Southern Chuan City was located in the southeastern corner of Chuansong County, adjacent to Huadong County. Changshui River originated from the northwest of Chuansong and meandered eastward, reaching Southern Chuan. One branch flowed directly towards Huadong County, and another branch, due to the terrain, flowed towards Chengyuan County. Eventually, both branches converged into Yunshui within the Eastern Chen territory.
Jiao Wenbo had crossed the Changshui River with his troops. At that time, the main army was stationed in Lingfu County by the Changshui River, while Liang Ye’s army was stationed in Chuanbei City, forming a pincer movement that encircled Southern Chuan and pointed directly at Huadong County in the southeast.
Yu Polu’s army had retreated to the junction of Huadong and Chilan Counties, while Loufan remained in a standoff with Ning Ming and Jiao Yan, not making any rash moves.
Although it was a negotiation, no one could guarantee that they would ultimately reach an agreement. Jiao Wenbo had not left, precisely to be ready to immediately engage in battle if the talks fell apart.
Northern Liang’s message was very clear: negotiation was fine, they were willing, but if they were to continue fighting, they were not afraid. They were prepared to go all out, with a “fish dies, net breaks” mentality, where no one would survive.
This approach was identical to their mad emperor’s style, showing a completely reckless attitude.
The mad emperor was staring at Huadong County on the map, grinding his teeth, heart-wrenching, wishing he could grow two more brains to figure out how to reclaim Huadong County.
“It would be good enough if we could negotiate smoothly. Recovering Huadong County is not urgent at this moment,” Wang Dian, who had always been more conservative and cautious, said. “Shen Xun might be in trouble now, but he is not a fool. He will not spit out the fat meat from his mouth.”
Liang Ye’s expression was gloomy. “Huadong County was originally Zhens.”
“Even if it is yours now, you cannot rush to take it back. What if you mess up and lose more than just Huadong County?” Wang Dian sighed and pointed at the map. “We need to first secure Chilan County and not lose both the wife and the soldiers.”
According to the current situation, the hope of preserving Chilan was quite high.
“Chilan is all gobi desert. Zhen does not want it,” Liang Ye complained.
The inadvertent display of a tyrant’s demeanor made Wang Dian want to slap him. “Is this about whether you want it or not?”
Liang Ye was shouted back a step. “Zhen is just saying.”
Wang Dian sighed, “If others heard this, what would they think?”
Liang Ye wrinkled his nose. Wanting Huadong County but unable to devise a plan, and being vetoed by Wang Dian, he lost interest in the negotiation. Negotiating was not as interesting as killing, so he listened listlessly to Wang Dian’s negotiation strategy, occasionally inserting a word or two.
The two armies used the central line of Southern Chuan City as a dividing line and built a high platform for negotiations. Neither side brought more than three hundred people, arriving at the platform at the pre-agreed time. The tens of thousands of troops outside the city were lined up on both sides, extremely courteous.
Since it was a negotiation, etiquette was important. Although Liang Ye was not very particular during battles, he was now the monarch of Northern Liang. The other side was the commander-in-chief, so Liang Ye could not personally negotiate. First, it would be beneath the emperor’s dignity to negotiate with a mere commander. Second, everyone was afraid that their emperor might, in a fit of madness, overturn the table and start a war—although it sounded absurd, the possibility could not be ruled out.
Including Wang Dian, looking at Liang Ye’s frustrated expression of not being able to reclaim Huadong County, they knew that if things went wrong, he would be eager to continue fighting.
Unable to personally witness how miserable Yu Polu would look, Liang Ye sat dissatisfied in the main tent.
The selection of negotiators was carefully considered. Wang Dian, as the main negotiator, selected five stable and intelligent generals. Finally, his gaze lingered on Bian Feng, and he smiled softly, “General Bian, you are highly skilled in martial arts. I’ll trouble you to escort us.”
It was an escort, not an accompaniment. In other words, the negotiation was none of his business; he was just there as a bodyguard. Especially since two of Wang Dian’s previous selections held positions lower than Bian Feng’s, which was a clear loss of face, yet no one could find fault.
In terms of seniority and age, Bian Feng was not qualified to sit at the negotiation table. The people Wang Dian chose were mostly older. While the reasoning seemed sound, when compared to Yu Polu, who was a commander at seventeen or eighteen, it carried a deeper meaning.
Even among these battle-hardened men, those who could stand before Liang Ye were not brainless. From this incident, they understood that the Prince of Danyang looked down on this young General Bian, either taking pleasure in his misfortune or watching coldly.
The Prince of Danyang was a figure who could overshadow everything in the capital. It was unwise to offend him.
On the high platform, people from Eastern Chen and Northern Liang sat on both sides of a long table. Wang Dian faced Yu Polu, whom he was seeing clearly for the first time. The young general had sharp, cold features, radiating a fierce aura, looking like an unbridled character. His gaze was unfriendly.
Wang Dian smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, while the other tightly pressed his lips and returned the salute.
The opponent’s right arm moved somewhat stiffly, clearly indicating that the injury inflicted by Liang Ye had not fully healed. No wonder he looked like he wanted to devour someone.
The negotiation was fundamentally about patching up the torn face with a beautiful new layer, allowing everyone to save face and appear as close as brothers.
Wang Dian had always been smooth in speech and action. In business, he could overturn a table and curse, then sit down later to drink and call each other brothers. Now, facing the Eastern Chen people, he was equally amiable. Everyone played their roles, with some playing the red face and others the white, performing a grand drama.
