The moon had been full for several days, illuminating the ordinary night of mid-June. On the edge of An Kang city, where lights were sparse, the Han River flowed quietly. Half of the rice in the fields along the bank had been harvested. The encampment of soldiers nearby, with its fires and figures, seemed insignificant.

Even with the looming shadow of war, the ordinary world and its people, viewed from afar, were simply passing another unremarkable day.

An Kang city, bustling with noise during the day, was much quieter now under its partial curfew. However, the heat of June lingered, and a fishy smell permeated most of the city.

At dusk, lights were already on in an old house on the west side of the city. A servant opened the windows of the reception hall to allow the night breeze to circulate slightly. After a while, an old man entered the hall to meet his guest, lighting a small stick of incense.

"...Honored guest's arrival, the servants were unaware and lacked due respect..."

"...I have been in An Kang for over ten days, deliberately concealing my identity, which is no concern of others..."

"...With a major battle imminent in the northeast, we are enemies, not friends. General, are you not afraid of being captured by coming here..."

"...Armies don't execute envoys in battle. Duke Dai is a giant of Confucianism. I believe he is a man of principle..."

"...General, you misunderstand Confucianism somewhat. Since Dong Zhongshu suppressed the hundred schools of thought, so-called Confucianism has been all about outward compliance but inward firmness, a Confucian exterior with Legalist bones. Someone like this old thing can find ways to be unreasonable. For example, armies may not execute envoys in battle, but it's not forbidden to execute spies..."

"...Duke Dai is frank, admirable..."

"...General, you venture here alone at great risk. It must be for a great matter. Since we are in a secret room, let's discuss the matter directly, without beating around the bush."

The flickering lamplight illuminated the scene in the room. Both sides spoke calmly and frankly. The older one was Dai Mengwei, now known as the Sage of the Age. The middle-aged man on the other side, with a lean and capable appearance, dressed in the short attire of a Jianghu person, was Ding Songnan, a trusted general who once belonged to the China Army and now followed Zou Xu, leading troops in Luoyang. In theory, the front-line lobbying had already begun, and he should be stationed on the northern front, but unexpectedly, he appeared in An Kang, a "behind enemy lines" city.

A former officer of the China Army, now venturing alone, faced Dai Mengwei with little emotion on his face. He took a teacup and said, "Ding has come to An Kang to scheme for a simple matter. I represent Marshal Zou to discuss cooperation with Duke Dai. Or at least... to probe Duke Dai's thoughts."

Speaking so directly, Dai Mengwei narrowed his eyes, "I heard... Marshal Zou went to Jin to discuss cooperation with that female Chancellor?"

"Two-pronged approach. Mr. Ning used to tell us that peace is preserved through struggle, and lost through compromise. Duke Dai and Duke Liu are rushing to attack us, so we must have countermeasures. Marshal Zou went to Jin to buy weapons. Before leaving, he asked me to come to Duke Dai's side, saying that perhaps you could talk, could form an alliance. I've been here for over ten days, and Duke Dai's ability to clean up a mess to this point is truly worthy of being called the Sage of the Age."

"The title of Sage is just nonsense." Dai Mengwei waved his hand, "But since you can prepare in two ways, how can I know if you haven't made three or four preparations? Trading with the one in Jin, meeting with this old man, sending people to see Duke Liu or even others. Before the war starts, my side is indecisive, which will only lead to defeat without battle. It's a good plan."

Ding Songnan nodded at Dai Mengwei's statement, and remained silent for a moment: "Although Marshal Zou and I betrayed the China Army, from the past to the present, we always knew what kind of person does things. Duke Liu is not enough to consult with, from beginning to end, just a muddler. But Duke Dai has great ambitions, especially for us. Duke Dai can make up for a shortcoming on Marshal Zou's side, which is the so-called strong alliance and complementary advantages."

Dai Mengwei took a sip of tea: "Which part?"

"The knowledge Duke Dai holds can make our army know why they are fighting."

"...Is this what Zou Xu thinks?"

Ding Songnan nodded.

