The first snow fell on the ancient walls of Shangjing, upon the black and cyan palace roofs, yet brought not the slightest hint of refreshing allure, nor did anyone spare a glance for the thin, wool-like blanket of white on the square. As dawn barely broke, an increasing number of officials began to tread upon it ruthlessly, trampling the snow into mud.

These officials wore grave expressions and hurried steps, with no leisure for appreciating the snow. War reports from the south poured incessantly into Shangjing, reaching the Zhongshu Terrace near the imperial palace. The Zhongshu Terrace was now completely enveloped in an atmosphere of tension and oppression, though thankfully not one of panic.

The sky was exceedingly gloomy. Inside the Zhongshu Terrace, the ministers of Northern Qi were arguing about something, when a deep voice abruptly silenced all dissent, restoring the Northern Qi cabinet to silence and swiftly determining a response within that quiet.

The Northern Qi court had been preparing for this war for several years. When the news of the Southern Qing army's sudden attack arrived, no one was surprised. Wartime controls and responses were transmitted extremely swiftly from the palace, through the Zhongshu Terrace, and throughout this country that seemed young but in reality stretched back a millennium. Within a single month, all of Northern Qi was mobilized.

A bright yellow imperial carriage departed from the Zhongshu Terrace. The officials did not see it off from behind, but instead threw themselves back into the urgent matters of military intelligence and politics. In this critical situation, if any minister dared to demonstrate his talent for flattery, he must be careful lest his head be chopped off by His Majesty in his rage.

The carriage arrived before the main hall. With a grim face, the Emperor of Northern Qi swung his arm and leapt nimbly from the carriage in a few brisk steps, startling the eunuchs and palace maids nearby. He himself did not seem concerned about injuring his sacred person, but turned around on the stone steps before the main hall and harshly reprimanded Wei Hua, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard beside the carriage, and three other important ministers: "Southern Qing was in turmoil, and I gave you a whole year's time to prepare. Now that the moment has arrived, you're still in such a panic! What do I keep you useless lot around for?"

The Northern Qi dignitaries felt a chill in their hearts, knowing that His Majesty was not in a good mood today. The war report that had arrived the previous night after a thousand-mile journey stated that the Qing army in Yanjing had begun to move out. The Qi garrison in Nanjing had suffered defeat after defeat, while the commander-in-chief Shang Shanhu was conspicuously absent from Nanjing, instead hiding in a small state city in Song, remaining inactive.

After some deliberation, the ministers were unclear what exactly caused His Majesty's anger. Was it the panic of the ministers in the Zhongshu Terrace, fear of the Southern Qing's invincible army of hundreds of thousands, or did His Majesty suspect General Shang Shanhu's deliberate silence?

Wei Hua bowed extremely low. The current Northern Qi court was already a tightly controlled iron plate in His Majesty's hand. No force dared challenge the imperial dignity any longer, not even after Grandmaster Ku He's death four years prior, which had not altered this trend. Moreover, with a formidable enemy at the gates, no one dared show the slightest disrespect for the authority of the Emperor of Northern Qi at this moment.

Wei Hua was related to the Empress Dowager and was a close confidant of His Majesty. He knew what His Majesty's earlier statement about Southern Qing's internal turmoil referred to. The fact that the Southern Qing's invasion had been delayed by a year was entirely due to the successive betrayals of the two heads of the Southern Qing Supervisory Council. Furthermore, Wei Hua was even more certain that only His Majesty knew the truth about why Chen Pingping, who was now dead, and Fan Xian, who did not know his place, had betrayed Emperor Qing. Therefore, he dared not say anything.

The old Minister of War, one of the three ministers, could barely stand still. He bravely stepped forward, trying to calm His Majesty's anger, because he was very worried that the young Emperor would truly suspect General Shang Shanhu's loyalty. Now that the Qing army was launching an aggressive invasion, if there was suspicion between ruler and subject, the outcome of this great war was obvious.

