, leaves fell as autumn arrived, while in the Liao capital of Shangjing, snow already drifted down.
Inside the Liao palace, braziers burned warmly. At the head of the hall sat a man wrapped in a dark fur cloak, his head bowed and eyes closed. His sharply defined features were half-hidden in the fur, revealing only a pair of piercing eyebrows.
Seated below was Yelü Huangwu, draped in a deep purple robe and a black fox fur mantle. Her stunning yet imperious face wore a faint smile. "Elder brother’s plan is truly brilliant."
"You executed it well," the man said, coughing a few times as he spoke. "I have already issued an order to restore your status as princess. Your residence will remain the same as before."
All Yelü Huangwu had done was embellish the details about Wei Yue and feed them to Ling Ziyue’s ears.
Ling Ziyue was a man of strong will and fiery temperament. Though steady by nature, with the right manipulation of information, his passion and fury could be stoked without him even realizing it.
"Word from Bianjing says Ling Ziyue was placed under house arrest the moment he entered the city," Yelü Huangwu said. "I’ll have our people there fan the flames."
"Come closer," the man on the throne commanded.
Yelü Huangwu ascended the steps and knelt beside him, leaning in. After whispering a few words, she added, "This must be done quickly. Once the moment passes, it will be difficult to force Ling Ziyue to his death."
Ling Ziyue enjoyed immense popularity among the people, and his triumphant return had only burnished his reputation further. After all, since the founding of the Great Song, the long-cherished wish of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong had been to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun—a feat no one had accomplished until Ling Ziyue succeeded!
The entire nation rejoiced. Though the Song dynasty had always prioritized scholars over warriors, even those literati who typically scorned military men now held Ling Ziyue in the highest esteem.
Chu Dingjiang had been quietly observing the situation, certain it was a Liao conspiracy. Yet he did not intervene. Instead, he seized the opportunity to cleanse the Hua Clan’s name.
However, as long as Prime Minister Hua remained in court, the Hua Clan would continue living on the edge of a blade. Chu Dingjiang had privately urged him to retire at the height of his career, but men often cling to power. The prime minister was undeniably capable, and as he watched the Great Song grow ever more prosperous, no other satisfaction could compare.
Thus, Prime Minister Hua became intoxicated by the sense of achievement in governing the nation, willingly bearing the infamy and choosing to die in office rather than step down.The Song Dynasty also had a strong sense of family values, but compared to the era in which Chu Dingjiang lived, it had already weakened significantly. Many people pursued their own selfish interests without regard for their families. (To be continued...)
OpenNovel