Chapter 411: The Storm Is at Hand

Hearing this, Lan Ruoting and Meng Shanming exchanged a glance. What they had feared most was that Niu Youdao might be too wary of Tianyu Sect to intervene. Shang Chaozong was completely in Tianyu Sect's grasp. If Niu Youdao refused to involve himself, their side truly had no room to resist and could only submit.

Now, seeing that Niu Youdao had already prepared to pull the rug out from under Feng Lingbo, it was obvious he intended to act only after making his calculations. Since he had a plan in mind and had clearly prepared for this in advance, both men felt much more at ease.

Before long, Fei Changliu, Xia Hua, and Zheng Jiuxiao also came over to take their leave in their capacity as sect masters. Feng Entai represented Tianyu Sect in seeing the three off.

After escorting them beyond the mountain gate, Feng Entai pulled Niu Youdao aside again. What he said was nothing more than the usual words of farewell: now that they were closer together, it would be more convenient to visit one another in the future, and so on.

Once the pleasantries were over, Niu Youdao smiled and reproached him. "No feast without an agenda, no meeting without a scheme. Eldest Brother, all of you joined hands and laid out a trap for us to step into. Don't tell me you, a Tianyu Sect elder, knew nothing about it beforehand. Why didn't you give me even a hint?"

Feng Entai sighed repeatedly. "Third Brother, don't blame your elder brother. I have my own difficulties. Between us, public affairs are public and private ties are private. I can't neglect public duty for personal feelings."

Niu Youdao nodded. "Good. Eldest Brother, I'll remember those words: public affairs are public and private ties are private. If the opportunity comes, I'll be sure to return those exact words to you. I only hope Eldest Brother won't blame me when the time comes."

Feng Entai smiled bitterly and shook his head. He waved a hand, unwilling to continue the subject. As a disciple of Tianyu Sect, there were some matters in which he could hardly turn his elbow outward. Saying more was pointless. After they waited a while longer, Shang Chaozong and Feng Ruonan returned as well. Feng Lingbo and Peng Yulan personally accompanied them out.

Once they reached the others, Peng Yulan, in front of everyone, instructed her daughter to observe the duties of a wife and take good care of her husband. Most of those watching could hear another flavor beneath the words.

Did she know her own family had acted improperly in scheming to seize power, and was therefore saying a few pleasant things to apologize and placate Shang Chaozong?

In truth, Feng Lingbo and his wife understood it too. Their side had plainly joined forces to suppress and bully Shang Chaozong, while their daughter was married to the man. If Shang Chaozong turned around and vented his anger on her, her life would hardly be easy.

But some matters left no room to consider everything. A choice had to be made somewhere. Their daughter, after all, had already married out. The futures of their two sons were right before their eyes and had to be fought for. The only comfort they could offer themselves was that if their own family prospered, they could also look after their daughter. Feng Ruonan's heart was filled with bitterness.

With her natal family doing something like this, how was she supposed to conduct herself? She truly did not know how she should face Shang Chaozong from now on. If Shang Chaozong took several concubines, what could she even say?

Feng Lingbo stopped in front of Niu Youdao and smiled. "Niu Youdao, it's been a long time. You've certainly grown older. There's less youthful greenness about you than there was back then."

Niu Youdao smiled in return. "It truly has been a long time. Governor Feng's complexion is much better than when we first met. Sure enough, happy events lift the spirit. Come to think of it, I really am Governor Feng's lucky star."

Feng Lingbo made a questioning sound. "How so?"

Niu Youdao said, "Think about it, Governor Feng. The first time I met you, you were marrying off your daughter. That was a great joyous occasion. This time I meet you again, I happen to witness Governor Feng taking unified command over the troops of five commanderies. That's another joyous occasion. Add those together, and doesn't that make me Governor Feng's lucky star? It seems Governor Feng should make a point of seeing me more often."

Feng Lingbo laughed aloud, but inwardly spat in contempt. Back then, marrying off his daughter had indeed seemed like a joyous occasion at first. Only later had he discovered that he had been thoroughly swindled. This bastard still had the face to bring it up?