As the nominal commander of Northern Qi's military, this minister could not stand idly by while General Shang, the cornerstone of Northern Qi, had any problems with the Emperor, who used his maturity and stability beyond his age to soothe the mood of the ministers in the court. Therefore, he prostrated himself on the ground, repeatedly offering advice.

The Emperor of Northern Qi's expression gradually calmed down. He flicked his sleeves, ordering the ministers to withdraw and deal with the emergency military reports from the south, while he himself took Wei Hua into the main hall.

Beside the dragon throne in the main hall, behind the beaded curtain, the Empress Dowager, who had not interfered in state affairs for several years, was waiting for their arrival.

Before the beaded curtain, the Emperor of Northern Qi bowed slightly, as did Wei Hua. The Emperor's face was now completely calm. He looked at Wei Hua and asked in a cold voice, "Is there any new movement from the Southern Dynasty?"

Wei Hua was slightly taken aback. As the head of Northern Qi's intelligence system, he was responsible for collecting information from the court to the military. However, this information had already been sent to His Majesty's study the night before. For a moment, he did not know how to answer this question. What exactly did His Majesty want to ask?

After considering his words, Wei Hua frowned and said, "The Kyoto Garrison Commander of Southern Dynasty is still Shi Fei, but Xiao Jinhua has been transferred from the Nanzhao region back to the Beida Camp. Together with Wang Zhikun, who has been stationed in Yanjing for generations, the Southern Dynasty's general movements are not surprising."

The Emperor of Northern Qi frowned slightly and said, "Xiao Jinhua was the deputy general of the Southern Dynasty's Eldest Prince. He performed mediocrely in the Kyoto rebellion four years ago. Moreover, due to his relationship with the Eldest Prince, he was exiled by Emperor Qing to Nanzhao. This transfer back to the Beida Camp is indeed a bit strange. What do you think of Wang Zhikun?"

"Wang Zhikun is unassuming, but no matter how the Southern Dynasty changes, he always sits firmly in Yanjing. According to the court's observations over the years, Emperor Qing is keeping this person in preparation for the current northern invasion." Wei Hua had no choice but to repeat the analysis of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Ministry of War.

After a moment of silence, the Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly asked, "Is Ye Zhong still in Kyoto?"

Wei Hua replied, "He is still there."

The Emperor of Northern Qi stared at his face, his eyes narrowed into crescent moons, emitting a cold light: "Are you sure?"

Wei Hua's heart trembled slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I am sure."

"That's strange." The Emperor of Northern Qi glanced at the Empress Dowager behind the beaded curtain and shook his head, saying, "If Emperor Qing is really preparing to finish the job in one battle, how could he leave Ye Zhong in Kyoto? The Southern Dynasty has been messed up enough by Chen Pingping and Fan Xian in recent years. The truly skilled generals are either dead or have betrayed. The Qin family is all dead, and the Eldest Prince has betrayed to Dongyi City... How can Emperor Qing be at ease with just Wang Zhikun? If that old fox isn't going to personally lead the army, at least someone like Ye Zhong should be stationed in the north."

Wei Hua's heart stirred, also unable to understand why the Southern Dynasty's general deployment was arranged in this way. The war between the two great powers of the world was definitely not a small matter. Even if Wang Zhikun had been planning and preparing for this in Yanjing for twenty years, if the Qing court did not bring out a truly great figure who could stabilize the country, how could they show their determination to the world, how could they proclaim their domineering posture to Northern Qi?

Northern Qi was not Dongyi City. This country inherited the mantle of the Great Wei Dynasty, with vast territory and a large population. The northeastern plains were one of the continent's granaries. Although it had been declining for a long time, under the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's sincere cooperation and strong measures in recent years, it had gradually radiated youthfulness. Even with the strength of the Qing country and the might of its army, it would not be possible to conquer Northern Qi in a short period of time. Presumably, with Emperor Qing's great confidence, he would not make such an arrogant judgment.

