Ехtrа Сhаpter 1 - Mаstеr's Teаchings
Thе wоrld wаs dividеd intо sеven pаrts, with heroes rising everywhеrе. Aftеr the аlliаnсе of Wu, Wеi, аnd ? dеfеаted thе Song Kingdom, thе situаtion сhanged drastiсally. Sоng suffered suссеssivе dеfеаts at the hаnds оf Chu аnd Qin. Sоng withdrеw its troоps tо dеfend its territоrу, but Zhaо seized the оpportunitу tо invаde, sрarking a majоr wаr bеtweеn thе twо соuntriеs, while thе оther nаtions wаtched frоm the sidеlinеs.
It wаs during this time thаt thе Wеi Кingdom began tо develop. Thе new empеror had bеen оn thе thronе for only a year, yet the court atmosphere was upright and honest, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.
However, Emperor Wei Xiao was not satisfied. While his own country was stable and prosperous, weren’t the neighboring Wu and ? Kingdoms still eyeing them covetously?
Thus, with a swift move, he returned all the grain that Ye Yuqing had sent him to the ? Kingdom, along with a personal letter. The lengthy letter could be summarized in one meaning—the Wu Kingdom harbored sinister intentions, extorting grain from the ? Kingdom at this time to curry favor with Wei. Wei refused to accept this! Wei and ? were brothers united against a common enemy. Wei had retrieved the grain for them, and they should keep it safe, never again falling for Wu’s schemes!
When the ruler of the ? Kingdom received the grain and the letter, the resentment he had harbored against Wei instantly vanished. Overwhelmed with guilt, he waved his hand and declared: "We will accept the several thousand dan of grain that have already arrived at our capital, but there is no need to send any more! We have seen Wei’s sincerity. As for Wu, we understand without words!"
Thus, with these several thousand dan of grain, Emperor Wei Xiao not only resolved the rift with the ? Kingdom but also lodged a complaint against Wu.
Ye Yuqing remained completely unaware of this matter. After the old emperor of Wu passed away, he ascended the throne and smoothly continued to govern, seeking to strengthen friendly relations with the ? Kingdom. However, the ? Kingdom responded coldly, while its trade with Wei grew increasingly frequent.
"Why?" he asked He Chou. "Are the people of ? foolish? Instead of cooperating with the great Wu, they ally with that weak and feeble Wei?"
He Chou smiled faintly and remained silent.
Seeing her utterly expressionless eyes, Ye Yuqing grew even more agitated and waved his hand, ordering Feng Chuang to go out and gather information.
As it turned out, no other news was uncovered, but he heard something even more infuriating—the Empress of Wei was pregnant again!
Why did they keep having children?! Ye Yuqing was furious. He summoned the generals of Wu for an emergency meeting, the theme of which was—if we don’t destroy Wei now, its little princes and princesses will soon be running all over the streets! The more children Yin Gezhi has, the harder it will be to conquer the country!
Speak up, who among you will lead the campaign?
An Shichong and Xu Huaizu were still enthusiastically selecting congratulatory gifts when they suddenly heard this news, their faces turning pale.
Ye Yuqing glanced at them and said, "Both of you are now capable of standing on your own in the Wu army. Commander An is steady, and Xu Duwei is courageous. I am most assured with you two leading the campaign."
To have them lead the campaign against their own master’s country? Xu Huaizu’s expression immediately changed, but An Shichong remained calm, pressing down the man beside him who was about to speak. He stood up and bowed. "We obey Your Majesty’s command."Ye Yuqing was someone who always appeared easygoing on the surface, yet his mind was exceedingly complex. After mistakenly trusting Yin Gezhi, he had dealt with many who harbored disloyalty toward him, plunging the Wu Kingdom into a state of panic. Everyone feared becoming the next target of suspicion and elimination. This current arrangement likely meant suspicion had fallen upon them.
After paying their respects, An Shichong pulled Xu Huaizu out of the hall. Once they reached a secluded spot, Xu Huaizu frowned and asked, "Why did you stop me? I don’t want to fight this war!"
Glancing around, An Shichong replied, "If you had openly opposed it right then, both the Xu General's Mansion and my An Guo Hou residence would face dire consequences. Do I need to remind you what kind of person the new emperor is?"
Xu Huaizu’s heart tightened, and he frowned. "But... on one side is our homeland, on the other is our master. Betraying our homeland is disloyalty, but turning against our own master is unfilial. Between disloyalty and unfilialness, how can we choose?"
An Shichong was also troubled. If they truly encountered their master on the battlefield, how could they bring themselves to strike? Yet if they refused to go... the emperor would surely take action.
In the current situation within Wu, the two of them stood out most prominently among the military officers, forcing the emperor to rely on them. But before placing his trust in them, the emperor wanted to see if they were worthy of it. If not, he would neither entrust them with significant authority nor allow the influence of their two families to continue expanding.
What should they do?
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, An Shichong’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Huaizu, do you remember the secret manual our master gave us?"
The secret manual? Xu Huaizu nodded. "The one he gave us before we left, right? I’ve already mastered it."
"What about the last page? Do you still not understand it?"
The last page contained words their master had written for them back then... Xu Huaizu thought carefully, then suddenly gasped in realization, looking at An Shichong with wide eyes. "A general fights for his country, for the nation is righteousness. All else may be cast aside!"
An Shichong pressed his lips together, his expression complex, and sighed. "Our master knew this day would come long ago. That’s why he told us what to do from the very beginning."
When nations differ, conflicts are inevitable. Which matters more—the bond between master and disciple, or the greater duty to one’s homeland?
Yin Gezhi said: All else may be cast aside.
He did not want them burdened with hesitation, nor did he need them to hold back. Each fighting for their own country—that was what made a true and honorable general.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Huaizu clenched his fists and gazed toward the southwestern sky.
Their master had truly thought of everything. That secret manual indeed held the solution to their dilemma.
There was no better master in the world than Yin Gezhi—or so Xu Huaizu and An Shichong believed before the war between Wu and Wei broke out.
However, when the two nations truly went to war and they saw their master on the battlefield, Xu Huaizu couldn’t help but roar, "Where does he need us to hold back or hesitate? Where does he seem like someone afraid we’d cling to our master-disciple bond, so he had to advise us? This guy clearly knew there’d be a day when he’d beat us up on the battlefield, so he gave us a heads-up in advance!"
The defeated Wu army fled in disarray. An Shichong, galloping on horseback, laughed as he ran. "Truly worthy of being the Great Demon King. Losing to him—we’re not disgracing ourselves at all.""Bah, I'm furious!" Xu Huaizu fumed in shame and anger. "I never want to fight him again! Whoever wants to attack Wei Kingdom can go ahead! I'm done with this!"
An Shichong nodded—he was done too. Trying to cause trouble for Wei Kingdom when Yin Gezhi was around was truly not a wise move.
Thus, the hundred-thousand-strong army that had come to attack Wei was driven back to Wu Kingdom as if in a playful chase between master and disciple.
Yin Gezhi, returning victorious, was in high spirits. After wringing out a towel to wipe Feng Yue's face, he elegantly picked up a thick book of names and began flipping through it.
"Your Majesty?" Feng Yue, pregnant for the second time and with a swollen belly, looked at his expression, utterly puzzled. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for a good name." Emperor Wei Xiao, with a slight smile curling his lips, replied cheerfully, "Last night, I dreamed that this child of yours is a daughter. A girl's name cannot be taken lightly—it must be a good one."
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