Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 68: Silver and Grain

“We cannot go!”
Both Tian Xingzi and Duan Changfeng spoke in unison, rejecting the idea outright.
“Why not?” Yang Hao asked in surprise.
“If the Lord of Wei still intends to encircle us without annihilating us, using us as bait, the Grand Tutor Wang of Tang is utterly determined to wipe us out,” Duan Changfeng replied.
“Indeed. From what I know, the Tang army has been gathering in great force over the past two days. It seems that the Grand Tutor began preparations as soon as he returned to the capital, resolved to face us in battle,” Tian Xingzi added. “Perhaps you are unfamiliar with some past events. According to my knowledge, the Grand Tutor Wang holds a grudge against the Lord of Jin. The Lord of Jin has committed such disgraceful acts more than once. Over a decade ago, he seized Zhang Prefecture from Tang; at the time, the prefect of Zhang Prefecture was none other than Grand Tutor Wang. That was a humiliation for him!”
“In recent years, Jin has grown ever more powerful, and this is how they’ve expanded,” Duan Changfeng said, almost wanting to cover his face in embarrassment.
Such a state is nothing short of a notorious neighbor.
It’s like several households on a street, with Jin constantly scheming to annex its neighbors’ land, snatching it piece by piece through every trickery—cheating, stealing, bullying. The neighbors likely dare not protest, and for now, cannot fight back.
By such ignoble means, Jin has gradually enlarged its territory without paying much cost.
So Grand Tutor Wang grinds his teeth in hatred, and now, given this opportunity, how could he not sharpen his blade and seize the chance to deal with these tens of thousands?
“What should we do then?” Yang Hao asked, now learning of these hidden animosities for the first time, feeling a splitting headache.
“Your Highness must have a sound plan,” Duan Changfeng observed Yang Hao’s calm demeanor. “Let’s each write down our ideas and lay them out together.”
Xu Wei, listening nearby, was so excited she nearly wanted to join in.
“I have no desire to play this game with you,” Wang Chuan said, glancing at them and asking Xu Wei to bring out two sheets of paper. “Draw one.”
Uh…
He’d already made up his mind, long before they came to seek him.
After exchanging glances, they urged Yang Hao to draw a slip.
It read: Luocheng.
Xu Wei knew what was on the other slip, for Wang Chuan had asked her to write it. Only now did she understand.
Wang Chuan crushed the other slip in his palm, reducing it to powder.
“What was written on the other one?” Duan Changfeng asked, even more curious.
But he never found out.
“Why Luocheng? That’s the capital of Wei!” Yang Hao exclaimed, spreading out the map once more for study.
He had been wondering how to traverse the border between Wei and Tang and return to Jin.
Surely the Lord of Jin would send an army to meet them.
With His Highness and Duan Changfeng’s abilities, achieving this should not be difficult.
But why choose Luocheng?
Luocheng lies deep within Wei territory; taking a detour there would mean a long, arduous journey, with their provisions unlikely to last.
Most perilous of all, the deeper they ventured, the more Wei troops surrounded them, and the greater the danger.
It seemed utterly illogical to head toward Luocheng.
He couldn’t understand.
“It’s like playing chess—you must conceal your intentions from your opponent,” Duan Changfeng explained.
Yang Hao was taken aback; this echoed Wang Chuan’s earlier words. He truly couldn’t see through this move.
Could the Lord of Wei also fail to see through it?
“Tang can no longer be trusted as a passage. When contact with Yangcheng was lost, I no longer wished to take that route,” Duan Changfeng said. “I know the Lord of Jin well; His Majesty will surely want to carve a piece from this chaos... so let’s detour to Luocheng.”
“No, we’re going to attack Luocheng!” Wang Chuan stood up. “Relations between the two states are beyond repair; it matters not... I leave these tens of thousands of soldiers to you. Spare no effort—attack Luocheng!”
His words stunned everyone.