"People... or rather, people like Duke Liu, are all staring at their own little patch of land, at most raising their heads to look three or five steps ahead. Duke Liu wants to take Bianliang, saying flowery words, just to find a way out for his future surrender or allegiance. But Duke Dai is different. From the moment he raised the banner, Duke Dai knew who the great enemy would be in the future. This is the same for me and Marshal Zou. Since the betrayal, we have been restless and sleepless..."

"...Then why still betray?"

"Firstly, it was a moment of recklessness and a wrong turn. Secondly... Mr. Ning's standards and requirements were too strict. The China Army has strict discipline, and from top to bottom, there are meetings and rectifications. In order to win, everyone who can't keep up will be criticized or even excluded. In the past, this was the basis of the China Army's victory, but when those who make mistakes are ourselves, we have no choice... Of course, there are more than just us who can't keep up with the China Army..."

"...The Great Dai Ritual of the Western Han Dynasty says that clear water has no fish, and a scrupulous person has no followers. It is truly true."

"We came out of the China Army and know what the real China Army is like. Duke Dai, looking at the world today, Duke Liu's side can even gather more than a dozen warlords, but in reality, only a few parties will be able to stabilize their positions in the future. It seems that the Fair Party's sweep across Jiangnan, and its annexation of iron-headed characters like Tie Yan and Wu Qimei, is a foregone conclusion. The future depends on what He Wen and the small southeast court in Fuzhou can do. The female chancellor in Jin is a warlord, but it's hard to say if she will come out. Others probably don't have the ability to get in. Moreover, among all the forces in the world, the only one that Mr. Ning looks at with different eyes is this self-improving woman..."

"Self-improving..." Dai Mengwei repeated.

"This was Mr. Ning's assessment of her in the Southwest. Marshal Zou heard it with his own ears." Ding Songnan said, "The relationship between Jin and Liangshan is special, but in any case, after crossing the Yellow River, the land should be divided by them. And south of the Yellow River, it's nothing more than Duke Dai, Duke Liu, and us fighting each other to the death, and finally a winner is determined..."

He paused: "Frankly speaking, in this three-way battle, Duke Dai and Duke Liu seem to have strong soldiers and great power, but in terms of winning, perhaps we have the advantage. The reason for all this is that Liu Guangshi is a cowardly general who can only fight favorable battles. It's okay to let him gather various forces, but he can't fight a hard battle. Among the forces here, Duke Dai may be sober, but what can you do? You just collect this season's rice and send it to the battlefield, and the rear may be enough to make you overwhelmed. Moreover, how many capable soldiers does Duke Dai have? The quality of some rascals who surrendered to the Jurchens and were eliminated is probably clear to Duke Dai."

Dai Mengwei smiled: "Battles are not won with words, you have to fight to know. Moreover, we can't fight hard battles, and you have already betrayed the China Army, so can you fight?"

"The China Army can fight mainly because of military discipline, which Marshal Zou has never let go of. But all these things, no matter how flowery they are said, are trivial matters in the future." Ding Songnan waved his hand, "Duke Dai, no matter how these things are said or fought, one day the Southwest army will come out from there sooner or later. On that day, none of the so-called warlords today can stop it. Marshal Zou and I know best how terrifying Mr. Ning is. When that day comes, does Duke Dai want to stand with trash like Liu Guangshi to resist a strong enemy? Or... no matter how idealistic it is, for example, you defeat me and Marshal Zou, and then you drive away Liu Guangshi, clear away all political enemies, and then... rely on these gentlemen soldiers under your command to fight against the Southwest?"

Ding Songnan tapped the tea table next to him with his finger: "Duke Dai, pardon my frankness, you are good at governing people, but you may not know soldiers. And Marshal Zou is a person who knows soldiers, but for various reasons, it is difficult to govern people legitimately. Duke Dai has the Dao, and Marshal Zou has the technique. If you want to choose a partner south of the Yellow River, Duke Dai is the most ideal for Marshal Zou."

The reception hall was quiet for a moment, and only the sound of Dai Mengwei moving the lid of the cup along the rim could be heard softly. After a while, the old man said, "In the end, you still... can't use the Dao of the China Army..."

