A Pawn's Passage

After finishing the bulletin, Qi Xuansu was still lost in thought.

Strictly speaking, this was Tiangang Hall’s main responsibility, while suppressing secret societies was a secondary task. In that case, would Zhang Yuelu be summoned for deployment?

That was indeed a concern.

But pondering it further was pointless, since Qi Xuansu had no authority to sway the Golden Tower Council’s decisions. Even if he could, Zhang Yuelu would never refuse such a chance to gain merit and prestige.

So Qi Xuansu set the bulletin aside and inquired about the disciplinary reforms in the Imperial Capital.

Ke Qingqing trailed behind him while answering each question. Then, she happened to spot the collector’s edition of the Holy Xuan Cards laid out on Qi Xuansu’s desk and suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right! Prince Jin is organizing a Holy Xuan Cards Championship.”

Qi Xuansu was taken aback. “A Holy Xuan Cards Championship?”

Ke Qingqing nodded. “They held one last year, too. Card masters from all across the realm were invited to the Imperial Capital to compete in skill and decide who would earn the title of Card Saint. Superintendent Qi, since you enjoy playing the Holy Xuan Cards, why not try your hand at it?”

Qi Xuansu was no longer who he used to be. He had to maintain the decorum of a superior. He dusted off his robe and said, “This so-called ‘Card Saint’ is just an empty title. What concern is it to me?”

Ke Qingqing added, “I heard there’s also a prize of 10,000 Taiping coins.”

Qi Xuansu changed his tune immediately. “I suppose making friends through card games is an enjoyable way to network.”

Ke Qingqing continued, “The preliminaries already ended before the New Year...”

Qi Xuansu suddenly realized how mischievous his subordinate was. “Deacon Ke, could you speak in one go? Don’t say things halfway and leave the rest hanging.”

Ke Qingqing had no choice but to explain, “As far as I know, Prince Jin reserved 8 special invitations, allowing participants to skip the preliminaries and enter the semifinals directly. Considering your relationship with Deputy Mansion Master Shi, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get your hands on one. But you’d better hurry. If you go too late, all eight spots might already be spoken for.”

Qi Xuansu nodded slightly. “Makes sense. I’ll go see Deputy Mansion Master Shi right away.”

Shi Bingyun’s office and Qi Xuansu’s office were separated only by a small pond and a rock garden, which was convenient. Though it was the first day of the New Year, Shi Bingyun had not gone anywhere. She was sitting dutifully in her office.

After his arrival was announced, Qi Xuansu met with Shi Bingyun.

“Our great hero has arrived!” Shi Bingyun grinned.

Qi Xuansu replied humbly, “I dare not accept such praise. The operation’s success was due to the Sages’ brilliant strategy and the Spirit Guards’ dedication and cooperation. I merely fulfilled a small part of my duty.”

Shi Bingyun gestured for him to sit. “Spare me the formalities. I see that you’ve picked up official lingo just as fast as you’ve risen through the ranks. Whether you’re a hero or not isn’t for me or you to decide. The Golden Tower Council will make that judgment. Anyway, I actually have something I need to discuss with you.”

Qi Xuansu joked, “Has my promotion letter arrived?”

Shi Bingyun chuckled. “How you’ll be rewarded is up to Sage Donghua. I want to talk to you about something else. Have you read today’s bulletin?”

Qi Xuansu’s smile faded as he nodded. “I have.”

“What are your thoughts?” Shi Bingyun asked.

Qi Xuansu cautiously asked, “About what’s going on in Fenglin?”

Shi Bingyun nodded. “Precisely.”

Qi Xuansu pondered his words before saying, “The Daoist Order will likely launch a major military campaign. After all, no one wants to bear the stigma of surrendering territory. That would go down in infamy for generations. But under what pretext will the troops be deployed?”

Shi Bingyun tapped her finger on the table. “Back then, when Chu attacked Sui, Sui said, ‘I have done no wrong.’ But Chu replied, ‘I am a barbarian.’ The Daoist Order prides itself on being civilized, so we naturally can’t claim to be barbarians. Back then, the reason the Daoist Order was able to march to the gates of Xiujing City and force Fenglin’s Regent to sign a treaty was because the Wokou[1] had repeatedly raided our Southeastern coasts in the previous Wei Dynasty.

“During the 11th year of the Hongwu Era, those pirates killed thousands of civilians and abducted over a thousand women and able-bodied men. In the 19th year of the Hongwu Era, they invaded Danfu, Xinying, and Yangpu; in the 20th year, they attacked Qiongfu. The Wokou invaded Lingnan counties such as Chengmai and Lingao 13 times in total over a few years, killing tens of thousands of civilians and abducting tens of thousands more to offshore islands for forced labor.

“These are the casualties in Lingnan alone. Jiangzhou, Chuzhou, Minzhou, and other regions were also affected. The number of civilians killed or injured probably exceeded hundreds of thousands, and those abducted numbered in the same range. Millions of civilians were forced to flee their homes, and our empire sustained countless material losses.

“It wasn’t until the Daoist Order began expanding maritime trade and the Qingwei lineage organized naval fleets to clear the seas that the Wokou raids finally faded from memory.”

“There was a popular excerpt in the Gongyang Commentary asking if vengeance could still be exacted after nine generations, to which the Sage replied that even centuries-old grudges spanning ten generations may be avenged as long as people revere the sovereign and repel the barbarians.