Wang Dian’s side had no intention of further warfare, while Yu Polu’s side was eager to return to the capital. After a cordial and friendly meeting, the Southern Chuan Alliance was smoothly sealed, with a speed that seemed like everyone was just going through the motions.
The final agreement was for Eastern Chen to withdraw troops back to Huadong County, and Northern Liang to retreat to Chuansong County. However, Wang Dian’s persistent negotiation ultimately reclaimed Chilan County—Eastern Chen, much like Liang Ye, thought that this barren land was of little use.
The war had lasted from the first day of the Lunar New Year until late spring. Eastern Chen was determined to win, and Northern Liang fought with their backs against the wall. No one expected it would end in such a relatively peaceful manner. Eastern Chen was fundamentally shaken by Shen Yao’s death, while Northern Liang gained a breathing opportunity through Wang Dian’s temporary stabilization of the capital. As they say, timing, geography, and human harmony—fate and opportunity—Eastern Chen’s first step towards unifying the three countries had fallen into a pit, and who knew when such an opportunity would come again.
At least, Northern Liang would not be destroyed in the short term.
Wang Dian leaned back in his chair and sighed, unable to tell if it was relief or regret. Liang Ye’s imperial position was secure, and now he himself would become unstable. Upon returning to the capital, Liang Ye would not allow him to hold such tremendous power.
But life was long, and he had plenty of time to compete with Liang Ye.
He slowly descended the platform last, with Bian Feng following behind. “Your Highness truly has a silver tongue and is adept at maneuvering. No wonder you are so favored by His Majesty.”
Wang Dian smiled, “General Bian praises me too much. It is all that I deserve.”
Bian Feng was unexpectedly choked by his response, his voice turning slightly cold. “Your Highness is with His Majesty day and night. There are already rumors in the military. Do you really intend to become a treacherous minister who misleads the ruler?”
Wang Dian laughed, “General Bian is mistaken. I have dedicated myself entirely to the affairs of Northern Liang. It is His Majesty who does not bear to see me shuttling between military camps. We discuss matters of state. How did it become misleading the ruler in the young general’s words?”
“You—”
“Ah,” Wang Dian stopped and turned, his gaze cold but his voice as gentle as ever, “If General Bian is so concerned about His Majesty, why not ask him directly?”
Bian Feng sneered, implying more than his words suggested, “As a subject, how could one be so ungrateful and overstep boundaries to trouble His Majesty?”
“If you understand, that’s good,” Wang Dian pulled at the corner of his mouth, a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Do not fantasize about what you should not. I most despise others coveting my things, General Bian.”
Bian Feng stared at him, his face turning extremely ugly.
Wang Dian let out a light laugh, turned, and descended the platform with his sleeves gathered.
Liang Ye came out of the main tent to welcome him. Before Wang Dian could kneel, Liang Ye lifted him up. Wang Dian grasped Liang Ye’s wrist and intimately caressed it. Liang Ye raised an eyebrow, casually pinching his arm before releasing it.
While speaking, he deliberately leaned close to Liang Ye’s ear and subtly kissed it. Liang Ye paid no mind, lowering his head to carefully examine the alliance treaty. Wang Dian cast a cold smile towards Bian Feng in the distance.
Wang Dian chose an extremely tricky angle, allowing Bian Feng to “accidentally” see, blatantly provocative and boastful. Bian Feng’s face darkened as he tightly clenched his fists.
On the return journey, the carriage curtains were tightly drawn.
Liang Ye let out a muffled grunt, rubbing his ear that Wang Dian had bitten painfully, and suspiciously asked, “Who has offended you?”
Wang Dian pressed him against the carriage wall and said flatly, “You previously asked in a letter what reason I might find to chop off Bian Feng’s head. I’ve thought of one now.”
“Bian Feng…” Liang Ye furrowed his brow, “He—hiss, be gentle!”
Wang Dian’s hand did not stop, leaning in to kiss him several times, his tone unfriendly, “What, feeling reluctant?”
Liang Ye raised an eyebrow and laughed, “You were the one who previously advised Zhen to keep him.”
“That little brat stared at you like you were a piece of fat meat,” Wang Dian said with satisfaction, looking at Liang Ye’s expression of drowning in desire. Thinking about how Bian Feng had fantasized about him made him irritable enough to want to kill, and he spoke with a gloomy tone, “You are my possession.”
Liang Ye heavily gasped with Wang Dian’s movements, looking satiated, “He provoked you, so go deal with him. Why come to torment me?”
Wang Dian leisurely wiped his fingers with a wet cloth, turning his head to look at him and curling his lips in a smile, “On a whim.”
Liang Ye saw his cold yet mischievous appearance and felt an itch in his heart, but with too many people outside the carriage, he could only regretfully give up, “Chong Heng should have been brought along.”
Wang Dian said with exasperation, “Let the child be. Following around every day, who knows what he might learn.”
“He’ll marry and have children eventually. The earlier he learns, the better,” Liang Ye said boldly.
Wang Dian twitched the corner of his mouth.
Liang Ye lowered his head, gently pinching his fingers, and casually said, “Bian Rufeng wanted her son to be an uninhibited general, just like herself. Bian Feng is her son, so Zhen… will give her some face.”
Wang Dian understood and felt somewhat uncomfortable, squeezing Liang Ye’s palm hard, “Very well.”
The carriage stopped, and someone outside called loudly, “Reporting to Your Majesty and Your Highness, we have returned to camp.”