"Mr. Ning set two major directions for development during the Xiaocanghe period: one is spirit, and the other is material." Ding Songnan said, "The so-called spiritual path is to use reading, education, and enlightenment to make everyone produce the so-called subjective initiative. In the army, holding meetings, talking about their experiences, remembering the bitterness and thinking about the sweetness, and telling the superiority of China, we want everyone... everyone for me, me for everyone, to become selfless..."

"As for the material path, it is the so-called theory of physics, researching equipment and developing military equipment... According to Mr. Ning, walking through either of these two directions can make you invincible in the world in the future. If the spiritual path can really be walked through, tens of thousands of China troops can kill all the Jurchens even starting from bare hands... But this path is too idealistic, so the China Army has always been walking on both lines together. The army mostly uses discipline to restrain soldiers, and in terms of materials, the effect can be seen from the appearance of Emperor Jiang, and the Jurchen's Western Route Army was defeated..."

"Today, the power of the China Army is known to the world, and the only flaw lies in its excessive requirements. Mr. Ning's rules are too tough, but without long-term practice, no one knows whether it can be walked through in the future. After Marshal Zou and I betrayed the China Army, the rules of governing the army can still be followed, but what about telling the soldiers why they are fighting?" Ding Songnan looked at Dai Mengwei, "Duke Dai, in today's world, the only two who can make up for this shortcoming are the small court in the southeast, and you, Duke Dai, the Sage of the Age."

Dai Mengwei held the teacup and shook it gently subconsciously: "The so-called Fair Party in the East also has its own version of the story."

"The theory of the Fair Party actually comes from Mr. Ning. When Marshal Zou was in the Southwest, he and others had many deductions. Mr. Ning once said that the more pure the ideal, the more complex and strict the conditions for its realization. We are sure that the Fair Party will inevitably defeat itself in the future, but before that, the more right things it does, the longer the Fair Party can persist, and the more powerful its momentum will be."

Dai Mengwei thought for a while: "In this way, the ideals of the Fair Party are too pure, and Mr. Ning feels that there are too many difficulties, so he doesn't promote it. The Southwest's ideology is downgraded, so it uses the material path as a supplement. And the Dao of our Confucianism is obviously even more downgraded..."

"The emperor, his ministers, the father, and his son all have their order. The Confucian Dao is a great Dao that has been tested for thousands of years, how can it be described as downgraded. It's just that people in the world have different wisdom and qualifications, so how can they be forced to be equal at this moment. Duke Dai, pardon my frankness, other than the Black Flag, the only one who is most afraid of Mr. Ning is you, and other than the Black Flag, the only one who knows the Black Flag best is Marshal Zou. You would rather pretend to be compliant with the Jurchens than confront the Southwest, and Marshal Zou understands even more the consequences of confronting the Southwest in the future. In today's world, only if you are in charge of politics and people's livelihood, and Marshal Zou is in charge of the army and physics, can the two sides join hands to do something in the future. Marshal Zou has no choice, Duke Dai, you don't either."

"...In fact, in the end, Zou Xu and you want to get rid of the interference of Yin Zong and others."

"Yin Zong and others are short-sighted and reckless, just like Liu Guangshi. Duke Dai, don't you want to get rid of the constraints of people like Liu Guangshi? Time waits for no one. While you and I and others are playing these little tricks around Bianliang, the Southwest is developing every day. All of our plans are probably just the noises of clowns in Mr. Ning's eyes. But only the alliance between Duke Dai and Marshal Zou may be able to give Mr. Ning a surprise."

As the two were talking, there was a faint commotion in the distance of the courtyard. Dai Mengwei took a deep breath, stood up from his seat, and pondered for a moment: "I heard that General Ding was not a formal military commander in the China Army before."

Ding Songnan also stood up: "I belonged to the Political Department, mainly in charge of military discipline. In fact, as long as the military discipline is in place, the difficulty of leading troops is not too great."

"...In the China Army, how many talents are there like General Ding?"

"...They are everywhere." Ding Songnan replied.

Dai Mengwei walked to the window and nodded. After a long time, he spoke: "...This matter needs to be considered carefully."

