Pei Jingyi had not been able to see Gu Huaiyu for several days.
The moment the guards at the Chancellor’s Estate saw him, they looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. With faces full of awkwardness, they forced a smile. “General Pei, we are truly sorry. The Lord Chancellor has given orders that you don’t need to come by for a few days… He isn’t receiving guests lately.”
It wasn’t that he wasn’t receiving guests; it was clearly that he wasn’t receiving this specific guest.
Even the Commander of the Iron Eagle Guard outside the Chancellery felt caught in the middle when he saw Pei arrive. Despite the “brotherly” friendship the two had developed recently, they could only stand under the corridor in silence, looking at each other helplessly.
“General Pei…” The Commander hesitated, eventually lowering his voice to offer a cryptic hint. “Just how exactly did you offend the Lord Chancellor?”
Pei Jingyi, of course, knew exactly why. His actions that day had been far too reckless. While the “Little Chancellor” had been satisfied, the “Big Chancellor” was absolutely furious.
With the next day for “drinking blood” fast approaching, he was more anxious than Gu Huaiyu himself. If they delayed, would Gu Huaiyu’s frail constitution suffer another relapse?
But at the moment, Gu Huaiyu had no time for such trivialities.
The campaign against Eastern Liao was imminent. As the chief strategist of this war, he was swamped with endless affairs—people to see, meetings to hold, and details to refine. Not a single slip-up could be permitted.
On this day, a silken spring rain fell over the capital. The water transport routes for grain in the south had been cleared, and orders had reached the Provincial Armies across the land. Troops were steadily massing toward Bingzhou and the northern border.
In the center of the Chancellery stood a large sand table representing the border between Great Chen and Eastern Liao. Along the line of fine sand, small colored flags stood like a miniature forest.
Tea steam curled in the hall, which was filled with officials in formal robes. The sound of the rain pattering against the open doors and the eaves brought a touch of spring chill to the room.
Shen Jun stood behind the sand table, tracing a jade pointer across the terrain. “Two hundred thousand troops from the Huainan and Xichuan Provincial Armies have set out. They should reach Hejian within the month.”
Gu Huaiyu sat high at his desk, his finger tapping rhythmically against the sandalwood surface. “What is the strength of the Eastern Liao garrison in the Xijing Circuit?”
Xijing Circuit bordered Great Chen’s Hejian region; this was a question for the Bureau of Military Affairs.
Xie Shaoling stood up abruptly. Being young, the days of continuous, high-pressure work showed no signs of fatigue on him. Instead, he looked spirited, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Gu Huaiyu.
“Reporting to the Lord Chancellor, according to the Bureau’s latest intelligence, Yelü Xiezhen’s unit of one hundred thousand Iron Cavalry is stationed in the Xijing Circuit, divided between the three prefectures of Yunzhong, Fengsheng, and Guihua.”
Gu Huaiyu raised a hand to stop the rest of his report, speaking with sharp decisiveness. “Dispatch another hundred thousand from the Provincial Army to reinforce Hejian.”
The officials present exchanged varied looks. Two hundred thousand against one hundred thousand was already double the strength. Now, adding another hundred thousand—three hundred thousand against a hundred thousand—did Great Chen truly need a three-to-one advantage just to match Eastern Liao?
However, no one dared to voice this doubt. Whatever the Chancellor said, the ministers did; that had become the common understanding of the court.
Just as Xie Shaoling sat down, a steady set of footsteps echoed through the drizzling rain.
The room turned to see Pei Jingyi, clad in a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, stroking through the curtain of rain. Rainwater from his coat soaked into the dark brick floor, but he didn’t care. He reached up, snatched off his hat, and tossed it casually.
Clatter.
The hat landed with pinpoint accuracy into a copper basin in the corner.
Gu Huaiyu had lifted the “ban” on him today. He took a slow sip of tea, his movements refined. “How is the situation in Qingzhou?”
The Minister of War was about to stand and report on the military situation in Qingzhou, but Pei Jingyi had already shed his raincoat. He cupped his fists and said loudly, “This official has urgent matters to report and must discuss them with the Lord Chancellor in private.”
Pei Jingyi wiped the rain from his face, droplets rolling down his sharp jawline. “It concerns the military secrets of the Eastern Expedition.”
“General Pei.” Xie Shaoling stood up again, frowning in confusion. “If it is a matter of military secrets, why is the Bureau of Military Affairs unaware of it?”
Shen Jun was not as blunt as the younger man, but his smile was like a needle hidden in silk. “Could it be that General Pei suspects one of the colleagues present? Feel free to speak plainly; I will personally conduct a thorough investigation.”
Wei Qingya chimed in at the right moment. “Though I have only recently joined the Chancellery, I understand the importance of keeping one’s mouth shut. There’s no need for General Pei to treat us as outsiders.”
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze. Officials who were in the dark looked at each other in confusion. These were all the Chancellor’s favorites; why were they ganging up on Pei Jingyi?
This was the kind of scene Gu Huaiyu should have enjoyed, but a strange irritability flickered in his heart. How can I let others mock the ‘big dog’ I raised myself?
Pei Jingyi turned a deaf ear to the surrounding sarcasm, his gaze fixed solely on Gu Huaiyu. “Does the Lord Chancellor truly wish for me to speak here?”
Gu Huaiyu’s smile vanished. Without a word, he brushed his sleeves and stood up, heading straight for the back hall.
Pei Jingyi strode after him. As he passed Shen Jun, the rainwater on his sleeves “accidentally” splattered several spots onto Shen Jun’s robes.
In the back hall, Gu Huaiyu took a seat, his gaze lazily scanning the general. “Military secrets?”
Pei Jingyi closed the distance in a few steps, leaning down to look at him closely. Seeing that Gu’s complexion was healthy, he actually began to speak of serious matters. “The Lord Chancellor should be aware that the Imperial Guard’s numbers have always been limited. Currently, the only ones capable of a prolonged struggle with Eastern Liao are the three hundred thousand men of the Northern Frontier Army.”