The elegant main hall of Northern Qi's imperial palace fell silent. The Emperor slowly paced under the dragon throne, his brow furrowed into a beautiful circle, analyzing what the powerful counterpart in Southern Qing was trying to do. The war had already begun, and there was no possibility of luring the enemy or probing. Hundreds of thousands of people had already paid the price with their lives. But since the war had already begun, why hadn't Emperor Qing displayed the aura of a tiger and wolf, but instead seemed somewhat conventional, and in this conventionality, there was a hint of pettiness?

...

...

Wei Hua also fell silent. His eyes followed the Emperor's steps, and his mind was constantly calculating. Although in his opinion, with the power of the Qing army, it wouldn't make much difference who the Southern Qing court used as commander, seeing the Emperor so concerned about the selection of the Qing army's commander, he also vaguely felt a trace of surprise.

Suddenly, he thought of General Shang Shanhu, who was far away from the Great Qi's Nanjing defense line, isolated in the state city of Song, and his heart stirred slightly. He intended to say something, but was afraid that the Emperor would get angry again. He looked at the vague figure behind the beaded curtain, gritted his teeth secretly, and said, "Perhaps... Emperor Qing is afraid of General Shang's military tactics, so he is unwilling to fully attack, but is slowly pressing forward with a large army, forcing a gap in my Great Qi's defense line under this immense pressure. The Southern Dynasty will then use this gap to rush straight in..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Emperor of Northern Qi was already smiling. More precisely, a hint of a smile that was not a smile appeared on his face, and he looked at Wei Hua's face with a calm yet oppressive gaze. The gap that Wei Hua had mentioned earlier was not actually a gap in the deployment of Northern Qi's military strength, but a gap in the hearts of the people, just like the old Minister of War kneeling in the snow and offering advice. The ministers of Northern Qi were all very worried that General Shang, who the court relied on as a pillar, would incur the Emperor's wrath due to the unfavorable war situation in the south.

The war between the two countries had been going on for more than a month. Shang Shanhu, as the commander of the southern front, not only did not stop the Southern Qing army's invasion, but instead left the Nanjing defense line and hid far away, ignoring dozens of emergency decrees from the court, watching the Southern Qing army advance more than a hundred miles.

In the court of Northern Qi, the Emperor's rage had been expressed without concealment. That was why there was the argument in the Zhongshu Terrace today, the ministers' speculation, the Minister of War's kneeling advice, and Wei Hua's bold insinuation at this moment.

Contrary to Wei Hua's expectations, he did not receive an angry reprimand from the Emperor. The Emperor of Northern Qi only looked at him with a detached expression and said slowly, "You underestimate me. Those people in the Southern Dynasty... also underestimate me."

Wei Hua's heart trembled slightly, not knowing what His Majesty meant by this.

"I have never doubted Shang Shanhu's loyalty." The Emperor of Northern Qi raised his eyebrows, revealing an indescribable coldness, "No, to be precise, I don't care whether General Shang is loyal to me, but as long as he is loyal to the court, loyal to this country, that is enough."

Wei Hua's expression changed slightly, not understanding. He thought that the Emperor's anger, which had worried the officials of the Northern Qi court for more than half a month, and the voices of reprimanding Shang Shanhu that had come out of the imperial palace, were they all fake?

"If Emperor Qing really thinks that I will make mistakes under his pressure, I can only say that Emperor Qing is far less powerful than I imagined." The Emperor of Northern Qi said calmly, "All of this is just what I am doing for the people of the Southern Dynasty to see, and it can also be said to be for you ministers to see."

"If the Qing army really dares to rush into the north, are they not worried about General Shang Shanhu, who is stuck in their waist, and the forces of Dongyi City?" The Emperor of Northern Qi said with a slight sarcasm, "The Southern people will fall for my trick? I don't believe it, but I didn't expect that these officials in the court would jump into it one by one."