The commotion in the distance became clearer. Someone was shouting in the night. Ding Songnan stood by the window, frowning as he felt the movement: "This is..."

"There is a group of Jianghu people who have been forming groups to kill this old man for the past year. The leader is a fierce man named Lao Ba. I heard that he went to the China Army and persuaded Mr. Ning to kill me, but Mr. Ning refused. He spat on Ning Yi's face and ran to do it himself."

Dai Mengwei lowered his head and shook his teacup: "It's really interesting to say the least, Jianghu people went to kill Ning Yi in batches, and he designed to kill them batch after batch. Today, they ran to kill me, and it's the same. As long as I design it slightly, they can't wait to jump in. And even though Ning Yi and I don't see eye to eye, even Ning Yi looks down on their actions... It can be seen that if you want to do great things in the world, there are always some short-sighted people who, no matter what their ideas and positions are, should be let go..."

He put down the teacup and looked at Ding Songnan.

"...Then... let's talk about the plan."

*************

Under the dim starlight, a small commotion erupted on the streets west of An Kang city. A group of bandits fought and fled, and people were occasionally hacked to death on the ground.

There were not many troops in charge of intercepting them. The real people who were rounding up these bandits were some of the well-known Green Forest heroes who had become famous in the chaotic world. After receiving the courtesy of Dai Mengwei, the Sage of the Age, they were mostly grateful and prostrated themselves. Now they have also abandoned their previous grievances and formed the strongest guard team around Dai Mengwei. This assassination against Dai Mengwei led by Lao Ba also fell into a well-set pocket from the beginning.

As Dai Mengwei said, similar dramas happened many times around Ning Yi in Bianliang more than ten years ago. But the same response is still enough to use today.

"Lao Ba!" A rough shout echoed on the street, "I respect you as a real man! Commit suicide, don't harm your brothers around you—"

The fleeing crowd was driven into a nearby warehouse. Pursuers came to surround them. The person speaking walked forward while waving his hand to let his companions surround the gaps.

At the street behind the warehouse, a strong man riding a war horse, holding a broadsword, quickly surrounded with a few companions with fast feet. He stood sideways with his knife and stared at the direction of the back door of the warehouse. Black shadows had quietly climbed in, trying to fight. Behind him, someone suddenly shouted, "Who is it—"

The man on the horse looked back and saw that on the originally empty street behind, a figure wearing a cloak suddenly appeared, walking towards them. Two companions, one with a gun and one with a knife, walked towards that person. In an instant, the cloak vibrated, and a violent blade of light rose up. There were only a few clanging sounds, and two companions fell to the ground, thrown away by the figure behind.

The man with the knife wanted to charge on his horse, but with a whoosh—bang, he saw an arrow in his chest. The cloak flew, the figure approached in the blink of an eye, and the long knife in his hand slashed out a bloody shadow.

Amidst the clanging sounds, the young swordsman named You Hongzhu fought with the other pursuers. A warning firework flew into the sky. A little later, an explosion suddenly sounded on the street. After arriving in the territory of the China Army last year, he was fortunate enough to experience a period of real special forces training in Zhang Village because of Lu Hongti's appreciation. He had learned to use crossbows, explosives, and even various weapons such as lime powder to injure people.

He had been wandering in Dai Mengwei's territory for several months, investigating some of the inside story clearly. As a reward for last year's training, he had sent it back to the Southwest and was preparing to leave. At this time, seeing the assassination and encirclement, he officially shot to try to rescue a group of assassins such as Lao Ba and Jin Chenghu.

The battle that could have ended quickly became long because of his actions. The crowd rushed around in the city, and the chaos continued to spread in the night.

On the northeast side of the city, Ning Ji and a group of scholars climbed onto the roof, curiously watching the chaos in the night...

Dai Mengwei was discussing important matters with Ding Songnan in the courtyard. He was a little displeased with the spread of the chaos, but compared to the core of their discussion, such things could only be regarded as small episodes. Soon after, he sent this group of masters under his command to Jiangning to spread his reputation.

Big and small things are constantly going on, and even in many years of history books, no one will sort these fragments together. The curves of various phenomena, pass each other by...