Half a Spoiler Chapter 78

The journey from here to the Lao clan’s stronghold was not short, and Lao Baisheng had brought few trusted followers with him. Moreover, his sister had been in poor health since her capture and needed rest. Gritting his teeth, he decided to seek refuge with Wang You instead.

In the camp of the Tiger Might General.

The young warrior from the Western Tribes knelt on one knee in the main tent, speaking earnestly, “I beg the general to take us in.”

Seeing this, Wang You’s expression remained unchanged, though inwardly she was somewhat puzzled. Still, while the two were indeed members of the Lao family’s main line, they were younger members who had yet to wield any real authority. She allowed them to stay, sent for a physician to examine Lao Baijie, and arranged for their care.

After settling the siblings, Wang You immediately summoned her closest advisor to discuss the situation.

The advisor was also quite surprised. “For the children of the Lao family to come seeking refuge with you, General…”

She paused, leaving unspoken the rest of her thought: Isn’t this like sheep walking into the tiger’s den?

Wang You remarked, “Just a few miles further, they could have sought out the Fuhe family. The Fuhe clan and the Lao clan are old relatives. In times of crisis, wouldn’t turning to their kin be more fitting than seeking refuge with me?”

Her trusted advisor, though harboring her own thoughts, hesitated before responding rather indirectly, “Could it be that they were unaware the Fuhe family’s troops are also stationed here?”

Wang You shook her head slowly. “Others might not know, but these two should have been aware.”

Compared to the other three clans, the Fuhe clan itself had a smaller population. During the conflict with Jianping, they were primarily responsible for logistical support, which meant most of the troops they deployed were militia. Even so, they maintained their own separate encampment and did not merge with the other families.

Wang You continued, “In truth, since the Battle of Menqu Slope, the situation in Tai Province has shifted from the past. Among the four clans, only the Fuhe clan’s cavalry remains unscathed. Now that we are weak and they are strong, if Fuhe Fang harbors any hidden intentions, how should we guard against it?”

She sat deep in thought at her desk, while her trusted advisor dared not even breathe too loudly, standing quietly at her side.

As Wang You aged and her influence waned, many families among the Western Tribes were no longer as submissive as they once were. However, as a trusted advisor who had followed her for years, the aide knew that although her lord was no longer as physically robust as in her youth, her mind had grown ever more profound.

Though Wang You lacked the formal title of a feudal lord, her years of private control over Tai Province had effectively granted her the authority of one. For the ongoing war between Jianping and Tai Province, she had prepared multiple strategies.

The best outcome would naturally be to maintain her grip over the province. But if defeat seemed inevitable, surrendering the entire region was also a possibility she was willing to consider.

While she had never met the new emperor in person, Wang You felt that the current central government was far more orderly than it had been during Emperor Li’s reign. If she could truly lead Tai Province to submit to Jianping, it might well elevate the Wang family of Tai Province into the ranks of the established noble families.

As for the Li and Lao clans, they hadn’t misjudged Wang You either. When she agreed to let her youngest daughter depart with Cui Xinjing, she had indeed prepared to place bets on both sides.

Wang You murmured, “Given the current situation among the Western Tribes, if we were to hold our ground, the Fuhe clan would inevitably take the lead…” She paused abruptly, then added, “Those two children came fleeing from the Jianping camp.”

Upon hearing this, her trusted advisor’s expression shifted uncertainly as she whispered, “Are you suggesting, General, that they might have uncovered something?”

Wang You had long suspected that her family was not the only one among the Western Tribes secretly colluding with Jianping. Considering the sudden coldness the Lao siblings showed toward the Fuhe clan, she couldn’t help but find Fuhe Fang equally suspicious.

“Most likely so.”

Despite her lingering doubts, Wang You, ever the shrewd strategist, couldn’t determine whether the Fuhe clan was truly in league with Jianping or if the younger generation had simply misunderstood the situation. Yet, regardless of the truth, given the current circumstances, she desperately needed a plausible pretext to move against Fuhe Fang. So even if this were a scheme concocted by that young emperor sitting safely in Wu’an, she had little choice but to fall for it.

As for the Lao and Li clans, based on Wang You’s understanding of them, if this battle went poorly, they would sooner blame a treacherous insider than admit their own incompetence in warfare.

Wang You stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and began pacing. After a moment, she declared, “Summon the messenger. I have words for both Elder Li and Elder Lao.”

Her tone was resolute, carrying an almost unrestrained air of lethality.

Tai Province, within the main residence of the Fuhe clan.

Fuhe Fang’s capable advisor had recently vanished without a trace, leaving him to handle many matters personally. Compared to before, he was now considerably busier.