At the time, Feng Lingbo had always assumed Lan Ruoting was the one who had devised the scheme. Only after he later heard one report after another about Niu Youdao's deeds did he realize that Niu Youdao had fooled him.

What Lan Ruoting?

It had clearly been this bastard's handiwork. The two men smiled at one another, meaning glinting deeply in both pairs of eyes. The group from Qingshan Commandery then descended the mountain and departed. Feng Entai showed them considerable face, insisting on escorting the entire party all the way down. The other three commandery governors did not leave quite so quickly. They remained at Tianyu Sect for another half day before departing. By the time they left, evening had arrived.

Feng Lingbo and Peng Yulan had no intention of leaving for the moment. They planned to stay several more days. Some matters still required Tianyu Sect's final coordination. What had been agreed upon needed concrete plans before it could be implemented.

The evening clouds filled the sky, mountain and water blending into one vista. Feng Lingbo and his wife followed behind Peng Youzai as the three climbed to a mountain summit to enjoy the scenery.

Gazing at the crimson sun half sunk beyond the horizon, Peng Youzai said, "That son-in-law of yours is probably unhappy with the two of you."

Peng Yulan replied, "Even if Father stripped him of office entirely, he would have no choice but to accept it."

"Accept it?" Peng Youzai gave her a sidelong glance, then looked toward Feng Lingbo. "Shang Chaozong has two hundred thousand troops in his hands. If I told you to take them over immediately, could you control them?"

"This..." Feng Lingbo hesitated slightly before finally answering. "If Shang Chaozong cooperated, naturally I could. But if he refused..."

"After Shang Chaozong established himself in those two commanderies, the scattered or hidden former subordinates of Prince Ning, Shang Jianbo, gradually emerged and joined him, with Meng Shanming at their head. Those men are all experts at commanding troops and governing armies. They were utterly loyal to Shang Jianbo and are naturally loyal to Shang Chaozong now."

"I'm afraid those two hundred thousand troops would not be so easy for anyone else to control."

Peng Youzai looked at his daughter again, as though asking with his eyes, Did you hear that?

He sneered. "Two hundred thousand troops are not a bowl of rice. Do you think anyone who wants to eat them can swallow them? A weak stomach will burst from overeating!"

"If you drive even a cornered dog to leap the wall, Shang Chaozong can throw all five commanderies into chaos with a single word. And behind him stands that Niu Youdao. That fellow is no easy man either."

Peng Yulan said, "Father, if that's the case, then even after we take Nanzhou, with two hundred thousand troops in his hands we'll still have difficulty dealing with him."

Peng Youzai said, "Right now the territory is too constricted for us to maneuver. It truly isn't convenient to touch the military power in his hands. Besides, to ensure the campaign succeeds, we still need to rely on his troops, especially the Yingyang and Wulie Guards. So we cannot press him too hard. We have to stabilize him. Once war begins, Lingbo will hold unified command over troop deployments. Give the hardest battles to Shang Chaozong's men. That will wear away part of his strength. When the war is over, his forces will already have been transferred and scattered everywhere during the fighting. Lingbo can then mobilize troops to cut his forces apart and place each section under control."

"As long as his men are split up and controlled so they can no longer gather together to make trouble, Shang Chaozong can be stripped of his military authority."

Understanding dawned on Peng Yulan's face.

Peng Youzai turned around. "So for now, the two of you must do everything possible to soothe him. Stabilize him. Reassure him. Don't anger him. Lower your posture."

"Everything must wait until Nanzhou is taken. Understand?"

"Yes!" Husband and wife both nodded.

Feng Lingbo then asked, "Father also said that Niu Youdao is no easy man. Afterward, how should we deal with him?"

Peng Youzai looked at him coldly. "You don't need to worry about that. Take care of your own affairs."