Wei Hua was silent for a moment and said, "However, Your Majesty's anger is enough to deter the hearts of the ministers. I am just worried that some ministers in the court will misjudge Your Majesty's intentions, which will affect the officers and soldiers on the front line."

Wars are always about logistics. Generals shed blood on the battlefield, and ministers play with the Emperor's heart behind the lines. The world is often like this. The Emperor of Northern Qi's expression did not change as he looked at Wei Hua and said, "That's why I asked you to come here today. Anyone who has followed my intentions and attacked General Shang in memorials these past few days will be dismissed from the court."

Wei Hua was shocked, thinking that with the great enemy at hand, would there be another major upheaval in the court?

"I know what you are worried about. Don't worry too much. The current crisis has already formed. This is not the court of the past. These useless people who only know how to figure out my heart, take them away and take them away. Who dares to say anything?"

The Emperor of Northern Qi sat on the dragon throne, looked back at the beaded curtain, and found that his mother behind the curtain nodded slightly. He straightened his body and said with a grim face, "From today onwards, anyone who dares to say that the Great General is not good will be beheaded! Anyone who mismanages the affairs of the front line will be beheaded!"

"You are good, and the Minister of War is also good." The Emperor of Northern Qi looked into Wei Hua's eyes and said, "If at this time, you still dare not speak for General Shang, I am afraid I will have to behead you as well. When the country is about to perish, I will not keep useless people or idlers."

Wei Hua's body trembled slightly. Only now did he realize that His Majesty had probably been completely frank with General Shang a long time ago, and that was why he was able to calmly deal with the current tense situation. But in that case, who in the entire Northern Qi court could restrain Shang Shanhu, who was far away in the south? If Shang Shanhu really had other intentions...

"Can you lead troops into battle?" The Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I don't know military affairs."

"Neither do I. Since that's the case, fighting wars should always be left to those who know how to do it. Since I have used Shang Shanhu, I will continue to use him with unwavering faith." The Emperor of Northern Qi said calmly, "From today onwards, military and civilian affairs in the seven southern prefectures will be under General Shang's command. Gather the strength of the entire country to help General Shang resist the enemy. Send down the decree later."

For some reason, Wei Hua stared blankly and somewhat rudely at the young Emperor in front of him. Suddenly, he felt his body heating up, and his originally apprehensive mood became exceptionally calm and exceptionally firm at this moment. He knelt on one knee and answered decisively, "I, obey the decree!"

Wei Hua left the imperial palace, not knowing what kind of storm would be caused by the Emperor's decree to hand over one-third of the power of the Northern Qi Dynasty to Shang Shanhu. The Emperor of Northern Qi, who had just issued the decree, was exceptionally calm. He looked indifferently at the thin white snow outside the palace, without a trace of fear.

The world was afraid of the Qing army's strong and unparalleled combat power, but the Emperor of Northern Qi was not afraid, because he had Shang Shanhu, and he dared to use Shang Shanhu, using him more thoroughly than any other monarch.

More importantly, although he did not know military affairs, he knew that the great war between the two countries was ultimately a contest of national strength. As long as the Northern Qi court did not make mistakes, no matter how strong the invaders from the south were, they could not possibly destroy Northern Qi in a few short months.

In the end, everything took time, and the Emperor of Northern Qi was still young, while the powerful monarch in the south was already old. The Emperor of Northern Qi could afford to wait Emperor Qing out, but Emperor Qing himself was unwilling to wait too long.

The Emperor of Northern Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, and a question remained unanswered in his heart. If Emperor Qing was really unwilling to wait, why was the current war in the south so cold and entangled? Was Emperor Qing worried about Shang Shanhu, or was he worried about Dongyi City, or was he worried about something else?

He should be almost to Kyoto, right?

The beaded curtain moved slightly, and a girl wearing a flowered cotton jacket supported the Empress Dowager as she walked out from behind the curtain. The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor of Northern Qi with warmth, and a strong sense of satisfaction arose in her heart. With a son like this, or rather, with a daughter like this, what else could she ask for?