Though he felt some regret that the scholar named Ren Feihong was no longer by his side, Fuhe Fang understood that he and her held differing views on how to proceed moving forward. Even if she had chosen to stay, their collaboration might not have remained harmonious.

As an ambitious man, Fuhe Fang shared many thoughts with Wang You. He too had even considered surrendering the entire province, though he quickly dismissed the idea.

In Ren Feihong’s plan, Fuhe Fang needed to seize control of Tai Province while the other families were fully occupied on the front lines. If the war effort faltered, the Fuhe clan could rise to power. But if the Li, Lao, and Wang clans gained the upper hand, then surrendering the entire province would be the move. By claiming credit for presenting the region, he could then petition the imperial court for the position of inspector and a military title.

Ren Feihong’s foresight wasn’t entirely off the mark. In the original alternate timeline, even with the succession of the famously virtuous Marquis of Quanling, the empire would ultimately descend into chaos. If planning under the premise that the realm would be thrown into turmoil within a few years, then the Fuhe clan could temporarily bow to the imperial court, leveraging central authority for its own gain. Once the chaos of the world became unstoppable, they could then use the strength of the western territories to scheme for the Central Plains. If they chose to hold the province now, while depleting the court’s strength, Tai Province’s own power would also be exhausted in the process.

Fuhe Fang selectively adopted some of her’s suggestions – yet the temptation to declare himself ruler of the Western Tribes was simply too great. His original plan, even if Jianping couldn’t overpower the Western Tribes, was to manipulate the supply lines to drain the strength of the other families. Back then, Li Huaidao’s urgency to seek a decisive battle in one stroke was partly due to delayed logistics and limited supplies on hand.

Now, with the Wang clan and others suffering repeated defeats, Fuhe Fang dispatched agents to spread rumors, accusing the Wangs of colluding with Jianping while branding the Li and Lao clans as incompetent and foolish. At the same time, he discreetly promoted the Fuhe clan, claiming that Fuhe Fang alone could save the Western Tribes from their peril.

Just as Fuhe Fang was lost in silent contemplation, his personal guard arrived to report that the situation at the front had taken a turn for the worse. The Western Tribes’ main force was now planning to retreat near Lai’an.

Lai’an again.

This battle had twice centered around Lai’an. Yet today, the mood among the Western Tribes was clearly far different from what it had been at the start.

Wang You’s seasoned experience proved its worth. After the forces of Li and Lao crumbled, she alone faced the combined assaults of Zhong Zhiwei and Tao Jia. Though she too suffered consecutive defeats, the strength she managed to preserve actually exceeded the total remaining forces of the Li and Lao clans combined.

Precisely because of this, Fuhe Fang had quietly settled on a plan to make an example of Wang You – to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys – and use the opportunity to absorb her soldiers.

Fuhe Fang stopped the guard who had asked to take his leave and said with a smile, “Wait a moment. I’m just about to write letters to the Li and Lao clans. Stay a while longer and deliver them for me.”

The vanguard led by Tao Jia and the rear army commanded by Zhong Zhiwei had now joined forces and were advancing steadily forward.

The reason for this “steady advance” was officially cited as caution, but in reality, it was a deliberate move to hold back, giving the Western Tribes some room to breathe. After all, Zhong Zhiwei alone, with the Iron Cavalry Battalion as her spearhead, could have defeated Wang You. However, upon her return from Wu’an, Tao Jing also brought the Emperor’s latest directive –

In the brocade pouch, Wen Yanran had written only a few words: “Let them go to catch them.”

Now that Tai Province was under the control of the Fuhe clan, if Wang You were crushed too decisively, it would only give Fuhe Fang the perfect opportunity to absorb the Wang clan’s forces. But as long as Wang You was left with just a sliver of life, given her temperament, she would never resign herself to defeat. She would fight Fuhe Fang to the bitter end. They could simply watch from the other shore as the two sides turned on each other.

Tao Jia remarked with a sigh, “This strategy is almost an open scheme. With Wang You’s capabilities, she might well see through it. Yet, between her and Fuhe Fang, the conflict has long been irreconcilable. Even if she senses something amiss, she can only go along with it.”

In his youth, Tao Jia had spent much time in the military and was well-versed in the ways of the battlefield. Emperor Li shared a similarity with the current emperor in that he too always wanted to place his trusted confidants within the army. For an emperor, this was a common practice. However, compared to the new emperor, Emperor Li not only failed to provide reliable strategic guidance, but frontline commanders also had to expend considerable effort dealing with the hindrances caused by the emperor’s favorites. Back then, after the battle in Tai Province, Wang You, in her moment of triumph, even openly boasted that her repeated victories were partly due to her own skill, but also thanks to the constant “assistance” from the emperor of that time.