For Tianyu Sect, once the war was over and Shang Chaozong had been brought under control, once the larger situation was settled and Niu Youdao could no longer influence the balance of power in Nanzhou, dealing with Niu Youdao would become much easier. As Feng Lingbo and his wife left, Feng Entai and Chen Tingxiu arrived, passing them on the way. When he reached Peng Youzai's side, Feng Entai turned to look at the departing couple and sighed.

"Sect Leader, I'll say something you may not like to hear. Speaking objectively, when it comes to ability, Feng Lingbo may not compare with Shang Chaozong's side."

The implication seemed obvious: were they truly going to hand Nanzhou over to Feng Lingbo to hold?

Chen Tingxiu gave a derisive sound. "Junior Brother Feng, once Nanzhou is taken, what we need is someone who can preserve what has already been won, not an ambitious warmonger like Shang Chaozong. You should understand the reasoning."

Wu Calendar, Year 527, year's end. In Qingshan Commandery's capital, every household had begun sweeping and cleaning, preparing to send off the old year and welcome the new. Another good year had reached its close.

Under Commandery Prince Yongping's governance, the people had food and clothing and lived in peace, bathing the entire city in a festive atmosphere as the year drew to an end. Adults busied themselves with preparations. Children chased one another through the streets. Peddlers and laborers flowed endlessly through the thoroughfares.

On an upper floor of the Commandery Governor's residence, the tall, powerfully built Feng Ruonan wore feminine dress as she stood alone at the railing and gazed into the distance. From beyond the residence walls came a constant hubbub, including repeated cries from commoners thanking Shang Chaozong. The New Year was approaching. The two commanderies had conducted a comprehensive review and registration, distributing some grain to every registered household suffering exceptional hardship.

At the very least, those people would be able to eat one meal over the New Year. No one expected delicacies; it was enough that they could eat their fill once. Qingshan Commandery's distribution point was directly outside the Commandery Governor's residence. Yet the voices of gratitude outside could not dispel the sorrow between Feng Ruonan's brows. There was one thing she had never imagined. Her natal family had actually selected a pair of beautiful maidservants and sent them to Shang Chaozong...

In the courtyard, Shang Chaozong personally pushed Meng Shanming's wheelchair as they moved slowly along. Shang Shuqing and Lan Ruoting, both home for the New Year, accompanied them.

Listening to the activity outside, Meng Shanming asked, "Your Highness, still no movement from Niu Youdao?"

Shang Chaozong shook his head. "He hasn't left at all, and we haven't seen him make contact with anyone outside. Qing'er is over there and can't see any preparations from him either."

"He still says the same thing: one willing to strike, one willing to take it. He wants us to go along with Tianyu Sect's wishes."

Meng Shanming sighed. "Master Dao truly knows how to sit still. I only hope he truly can sit this still."

The words sounded contradictory, but Shang Shuqing understood what he meant.

She said, "Uncle Meng, there's no need to worry too much. Since Master Dao said he'll help, he shouldn't simply stand by and watch."

"I actually think the lack of movement means he has confidence. If he were suddenly making a great commotion, I would be the one worrying."

Meng Shanming said, "Commandery Princess, it isn't that I don't trust him. But staking the future of two hundred thousand brothers on our trust in one man is no different from gambling. For a military commander, is that really appropriate? By rights, we should have prepared another hand long ago. But he refuses to let us act recklessly."

Shang Shuqing fell silent... At Maolu, Niu Youdao stood in the courtyard holding a watering pot over the black peony growing in its planter. A layer of dust had settled over the leaves. He frowned, then turned to look toward the gray, hazy sky in the distance.

"Why are you frowning?" Guan Fangyi asked as she approached.

Niu Youdao said, "There's much more ash in the air."

Guan Fangyi replied, "The Artisans' Camp over there is keeping its furnaces burning day and night, rushing to forge weapons. That's what's causing it."

After finishing the watering, Niu Youdao set down the pot and strolled out of the villa. Standing outside Maolu Villa, he looked toward the direction where smoke was rising into the sky.

He murmured to himself, "They endured for years, but in the end they couldn't endure any longer. It seems the storm is at hand."

[End of Chapter 411]