The Emperor of Northern Qi turned around, looked at Haitang Duoduo wearing the flowered cotton jacket, and smiled warmly, "Little Aunt, if you could bring heavenly soldiers and generals from the Temple, why would I need to suffer so much?"

Haitang shook her head slowly, saying nothing, thinking that if His Majesty knew that the support he most wanted to obtain in this life had been smashed by herself and Wang Shisanlang, what would he look like?

"Remember what Fan Xian used to say to you, this world is theirs, and it is ours, but ultimately... it is ours." The Emperor of Northern Qi did not know what he was thinking of, but suddenly opened his mouth and said calmly, "I have never known where he got this confidence from, but now that I am facing the crisis in the south, I can vaguely grasp this feeling."

Haitang Duoduo was silent for a moment and said, "He also said a word when he was in Jiangnan, 'We are the sun at six or seven in the morning.'"

"Emperor Qing... is just a setting sun." The Emperor of Northern Qi frowned slightly, as if he did not believe this judgment himself. The calmness on his face was mostly a disguise, because he was not sure whether handing over the power of the entire country to Shang Shanhu would be able to temporarily stop Emperor Qing's steps to unify the world. No matter how talented Shang Shanhu was on the battlefield, he was still just one person.

The Empress Dowager, who had been keeping a gentle silence, suddenly laughed and said, "It seems that this old lady has to go and hold her granddaughter."

A burst of laughter finally came from the oppressive Northern Qi imperial palace. The Emperor of Northern Qi looked at Haitang, was silent for a moment, and said, "Follow me to see Hongdoufan."

...

...

In the imperial palace of Southern Qing in Kyoto, a setting sun hung in the western sky. The climate here was still warm, and the twilight was like blood, reflecting on the vermilion palace walls and the bright yellow glazed tiles, as if it were about to burn.

The Emperor of Qing, whose face was slightly tired and haggard, was lying on a deck chair in front of the Taiji Hall, slowly stroking the fur of a fat white cat with his fingers. The fat cat seemed to be enjoying the service of a powerful monarch, lying lazily, occasionally turning over, and placing its soft belly at the fingertips of Emperor Qing.

This fat white cat naturally did not know how terrifying the Emperor's fingers were.

A military general stood silently in the twilight, standing very close to His Majesty, without saying a word, just looking at the white cat under His Majesty's hand and the two fat cats stretching behind the wooden chair, feeling an absurd emotion that was difficult to suppress.

These three cats were of yellow, black, and white colors, and all looked unusually fat. However, the palace had always rarely kept these small pets, and it was not known how these seemingly ordinary cats had gained His Majesty's favor.

Of course, not a trace of emotion was revealed on this general's face, because even if a two-year-old baby died in front of him, he would not be moved in the slightest. Moreover, he was not just a reckless man who only knew how to fight wars. Before returning to Kyoto and entering the palace, he had already inquired about enough information.

These three fat cats were from the Fan Residence, and they had been raised by Princess Chen from childhood. It was not known when Princess Chen brought them into the imperial palace to play with His Majesty, and His Majesty had kept these three cats until now.

It seemed to be just three cats, but in the eyes of this general, it seemed to represent a deeper meaning. However, he did not dare to ask, nor did he know where to ask, because no one in the world knew whether that person was dead or alive.

Emperor Qing withdrew his gaze from the twilight clouds, looked at the general, and said, "That little fellow in Northern Qi is just acting for you to see. The court has so many people in your Privy Council's General Staff Department. Are they just eating dry rice?"

This general did not look old, because his eyes were clear and cold, and he seemed very young. However, his face was full of vicissitudes. After a slight contemplation, this general said directly, "On the battlefield, one should engage in a battle with conventional forces and win with unorthodox tactics. No matter how cunning Shang Shanhu is, as long as Your Majesty gives an order, my Great Qing's iron cavalry will use their lives to fulfill their sacred duty. As for the use of troops, Your Majesty can make a decision alone. There is no need for the Privy Council to do useless work."