“Private vengeance typically extends five generations, but national hatred may still be avenged even over a hundred generations. Thus, when the Daoist Order deployed flying ships to their gates and blasted the Tenshu Tower, forcing their submission, it was not a matter of bullying the weak. It was the rightful settling of a centuries-old blood debt for the millions of our people they plundered and slaughtered.

“But the Fenglin daimyos and samurai view us as an army of invaders, an unjust force, so they rebelled time and again. Ultimately, it’s just because their interests have been harmed. That’s why the Golden Tower Council has already passed a preliminary resolution in response to the invitation of Fenglin’s Regent to dispatch troops and help suppress the domestic rebellion.”

Qi Xuansu was not surprised. The Golden Tower Council had probably already drafted the proclamation of war. What interested him more were two other questions.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Will the Imperial Court also send troops? Who will lead the forces from the Daoist Order?”

“The Imperial Court will send the Donghai Navy to assist,” Shi Bingyun replied. “The commander of these troops has yet to be decided by the Golden Tower Council.”

Although Sage Cihang was the Tiangang Hall Master, that position was akin to the Minister of War, mainly overseeing routine military affairs such as troop management and officer appointments. But for a major campaign, there would be an honorary yet powerful title of Chief General given to another officer only during wartime. Once the war ended, the title would also be revoked. The Chief General held supreme authority over both military and civil affairs, even over governors and inspectors. It was rare for a Minister of War to serve as Chief General, so Qi Xuansu’s question was essentially about who would be appointed to that role.

Of course, the Daoist Order did not use the same term as the Imperial Court. They typically called it the Sage Commander.

Shi Bingyun continued, “In my opinion, though the final decision has yet to be made, the direction is already clear. Most likely, Sage Qingwei will be appointed as the Sage Commander.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, “Why do you say that?”

Shi Bingyun explained, “Logistics and supply are most important when launching a long-range military campaign. The two closest points to Fenglin are Liaodong and Qizhou. Think about it, if we’re transporting supplies from Jiangnan, is it easier to ship to Liaodong or Qizhou? Naturally, Qizhou will become the key supply hub. Qizhou is the Taiping Sect’s territory. Given the current life-or-death rivalry among the three Daoist sects, if someone outside of the Qingwei lineage is appointed commander, then the Taiping Sect could easily obstruct or sabotage supply lines in Qizhou. That could lead to a catastrophic defeat in Fenglin. If Sage Cihang or Sage Donghua leads this campaign and fails, their chances at the Grand Master seat would be finished. Thus, they can only ensure that the supply lines remain unimpeded if Sage Qingwei becomes the Sage Commander.

“The Imperial Court has three naval fleets. The Zhengyi Sect holds considerable sway over the Nanhai Navy because its predecessor is the Zhengyi Fleet. Meanwhile, the Taiping Sect is influential in the Donghai Navy. Since the Donghai Navy will support the Fenglin campaign, they may not fully obey a non-Taiping Sect commander. But the outcome will be different if Sage Qingwei leads. Many officers in the Donghai Navy are from the Li family, and they wouldn’t dare disobey the orders of the future head of their family. So, putting Sage Qingwei in charge would consolidate the power, making the Donghai Navy an extension of his will.”

After hearing all this, Qi Xuansu lamented, “This explanation is better than reading ten years’ worth of books.”

Shi Bingyun chuckled. “Sage Donghua has had his moment in the spotlight. Now, it’s Sage Qingwei’s turn. That’s just too bad for Fenglin’s daimyos. They thought they would be ignored because of the Daoist Order’s internal strife, but they didn’t anticipate that Sage Qingwei would use them as a stepping stone for merit and prestige. The Taiping Sect will win this battle at all costs.

“Let me give you a heads-up. Qing Xiao and many young talents from the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect are likely to be deployed in this campaign, partly to earn battle merit and partly to serve as a kind of hostage. After all, the Taiping Sect doesn’t want the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect to hold them back.”

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to listen quietly.

Shi Bingyun’s insights were sharp. It was no wonder she had nearly become Sage Cihang.

Suddenly remembering something, Shi Bingyun asked, “Right, what did you come here for?”

Qi Xuansu explained his interest in participating in the Holy Xuan Cards Championship.

Shi Bingyun had no objections. “Perfect! If you can win the 10,000 Taiping coins, it stays in the family, so to speak. I’ll go talk to Old Qin about it.”

Qi Xuansu thanked her and promptly left Shi Bingyun’s office.

Four days later, on January 5th, Qi Xuansu brought his collector’s edition of the Holy Xuan Cards, which were worth 5,000 Taiping coins, and confidently headed to the main branch of the Taiping Inn to compete in the championship.

In Qi Xuansu’s mind, even if he wasn’t that skilled, calculating cards should be child’s play with his Divine Calculation Technique. What he never expected was that his very first opponent would be Yao Pei, who had only just recovered from serious injuries.

Puzzled, he could not think of any reason why Yao Pei would join such a competition. Did she really care about the meaningless title of Card Saint? Could a noble lady like her be drawn by a mere 10,000 Taiping coins? Was she just joining for fun?

Qi Xuansu noticed that Yao Pei seemed a little different from before—less like a dead fish and surprisingly more human.

Yao Pei did not talk to Qi Xuansu. She simply took out a shimmering deck of Holy Xuan Cards, so dazzling that Qi Xuansu was nearly blinded by them.

In the end, his Divine Calculation Technique was no match for Yao Pei’s Heavenly Calculation.

Qi Xuansu finished tied for 32nd place alongside fifteen others.

1. Pirates. ☜