Even Tian Xingzi and the others could not fathom Wang Chuan’s intentions.
Attack Luocheng?
With only forty thousand light cavalry?
The greatest advantage of light cavalry is their mobility, able to travel vast distances, unlike infantry or heavy cavalry.
But they are absolutely unsuitable for siege warfare—they have neither equipment nor engines!
On the plains, they cannot stand against heavy cavalry; Duan Changfeng could break them easily with just a squad of armored riders.
What was the Lord of Jin thinking? These forty thousand were not only well-trained soldiers but also forty thousand warhorses.
If this was merely a test for Wang Chuan, the cost and risk were far too great.
But if there was another purpose—what could it be?
What is the true aim? Does His Highness know?
The only notable advantage of light cavalry is their ability to resist foreign enemies; the barbarians’ equipment is poor, and their horses lack the agility of those in the Central Plains.
He himself had once led several thousand light cavalry across the Northern Wilderness, slaying countless foes.
They abandoned the carriages. Wang Chuan chose the gentlest steed and rode with Xu Wei.
He carefully tucked her cloak.
A woman’s body is light, and with Wang Chuan’s skills, he could make himself lighter than a feather, so the two riding together were no slower than the rest.
“Your Highness, attacking Luocheng will be difficult,” Duan Changfeng argued, quickly finding reasons to report. “Luocheng has heavy walls, at least fifty thousand defenders, occupying terrain as formidable as a natural barrier. Not to mention the Wei army can rush to reinforce. In two or three days, we’ll be besieged! And we lack siege engines—even if we cut wood for them, that would take days…”
“No need for such trouble!” Wang Chuan shook his head. “I’ll open the city gates for you. The light cavalry will charge straight in!”
Though the means might be somewhat shameless.
Duan Changfeng was stunned. A grandmaster, opening a city gate for them?
And with Wang Chuan’s power, he was no ordinary grandmaster—a legendary figure, leading them in an assault?
Luocheng is one of the world’s great cities, its defenses among the strongest, ranked at the top.
Almost impossible to breach.
If Duan Changfeng were to lead hundreds of thousands with proper siege equipment, it would still take more than a day or two.
Such direct methods would cost innumerable lives.
But with a figure of legend leading the assault now—
As word spread, the whole army was invigorated; at mealtime, they unconsciously ate much more.
Grandmasters rarely appear on the battlefield, but when they do, they can turn the tide, standing against thousands.
Duan Changfeng felt something was off, somehow strange.
Was it proper for Wang Chuan to intervene personally?
No major wars had broken out among the states, so there was no precedent.
But surely warfare isn’t just a contest of which state has more masters. If it comes to that, will battles become duels of champions?
As a general, possessing great martial prowess is advantageous, but not against the rules.
Wang Chuan, in this situation, could barely be considered a general.
Forget it, no point in overthinking.
But what is His Highness thinking?
Without support from Jin’s army, even capturing the capital of Wei would leave them isolated.
Could it be a plan to seize the Wei royal family?
If it were the Lord of Jin, launching a distant attack, mobilizing a great army, it would take a month just to reach the battlefield, and that would be fast.

If the Lord of Jin intends to take this step, perhaps preparations are already made.
But if attacking Luocheng is merely a feint to disrupt Wei’s deployments, where does His Highness plan to retreat?
They are sinking deeper into encirclement, and their provisions are insufficient; warhorses too need fodder.
In a few days, they’d be gnawing on roots and bark.
They entered Chuzhou’s territory, still far from the city, unaware of the Wei army’s positions. Duan Changfeng felt as if playing hide-and-seek, relying on luck.
During a brief rest, Yang Hao came to discuss matters.
“Your Highness, I can still procure some provisions in Wei, enough to ease our urgent need,” Yang Hao said. “But it will be difficult to get them to us.”
This is Wei; if they block us, not a single grain can be delivered.
He could not think of a solution.
“Can you get ten thousand stone?” Wang Chuan asked.
“Yes,” Yang Hao replied, suddenly invigorated.
He still had some business in Wei—money and servants.
He had offended the Lord of Wei, losing business in Luocheng, but elsewhere, his operations continued.
The impact was minor.
For profit, merchants will always find a way.
Wei’s merchants watched for a while, realizing the Lord of Wei did not intend to completely block Yang Hao, unlike the Zhao family’s guild, so they resumed happy cooperation and made money together.
Ten thousand stone of grain—would His Highness be involved again?
But Wang Chuan shook his head. “No need to go through great trouble for us. Just give it to the people of Wei, Yang Hao. Our attack on Luocheng must also stand on righteousness.”
Yang Hao sensed something amiss.
Had he misheard?
We’re attacking a city, yet want to stand on righteousness?
“Your map,” Wang Chuan called.
“Oh, right…” Yang Hao quickly produced it and unfolded it.
Duan Changfeng, with his extraordinary military talent, needed only a glance to memorize it fully.
Tian Xingzi, after years wandering the realm, could recall every terrain by heart.
Wang Chuan was beyond comparison, and the others could only look up to him.
Yang Hao, however, was like a duck driven to the water for the first time, following the army, studying maps and pondering affairs daily.
“Look, here are Chuzhou and Qingzhou, the Wei border. You may think this route is fastest—a force could return home in three days. But it’s impossible; the Lord of Wei has already deployed a great army, determined to block us at all costs!” Wang Chuan said, slicing his hand through the air like a chasm. “To the south, there’s the threat from Tang; they won’t give us a chance. And the Jin army is too far.”
“So what should we do?” Yang Hao asked.
“What I want from you: prepare a thousand taels of gold, ten thousand stone of grain, to be distributed among the people of Chuzhou and Qingzhou. Both places suffered disasters the year before; taxes were reduced, people are recovering. This money and grain will suffice,” Wang Chuan explained. “I’ve already asked Elder Tian Xingzi to go north to Luocheng and meet the Lord of Wei, seeking permission to return to Jin.”
That’s not borrowing, but buying a passage.
Such a price, just to go home…
“Indeed, we stand on righteousness—money and grain to buy a passage, both reasonable and just.” It wasn’t a small sum for Yang Hao, but he gave it without hesitation. “But what will the Lord of Wei do? Refuse? Then the people of both provinces will turn against him, his prestige destroyed. If he accepts… I fear he’ll still attack us after taking the payment!”
That would be outright treachery—the thing Yang Hao hated most after conducting business and offering gifts to officials.
Taking payment yet not delivering, still seeking to destroy us.
Infuriating!