These words were not flattery, because a flattering minister would never say such harsh words. Rather, they were genuine. This general greatly admired His Majesty's military talent and naturally sighed.

"Northern Qi retreated again and again, intending to retreat to the Nanjing line, exchanging distance for time... That little fellow wants to spend time with me." A sneer appeared on the corner of Emperor Qing's lips. "Shang Shanhu is stuck in the waist, which is really clever. However, the general trend is like this. As long as we remove this nail, who can stop my army from going north?"

"The north needs a commander." Emperor Qing closed his eyes, allowing the blood-like twilight to shroud his thin cheeks. "Wang Zhikun has been raised for more than ten years, and he has become a bit dull. To pull out this nail of Shang Shanhu, we must pass through the territory of Dongyi City. Although I have not issued a decree, it is obvious that our Governor Wang is a bit afraid of the four thousand black cavalry and the one thousand troops in Lao Da's hands. Being so constrained, how can he achieve anything?"

Then, Emperor Qing looked at the young general, frowned slightly and said, "You just came back from the grasslands. You don't know much about the affairs of the Privy Council itself. Don't always argue with your father. As a son... how improper!"

Not knowing why the topic turned in this direction, the general felt a chill in his heart and bowed his head to acknowledge.

Emperor Qing stared at his face and said slowly, "Don't expect me to send you to the north to pull out the nail... You don't have enough qualifications, and most importantly, you have developed a ruthless style from this trip to the grasslands, but your ability to be cunning and patient is still not enough... You are not Shang Shanhu's opponent."

The general suddenly raised his head, naturally revealing a trace of unwillingness on his face.

"Ye Wan, you are still too young." Emperor Qing said slowly, "How can the Hu people in the grasslands compare to the cunning of my people in the Central Plains? You went deep into the grasslands this time to pursue the Shanyu's court, which is commendable for your courage and spirit. But have you ever thought about why the seven thousand Iron Cavalry of the Northern Barbarians were never able to contact the Royal Court? If the Royal Court were to join forces with those seven thousand Barbarian Cavalry, could you have escaped alive on the snowy grasslands?"

Yes, this young general was a rising star in the Qing court, the son of Ye Zhong, the envoy of the Privy Council, and the commander of the Qingzhou victory, Ye Wan. After the Qingzhou victory, Ye Wan led four thousand elite Qing cavalry to pursue the remnants of the Shanyu's Royal Court, earning a fierce reputation on the grasslands. In the end, he actually returned alive from the grasslands. Although only eight hundred of the four thousand cavalry were left, such a feat was a remarkable achievement in any military operation in Southern Qing.

However, Emperor Qing's indifferent words at this moment hit a corner of the young general's heart and awakened the faint doubts in Ye Wan's heart. Why, in the months-long dangerous pursuit, was Shanyu Subida's remnant Royal Court never able to contact those seven thousand barbarian cavalry?

Ye Wan's heart trembled slightly as he looked at His Majesty's face, which was gradually showing signs of aging, wanting to seek an answer.

"Although Fan Xian took Haitang Duoduo to the Temple, he still did not forget to lay down plans on the grasslands." Emperor Qing said indifferently, "Skill is always outside the poem, and victory or defeat is also outside the battlefield. If you ever understand this principle, you will be the commander of my Northern Expedition."

Ye Wan stood silently beside His Majesty, feeling slightly heavy.

"The victory or defeat of this world is also outside the battlefield. Within a year, if Fan Xian dies, I will naturally win. If I die... those who don't like me in this world will naturally win."

The Emperor was narrating someone else's story, his fingers tightened slightly, holding the fat white cat in his arms, carefully stroking its fur, very meticulously.

...

...

(I should write slower and slower, this is the way to go, I am starting to feel lost in advance... Oh, truly a literary middle age.)